High Quality WW1 Photos - Allies

[Fritz]

One of the main causes were the colonies. Portugal was in great debt to Britain, and after the revolution in 1910, Britain considered dividing Portuguese Angola between itself and Germany. The Porgtugese then considered sending 55.000 men as an allied contingent to France. Apart from murdering a German Bezirkshauptmann and four officers at the border in August 1914, Portugal then seized German ships docked at the ports in their colony, this resulted in a German declaration of war against Portugal in 1916

[Gildwiller1918]

Members of the 9th Hodson's Horse (Bengal Lancers), Indian Army, pause to consult a map near Vraignes in1917.

image source, internet.

[Fritz]

A lot of them ended up in the barbed wire at High Wood and Bazentin, others ended up on show at Hagenbecks Tierpark in Berlin and Hamburg.

[Fritz]

Austro-Hungarian prisoners in Russia - the chances of survival were marginal

[Gildwiller1918]

Royal Artillery Farriers posing for a group photo.

Image source, internet

[Gildwiller1918]

ANZAC troops by the Sphinx

Image source, internet

[Gildwiller1918]

US soldiers entering Germany for occupational duty. Note the soldier in the front row, left side, he is wearing a French canteen. French canteens were quite popular with US forces. There are quite a few photos depicting this.

[Gildwiller1918]

British soldiers assisting POW's, good view of the gear and equipment.

[Gildwiller1918]

Siamese soldiers arriving at the front, they appear to be armed with M80 Fusil Gras rifles, the detail is a little hard to make out though. It was not uncommon to equip colonial forces with obsolete weapons and equipment at the time. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Nice detailed image of a US soldier armed with a SMLE MK 3. Most likely a member of the US 30th or 27th Infantry Divisions. These 2 units were were part of 10 that trained with British units, the other 8 were recalled to form the newly organized American First Army, however the 27th and 30th stayed with the British 4th Army, and participated in several campaigns, notably, leading the first wave to penetrate and help capture the St. Quentin Canal along with Australian units, as well as action around Ypres. To ease logistics, the US soldiers were issued SMLE MK3's, but retained their own field gear. However as uniforms became unserviceable, it was not uncommon for US troops to wear British uniforms with US insignia, until suitable replacements could be procured. 

 

[Gildwiller1918]

French Colonial Indochinese soldiers with a Mle 1914 Hotchkiss Machine Gun. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Allied soldiers looking over captured German guns. Many different models shown. Interesting to see the camouflage on them as well. 

Image source, internet

[Gildwiller1918]

Nice image of US troops manning a French Mle 1914 Hotchkiss. Note the long cylindrical object hanging from the haversacks, this is the bedroll which contained a shelter half, blanket, tent polls, rope and stakes. This was held to the haversack and held in place by a attachable carrier, which can be faintly made out towards the lower half of the pack, it had a thick leather strap that interweaved its canvas sheath. These soldiers also seem to be carrying bolo's as well in the top of their packs, used by machine gun crews to clear brush away. 

[Fritz]

From the Mobilisation till the Revolution

GRAND DUCHESSES TATIANA AND ANASTASIA
Working in the park of Alexander Palace preparing a vegetable garden during captivity in 1917.

 

[Gildwiller1918]

French troops manning a Hotchkiss Mle. 1914 at Fort Vaux, 1916. The soldiers have the Berthier carbines, with the rectangular gas mask tins on their hips. 

[Fritz]

I had one of those carbines, dated 1916, many years ago. Carbines were probably more suitable for fortress troops than the long rifle.

[Gildwiller1918]

Most definitely Fritz, carbines and pistols were much more suited to close quarters areas. The carbine is still on my list, I have the full size one however. 

[Gildwiller1918]

French FT-17 light tanks on transport trucks during summer of 1918. The FT-17 weighed a little over 6 tons, was 5 meters long and 1.74 meters wide, making it somewhat easy to transport by truck, however they would need a lifting device or ramp to unload. But using this method saved wear and tear on the tank itself, much like using rail lines to transport armor in WW2. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Nice view of French infantry equipment as these soldiers move to the front in 1917. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Interesting photo from 1916 showing a French soldier demonstrating a portable armored firing platform. 

[Gildwiller1918]

French and British troops in cut out rifle pits, March 1918, Nelse sector. 

[Gildwiller1918]

April 1918, French soldiers showing off captured German machine guns. 

[Gildwiller1918]

1914 image of a French Zouave soldier. Colorful uniforms did not last very long in the Great War. 

[Fritz]

Apart from that, not every European would want to be seen in an (oriental) costume like that.

[Gildwiller1918]

Interestingly enough, US and Confederate soldiers emulated these outfits in the US Civil War (1861-65).