Men of York and Lancaster Regiment in International Trench

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Men of 1/5th York and Lancaster Regiment in International Trench near the Yser Canal north of Ypres, 1915

 

By the start of World War One, progressions in technology meant that soldiers could capture images of their time in the trenches. Founded in 1888 by George Eastman, Kodak had already popularised amateur photography and when the The Vest Pocket Kodak camera appeared in 1912, it was branded as "The Soldier's Kodak".

 

More than 28,000 of these cameras sold in 1915, meaning troops could document their life and travels for family back at home. This photo, from the same year, was taken by an anonymous soldier of the men of 1/5th York and Lancaster Regiment near the Yser Canal north of Ypres.

 

Its depiction of smiling troops shows none of the tragedy that was to come.