Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread
Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads

Sunday, July 2, 2023

A Time Machine Visit to the Somme Battlefield


If you enjoyed Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old, you might want to view the 16-plus-minute Battle of the Somme video posted by Rick88888888 of the Netherlands HERE.  Rick is an expert film colorizer, and his touch-up, while a little inconsistent, wonderfully captures the feel of the battlefield and the energy and spirit of the men who fought there in 1916.  Also, since it is location-specific you feel somewhat better anchored to the battlefield.

Below are some screen captures I've made from the video. By the way, in his introduction, Rick mentions he has a 75-minute version in production.


 Click on the Images to enlarge from 580px width to 1200px


Assembling the Forces


Sighting the Artillery



Ration Detail



Indirect Firing from a Machine Gun Post



Ready to Go Over



Observing an Artillery Barrage



Mail Call



Sprucing-Up Time


3 comments:

  1. Well done! "Ready to go over" scene was also in "They Shall Not Grow Old" video. Fear in one soldier's eyes looking at the camera said it all. Jackson's documentary had much more lip-reading overlays too. Lots of new material in the video though, and looking forward to the full-version.

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  2. These are fantastic!

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  3. Would be nice to see a picture of the Sunken Road where the British assembled in an area not accessible to German gunfire.

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