The First World War 'Battle Of The Somme' like you've never seen before: A.I. enhanced and in color!

The Battle of the Somme took place between 1 July 1916 and 18 November 1916. It was one of the major battles of World War 1, fought between the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire and took place along the banks of the French river Somme, East of the town of Albert. The full 72 minute enhanced and colorized version of this film can be viewed here : • Stunning footage of th...
This film concentrates on the battles around the 1 July 1916 and is viewed entirely from a British perspective with a substantial amount of glorification of the battle results.
The army of the British Empire is often referred to as "Kitchener's Army" or even "Kitchener's mob" in view of the fact that it largely comprised of volunteers drafted as the result of an agressive "Call to Arms" campain setup by Field Marshall Lord Kitchener in August 1914. Kitchener who originally was a succesful British commander of the Egyptian army, had been appointed as Secretary of State for War by prime minister Herbert Asquith. His army initially consisted of traditional batallions manned by lower class soldiers. However, after forming socalled "Pals" battalions, huge numbers of middle class recruits joined as well to form groups that were separate from the lower class battalions.
By the summer of 1916 the recruitment had been so successful that the British were able to form no less than 5 armies comprising of approximately 2 million men. Unalike WWII there was no role for women in WWI.
To avoid a misconception, Lord Kitchener was never directly involved in the Battle of the Somme, simply because he was already dead at that time. Kitchener was on his way to Russia on HMS Hampshire to attend negotiations with Tsar Nicholas II when on 5 June 1916 it was struck by a German mine near the Orkney islands, Scotland. It sank taking Kitchener down to a seamans grave as one of the 737 casualties.
Preceeding the main attack on 1 July, a severe bombardement of the German lines started on 24 June, the so called drum fire or Trommelfeuer, which lasted until it peaked at "Zero Hour" on 1 July. Kitchener's men could only hope that this bombardement had stunned the enemy into submission.
Once the attack started, the British and French soldiers were pushed towards "no mans land" into a stream of machine gun fire and under continuous bombardements from both sides of the line. Kitchener's men underwent a fate of mixed success and failure, largely related to the leadership, terrain, the width of no-mans land and other local circumstances.
The losses on the British side were staggering, with 19,420 men dead and 35,493 wounded in that first day. 2,737 men went missing or became POW resulting in a total number of losses of 57.000 men. It was the bloodiest day in British military history ever. In particular at Serre, and at La Boisselle heavy losses were due to strong German resistance.
In the months thereafter the battle continued, but at a less intense level until it died down on 18th November due to rain and winter conditions.
This film starts with splended shots of battallions preparing for the attack at the end of June followed by many shots behind the combat lines of men preparing for attacks, resting after the attacks on 1 July, wounded being carried away from the battle scene, being treated for their injuries and soldiers marching away to regroup for new attacks in the days and weeks ahead.
The original B&W film was clearly shot in the lee of the actual battle as it hardly contained any close up views of the atrocities that took place.
In view of KZbin's rules, the remaining scort scenes with combat fatalities are not shown. It is quit obvious that the results of the British army were glorified in the making of this film.
This is a 16 minute summary. You will be able to view the full 75 minute film soon on my channels. Just follow the link at the end of the video and in the description once it becomes available.
The full 72 minute enhanced and colorized version of this film can be viewed here : • Stunning footage of th...
I am not Peter Jackson with a budget of millions, but as a mere film restoration hobbyist and colorizer with basically no budget, I am quite proud of these results. Watch the original poor quality footage on archive.org do make a comparison!
NOTE: There are no attrocities nor dead, mutilated casualties shown in this film.
Thanks for watching!
Source: Archive.org (57 minute B&W Public Domain film, stretched to 72 min. due to speed correction).
Music:
- Bonnie Grace - "March Towards The End"
- Jon Björk - "The Great War"
- Bonnie Grace - "Heroes Will Fall"
- Bonnie Grace - "In The Red Soil"
- Gerald Franklin - "For The Greater Good"
- Jon Björk - "The Launch"
- Bonnie Grace - "March Towards The End".

[@Rick88888888]

*Please don't forget to subscribe to my channel! There are nearly 300 restored and colorized historic videos on this channel* . *The full 72 minute enhanced and colorized version of this film can be viewed here* : kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO6m6iIj6-mqtU This video contains scenes that some viewers may find distressing. However, care has been taken not to show violent combat footage. Please try to view this highly interesting material from a WW-I (1916) perspective and kindly avoid making comparisons with today's bizar world. The prime objective of this channel is to re-live history and soak up visual and audio impressions as the world used to be! *My most important films can now also be watched (in higher quality!) on* archive.org *via my website* : www.ricksfilmrestoration.com/indexEN1.htm

[@zazoobah]

Thanks for giving history a chance to speak again. As always, well done Rick

[@cenzoredworld]

Thanks for sharing this B&W footage and make it more relatable to this day and age. Absolutely depressing and hellish war to be in.

[@zitoschouten5068]

Is het mogelijk om elders de gevechten wél te zien? Mvg Zito

[@darrell3716]

Exceptional work 👏

[@alanconroy9882]

Fascinating and upsetting at the same time.

[@albionmyl7735]

I am German and my grandfather served in this useless insane war.... he was a real Saxon from Westphalia.... It's so sade that Anglo-Saxon and Saxons killed each other... we are one tribe.... one family the closest tribe in Europe... 🙏❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪

[@robinjunghans5358]

Da ist doch mal wieder der Wunsch Vater des Gedankens. 💩 Niedersachsen und Westfalen sind die gutgläubigsten Regionen, wie man an den immer gleichen Wahlergebnissen sieht. Wann siedelst du über? In Sussex soll es schön sein.

[@darrell3716]

Very well said common sense view 👏

[@pauls064]

@3 tours mkay troll 😂

[@johnspencer6777]

I am English from a county called Essex (East saxon). My great grandfather was killed in the battle of the somme, his body was never recovered. Yes it was an insane stupid war with many pointless deaths on both sides. The main thing is that we are now friends and allies. I hope you're grandfather went on to live a long healthy life. Happy new year to you and your family. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪

[@albionmyl7735]

@@johnspencer6777 people from my area founded the Kingdom of Wessex = Westsachsen.... I have been in Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefortshire, Sussex, Kent, City of London and many other cities.... In the recent years.... I love country and people... despite the past we are one Anglo-Saxon tribe...

[@marcusingram522]

It’s unimaginable what these boys went through, but with this film is gives a small snapshot.

[@SteveBrownRocks2023]

I can’t watch a video like this without being overwhelmed by the logistics of what had to be done to prepare for an offensive, or the sheer amount of men, equipment, ammo, etc. that must be moved around & handled all day. It’s just mind-boggling! 😵‍💫

[@markshrimpton3138]

My paternal grandfather, born in 1890, took part in the Battle of the Somme. Luckily, he survived. His older brother, Robert, born in 1889, didn’t, and is one of the 72,337 British and Empire troops commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. My grandfather who rose to the rank of Captain, was demobbed in 1919, having volunteered in 1914. He never spoke about his war service. On his death bed in 1980, slipping in and out of consciousness, mentally he was back in the trenches giving out orders. His last words were “the horses, the horses, we’ve got to save the horses”. In peace time he was a farmer in Devon, later Cornwall and always had a special bond with horses.

[@bilbobigbollix7318]

Mark, how fascinating. Very similar to my paternal grandfather. He was 18 at the Battle of the Somme and 'copped his Blighty wound' there. The story was always a bit garbled as he wouldn't talk about it, but after a series of strokes towards the end of his life he began to regress just like your grandad. My spine is tingling now as I recall him lying in what was to be his deathbed in his bungalow on the south coast all those years ago screaming and shouting in a cockney accent I had never heard during my lifetime. "Ow, aghhhh, the bleeders have got me." It seems he was caught in an artillery blast and was semi-conscious in a shell hole for a day or so. He was found and evacuated. And then he woke up in a field hospital in Kent some 10 days later! He essentially lost one of his kneecaps and had his leg was buggered and he used a walking stick from then on. I remember my dad saying that when he grew up, "There were an awful lot of young men using walking sticks." He went on to become a teacher and then headmaster. After he died we found his medals. I had them restored and mounted and they are in my living room along with a photo of him and his army pals in a village in France in 1915. Incredible that this was over a century ago.

[@mastomasto6197]

Grande Herói, e de coragem.

[@mastomasto6197]

​@@bilbobigbollix7318 Homens de coragens. Parabéns.

[@bilbobigbollix7318]

@@mastomasto6197 obrigado.

[@chrisbrendandavis]

It's impossible to watch a video like this and not feeling immense sadness for the meaningless loss of life

[@tbrowniscool]

My great grandfather survived it, Officer Horace Winstanley.

[@tbrowniscool]

@@frankp7411 Haha wake up Frank. gOd iSNt reAl :)

[@vonne465]

Beautiful! The best, loved it, thank you Rick. All those faces

[@wtfbuddy1]

Great video of moments in time that have not been seen in 75+ years, thank you for sharing this and keeping history alive. Cheers and stay safe. Pete

[@Rick88888888]

Our pleasure!

[@ledrevonellyledrevo606]

Vraiment, vraiment formidable, c'est émouvant de pouvoir visionner cette tragédie du passé,beau travail 👍🙏👏

[@Sicilian-Lover]

Incredible video ! Thank you so much ! 👏👏

[@Rick88888888]

Glad you liked it!

[@halethewhale]

This is an amazing video, we take it for granted nowadays but having the opportunity to see the faces of these men is something special. My great grandfather fought, he was wounded by shrapnel, it stayed with him until the very end, even though he had dementia and couldn't remember his own family the war was not forgotten, he went crazy once and locked my nan in the bedroom thinking she was a German prisoner it's very sad at least I was honoured enough to have met him ❤

[@tempestvideos9834]

The most savage and suffering war fought in the Modern era.

[@Conference87]

My great grandfather served in the Somme...got shot through his shirt pocket (or tunic pocket or whatever it was they wore), the bullet passed through a pocket bible he had in it and stopped at a spoon behind it...that spoon was a family heirloom, but it's whereabouts has since become a mystery!! The story lives on though!! He survived the Great War, for if he hadn't there would have been a long lineage that would never have existed!!

[@ktyther]

This is really amazing footage and information.

[@Rick88888888]

Thank you very much

[@simon5090]

The only thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history.

[@billaskie9114]

My Grandfather, Billy Burke fought from 1914 till the war ended in 1918, hospitalised and repatriated to a hospital in England for a machine gun wound to his left leg. He walked with a bad limp for the rest of his life. Migrated with his family and settled in Kearsley, near Cessnock and worked as a mine deputy.

[@darrell3716]

Respect 🙏

[@iamcarbonandotherbits.8039]

You've done a great job on that film, really brought it to life. The unsung heroes of that war were societies cowards, who refused to kill another human being for any reason. They were given the choice of going to prison or becoming stretcher bearers and first aiders NOT medics, as they were only given a bag with the basics, bandages, asprin etc. But they would be out in the field under fire bringing in the wounded of both sides. They were unarmed and some of the more zealous would dispose of their gas mask in order to fill the case with more first aid kit. For all their personal sacrifices they seem to have been quietly shoved to one side so the celebrating public didn't have to remember the body count of victory.

[@Watusifarm]

This is my great grandfathers war. So much suffering. Thank you God that I am not made to die for a rich man to win.

[@TheDevilsAccountant]

My great great grandad fought and died here. He was in the Lancashire 8th battalion if I remember right. He now rests in one of the war cemetery in France.

[@alanmayes851]

Absolutely amazing footage

[@Rick88888888]

Thanks! Don't forget to watch the full 72 minute version on my other channel! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO6m6iIj6-mqtU

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

WOW! I've not seen any of this before, thanks dude!

[@etarepsedllits48]

I was camped on the British front line on 1st July 2016, and did the walk "over the top" just as the troops did that morning. The TV war historian Andy Robertshaw was there with a few guests, and as he guided them through the morning, I and a few others were invited to join him.

[@adders45]

My Grandfather was there from 1914 - 1917 when he was captured by the Germans, he somehow ended up in Ukraine and didn't get home untill 1921.

[@bill-wd7zs]

Haunting, I like to freeze frames now and again to look into some of these soldiers faces and wonder what they were thinking.

[@gavinlew8273]

Probably thinking of getting out alive and being home with their family and eating a warm shepherd's pie. Soldiers lose faith in humanity quickly after seeing the first casualty..

[@Frank-kx6ky]

same here....

[@sparsh415]

I Love these videos as it brings them back to life as you can see them as people with the massively improved footage.

[@harryedwards9318]

The leaders of countries cause this . Innocent Men and innocent horses far too many lost their precious lives before they had a chance to even experience so many things Really really Sad and it’s still going on all over this Planet Thanks to these Brave people and animals I’m sorry that you had to go through that Hell you deserved much better ❤

[@varnliche]

These guys on the front lines look happier than the people I see at the grocery store in 2023

[@davidcomtedeherstal]

My Greatgreatgrandfather was in the Belgian Army at the time, he was in King Albert`s General Staff.

[@andymcallister3920]

This is stunning. A truly humbling 16 minutes.

[@LeonardCooperman]

This is incredible thank you for this.

[@Rick88888888]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@RickPeake01]

Kinetograph footage of 1916. Outstanding although heartbreaking to see.

[@Rick88888888]

I don't think it was from a Kinetograph, just an nitrate film made with an early film camera.

[@Dinger154]

The sounds and smells that my Grandad experienced. Australian infantry and then Machine Gun Corps. A hard man.

[@eamo106]

Subscribed. Absolute madness. Thank you for these images.

[@zapre2284]

Imagine showing those lads what the UK has become today . Our politicians have spat on everyone of these lads and the generation that came 20 years later.

[@yorkyswe]

I find lots of your old footage deeply moving, but especially this film. To be honest I found it difficult to watch, even though all the men depicted here are long departed from us. So many lives lost, so many futures destroyed. The film feels very real, and I can't help wonder how many of these poor souls were to be shortly killed, leaving behind grieving mothers, wives and loved ones And barely 20 years later, after a whole generation of young men were cut down in the "war to end all wars" we ended up in another world conflict. We never learn, and our basic instincts are barely more developed than the aggressive, territorial apes we descended from. Now in 2022 Ukraine is fighting for its very existence, and with coming water and food shortages making vast swathes of the planet uninhabitable, things will only get worse. It's difficult not to fall into despair.

[@Rick88888888]

I totally share your sentiments: our World is on a path spiralling rapidly downward. Hopefully I will no longer be around when everything comes crashing down together.

[@TerrenLiberte]

Ce n'est pas nous qui sommes les responsables ! Ça fait partie du plan des élites qui veulent toujours éliminer les humains, ce sont des resets ! Et actuellement on en vit un autre!

[@bartobruintjes7056]

@@Rick88888888 Do you have children or grandchildren?

[@Rick88888888]

@@bartobruintjes7056 I'm sorry, but I won't answer personal questions.

[@bartobruintjes7056]

Okay. I only ask you this because you gave a personal answer about that you, hopefully, will no longer be around when everything comes crashing down together.

[@nitroyetevn]

My great grandfather was there at the Somme. Eventually sick with trench fever and met my great grandmother who was a nurse.

[@batters4718]

My great grandfather was shot in the war. Thankfully it hit his cigarette case and he survived. Without that small metal case, none of my family would have existed. Scary to think about really

[@Rick88888888]

He was very lucky! Almost like a scene from a Holywood film...

[@Poetry4Us]

im pretty sure they dead already regardless if u survive war or not,

[@albertyoung3025]

@@Poetry4Us yes but its the genes they pass on

[@Broken-Flesh]

I get a feeling of melancholy knowing all the people in this video are long gone. Like a film of ghosts.

[@ShawntiaKnott]

Imagine buying a SMLE Enfield rifle from WW1 at a gun store that sells old guns. And this specific rifle has very distinct markings on it. Then you watch this video and see that exact same rifle in a soldiers hands.

[@peppercornsauce5067]

This is incredible, i had no idea their even was footage of the Somme.

[@Mark-et8vh]

Understanding this is from the British perspective, I was still somewhat surprised by many of the German POW’s strolling amongst British soldiers at the camp.

[@ludo9234]

And all for what' just look at the UK today.

[@captainbuggernut9565]

I enjoyed this. I watched it with my son. Who had some searching questions. Over 100 years ago and these men didn't die in vain. Not when when they still force all of us to face reality as it was and still is in places like Ukraine.

[@mygoditsfullofstars9148]

The greed and egos of a few leading to the suffering of millions.

[@sharis4130]

I don't think "Greed" played much of a role in WW1 nor really caused it. As you said it, "Ego", false Pride and massive amounts of incompetence were the cause of it and brought doom to the Germans, Russians, Austrians and Ottomans.

[@MaartenTeunissen]

Nah, every war has it's spoils. There is always greed and lust for power involved. WW1 prevented Germany to become an economic rival to the British Army. Not to mention the industrialists making huge profits on both sides during that (and every) war.

[@sharis4130]

@@MaartenTeunissen The only Nations that really profited from WW1 were the USA and Japan. The rest went into an economical crisis which fucked over society, economy and stability. You are also missing out that the British Empire joined WW1 due to the arms race of the fleets it had with the German Empire and because Germany invaded Belgium which had a Garantee of Independence from the british.

[@fargoalspach557]

Faces of the long lost souls , who knew we’d be watching them over 100 years later, it’s sad to be under such a state of war but that’s what we do best, kill each-other.

[@seandelap8587]

Tragic what was about to happen and to think today that war is still being glorified absolutely shameful.

[@yorkyswe]

There's no glory in any war. It's always terrible and horrific, no matter how noble the cause. Unfortunately sometimes, like Ukraine, we have to fight to protect our loved ones and country. I wish it were not so. Man's inhumanity to his fellow man is deeply sorrowful.

[@ingowolf4205]

My english friend Terry told me his grandfather fought in the battle, he hated his french allies much more than the germans.

[@EtonieE25]

Firstly. Thank you for posting and with such amazing quality of footage. Personally to me 57,000 young men, many under the age of 20, loosing their lives, body parts and sanity in the first day of fighting for (SWEAR word) what! That great British pride word of. “Over the top lads”! Oh well there goes another 24,000 lives, let’s do it again tomorrow and see if we can top yesterdays figures and reach 37,000 lives!!! And of yes l forgot the best bit…...If you or l disagreed with the constant slaughter of friends and fellow countrymen, we would of been shot in the back of the head by our own commanding officer……Anyone else want to raise a glass to insanity! 🤔 Sorry to go on but to continue the insanity……the Germans said their static machine guns literally seized up with heat as they couldn’t kill anymore Brits, especially the ones caught on the barbed wire, which these poor sods were cutting with hand held wire cutters!!!!! Abysmal can’t even describe what these 17 year old kids must of went through 😢😢😢 And remember, no counselling back then and PTSD wasn’t even a phase or terminology used

[@marcusfranconium3392]

I have seen some of this footage in black and white in a documentary about ww1 .based on the book of professor Hew Strachan. Seeing it restored in collour makes it even more impresive and depressing .

[@javasrevenge7121]

War belongs in a museum, but the 1% has another idea about this. Thanks for this great upload.

[@walteralter9061]

Kitchener, that foot stool of the British Empire, didn't let the high casualty rate bother him too much with the all too typical ruling class attitude that they were the lower classes and a bit too numerous, and prone to liberalism, don't you see.

[@alancaron984]

My wife’s great-grandfather had a horse drawn wagon business. We have many check stubs for $25K. The building was close to railroad tracks, and had ceiling shafts for machinery. The steam engine, black smith forges and machinery were all gone when I was a kid. I figured they must have built a lot of wagons in WW1 and made a lot of money?

[@garyfautley9843]

My grandad was a messenger ( runner in this battle remember some of the stories he told me , much respect 😢

[@yogeshdesai5999]

Please make youtube videos of the stories he told you of the war.

[@نوفلعبدالحميد]

Oh my God I was amazed at the accuracy of the video at that time

[@Rick88888888]

Old nitrate (not celluloid) B&W Film, not video

[@robertotimo8504]

Fantastic job!! Very interesting. Un pensiero e un grazie a quei poveri ragazzi al fronte.

[@atropin3502]

These men went through hell. Let their sacrifice never be forgotten.

[@garthfairfield]

Already has

[@albionmyl7735]

Amen🌹🇩🇪

[@bastischmidt9976]

unimaginable what they went through...

[@VanMoonrunner]

NO MORE BROTHER WARS!

[@leopoldokaswiner4057]

Excelente documentario sobre uma guerra que já está ha mais de 100 anos distante de nós e onde todos os atores já não se encontram mais vivos. Bem ou mau, isso agora é parte da História. Saudações do Brasil 🇧🇷

[@esticolis]

Awesome footage, yet infinitely sad as it portays the suicide of Europe! Thank you so much!

[@philipe7937]

Occasionally I’ll visit the cemetery and I see tombstones there and I wonder who these people were, what their part was in the war and I thank them for their service.

[@leonardomagno7624]

Esse canal é top . Uma " janela para o passado"

[@mikybink1]

What a sad sad war. Great footage

[@kevincopeland795]

The best colorization I have ever seen. Beautiful insanity. I don't know how else to describe it.

[@tinahale9252]

I have seen so very many stories of moms losing their sons in this battle. It stabs me and I wasn't even born

[@BluebirdFrank]

So sad seeing all this poor kids busy destroying each other for nothing!😢

[@davidwilliamgay4821]

Brilliant A.I enhanced colour Rick. Amazing, so many smiling faces in such horror. Talk about Kitchener propaganda. We all know that there wouldnt be any live action, because apart from youtube restrictions, very few cameramen would have survived going over the top anyway. Brilliant filming though

[@danielrio1847]

Most of those guys at 7:01 were killed only 20 minutes later

[@petersibbald5444]

And they film makes that scene look so peaceful yet there would at that time have still been an enormous artillery barrage landing very close to their position on the Germans.

[@drivenmad7676]

@7:12 young soldier on the left, scared to death.

[@donthaveaname1086]

Actually he looks like your name

[@DaveSCameron]

Incredible, insane, many thanks Rick.

[@Rick88888888]

Very welcome

[@tokomac7728]

The real question is who’s made the money from this battle….whose financed both sides???????

[@guillaumehautier9418]

Always the sames ...

[@jayanderson6016]

"International Bankers"

[@lemontadams3029]

RothBoy

[@ahmadhussain-Fitness]

Me

[@GarretVify]

Sooo weird to think, every man in this footage is gone to history now yet the film looks like it was yesterday. What a waste WW1 was truly hell on Earth. Imagine if all that effort went towards something great.. where we would be today

[@ottoromppanen2908]

Yves, humanity is insane with all the wars. 😭😭😭😭

[@justliam2768]

My grandfather is there somewhere, too. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

[@CoreyJason]

This is what banksters produce and they have plenty of friends in high places to help them to accomplish it.

[@uuuuNB]

Horrific war, it's sad to look in the eyes of some of these men, it's crazy how you can see a broken mind so clearly. I have a very difficult time really recognizing the sheer scale of those two wars. Millions of men sent on the frontline against each other with the most destructive weaponry of the time. Unfathomable.

[@ibrahimbahadr1713]

The worst way of being killed was to be a soldier in ww1.Those who survived weren' t eager to talk about their war conditions and experiences.Rest all them in peace.

[@terrycarter2900]

Poor guys, killed by other poor guys as usual. Semper fi to all. Ooh rah!

[@luckat0nic]

Theese men were bothers, fathers and sons. Sad to know so many f them died for their leaders and countries. none of them will ever be forgotten

[@SibylleLeon]

Incredible. And the glorification is a given - that's why this type of footage even exists! I bet there's similiar material from the German side somewhere in an archive... Thank you for doing and sharing this!

[@Rick88888888]

Indeed. However, so far a German film has not emerged, as far as I know

[@SibylleLeon]

@@Rick88888888 I haven't heard of any either, sadly. The material we still have is such a treasure - that's what makes your work so valuable. Thank you!

[@Rick88888888]

I found a German WW-I film! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipe5oKyna8mFsJY

[@XPereiraRodrigo]

A lot of thousand-yard stare.

[@alltimefavoritesongs2135]

Nice video sir what software you use to remove dust and speckle. Thank you.

[@terryfreeman1018]

Unbelievable. 300 hrs. I'm in man.

[@x2gaming149]

thank you!!!

[@Rick88888888]

You're welcome!

[@MrBat60]

Mon dieu, bon nombre de ces jeunes hommes sont inhumés dans nos campagnes, cherchant l'aventure et trouvant la souffrance et la mort…. Plus jamais ça…. 30 ans après il a fallu recommencer quelle honte, quel gâchis.

[@imlisunep6121]

What were they thinking when looking on camera??

[@rustycolon9368]

The concept of moving film was novel. That's why they're posing, they are used to still photos which required them to stand still in the same position.

[@mikemaby5497]

I'd imagine they were thinking, I hope I live long enough to see this after it's developed.

[@aznyxx9435]

As @rustycolon9368 mentioned, They are propably posing because they think They are being photographed with the still camera. Additionaly, almost all of the field movie cameras of the time * were powered via the hand crank, so the operator had to manually advance the film by cranking the handle at the speed of around 2 revolutions per second - and these People are propably wondering what is the operator turning that handle for. More personally, I think They might be excited, and somewhat maybe pleased or thrilled to appear on film - having a photograph taken wasn't a cheap matter, so They might be just joyful to appear on the record, for future generations (and possible Their own families/descendants) to notice. Things really have changed, now the filmmaking equpiment is much easier to use, but the people also changed - they look at the camera rather with suspicion and distrust, rather than with joy of being immortalized, because of all the fake news and dishonesty that's going on in today's world... * - apart from the Aeroscope by polish inventor Kazimierz Prószyński, which was the first ever motion picture camera suitable for handheld use. It was powered by compressed air, which came from the containers stored within the camera body, and had to be pumped prior the shooting by a sort of bicycle pump. And it was actually in use in WW1, for example by british filmmaker Geoffrey Mallins, who recorded the Battle of the Somme - so some of the shots here could actually have been made with this exact camera. But in general, hand cranked cameras were in use, British army relied on "Moy and Bastie" model, which was the official camera assigned to their cinematographers. It was typical motion picture camera of these times - heavy and bulky. And yet, with all those technical limitations, there are so many impressive shots of the first world war out there, not only from the British army, but from all of them... (for example Autro-Hungarian film "Heldenkampf in Schnee und Eis" shot in extremely harsh mountaineous condidtions) Things really have changed through the years...

[@briansearle4138]

Clip 7:13 / 7:24 Where used in a documentary to see what these men where saying . Can't recall the lady who interpreted it she is deaf and can lip read . 7:13 I know just after that clip they were all killed in action !!. ( Lancashire regiment) . All very sad poor souls. .🇬🇧

[@Rick88888888]

Indeed, you are correct: most of them were killed about 20 minutes later.

[@gregorywolff5917]

I love seeing this time in world history. One side of my family came to USA not long before this war. Thank you for this. I'm sure I had family on the Axis side. God Bless All who were there

[@lpon9757]

If only all those men sacrificed everything, their life and family, for a reason, the pain they went through seems unimaginable today. All of this for what.

[@Lennydontcare]

They will say the same of us 100 years from now Propaganda mediums have changed is all

[@nelliedownsouth2316]

@@Lennydontcare 'During our time'..please tell me when 20,000 men were slaughtered in a single day.. Nowadays evil entities live among us, without the need for guns..

[@Lennydontcare]

@@nelliedownsouth2316 How many were dying worldwide on a daily basis during the pandemic? Different mediums

[@tomben6180]

@@Lennydontcare In Britain about 1000 a day at its absolute peak but that was people dying with Covid, not necessarily of it. At the Somme there were 10,000-20,000 young British men dying every day for a period of time.

[@icemanire5467]

​@@Lennydontcare odd comment to make Michael when "Spanish flu" killed more people than the war which was rampant in the trenches. COVID is a laughable comparison.

[@johnprendergast1338]

Their uniforms looked like they could stand without a man in them...What ghastly experience for those men to endure...

[@mastomasto6197]

No final do filme, os soldados tirando os capacetes, parecem gêmeos ou serem o mesmo indivíduo. De toda forma, foi uma guerra que a elite capitalista gostou muito.

[@knightatthecrossroads222]

And 20 years later no horses but cars tanks .....unbelievable progress

[@Freedom-kl8rt]

No,during WW II, only 30-40% of the German Army was mechanized. The remainder relied on rail or horse-drawn transportation.

[@jeremyfoster6942]

Exactly, german army still relied massively on horses in ww2

[@3vimages471]

I know the Poilu (Frogs) had blue uniforms but why does it look like half the Tommy's are in blue?

[@konstantinosv.9858]

Why every time I see movies like this, I feel like I see dead people who are just breathing and moving for the moment.

[@steve7956]

Good video...but I believe the full version of events/death etc should be shown as it's all part of history and a stark reminder and wake up call to those who think war is a walk in the park...and shows what these brave souls had to live through the horrors of war etc ...if not on this controlled platform then be it on your website and then it's up to the individual if they wish to view or not..

[@Rick88888888]

The full 71 minute version is on my other channel (for reasons of copyright). Showing war violence is not my cup of tea and against KZbin's rules. Anyhow, there is not much real, actual combat footage (too dangerous for the camera men back then), so all that remains is showing dead corpses. I don't really see the need. Most combat actions during WW-I are captured in re-enactments and movies, so not the real thing.

[@Anitguegaming]

Talk about your reload time.....

[@robertspeakman3726]

It was a stupid war with an insane waste of human life on unprecedented scale and mainly due to two royal families who had a tiff with one another. What a discrace to their people ...after all they were all related English ,Saxon the same...damn waste

[@jolivera8451]

Thank you👌🏼

[@tranquilb1]

All for nothing , look what the politicians have done today .. So sad

[@bernhardschlottbohm5538]

I'm German. My mother told me that my grandfather was in war from day one till the end. He came back with tuberculosis, mental damage and in general total worn, He survived just a few years more also due to the hunger years following the lost war. That was the fate of millions. More people died after the war than during. Later on two brothers from my mother did not come back from Russia anymore in the 1940. My father had to go to war just 18 years old in 1941 to Russia and later to France. He came back in 1949 from POW time then 26 years old. As my mother said no more teeth, no more hear amd weighing less than 50 kg, 40 kg lesser than in 1941. He lost also a brother. My mother was a young nurse and survived the destruction of three mayor cities in Germany (Darmstadt, Mainz and Frankfurt) including of course the hospitals she worked. The final she said wad always the same. The Americans bombarded at day, the English at night. When looking back at my childhood now I understand their behavior towards us children much better. They had very little love to give because of their biography. But they teached us how to survive by simply saying from small on that we have to solve our problems alone. They had not extra resources left for us, dealing with their traumata all the rest of their lifes. .

[@perulu]

Family of Braves...

[@revoroad1789]

@bernhardschlottbohm5538 Thanks for sharing your family history Bernhard. I'm sorry for all the hardship your family suffered. Poor men.