The mystery of WW1's most famous face

[@clindholm9396]

What makes it compelling is his gaze. He looks directly into the camera, right at us. We aren’t usually confronted with someone looking at us in a film. It makes it feel like he is reaching out to us over time, telling us to witness what he has seen.

[@joey243win]

@@clindholm9396 I saw a similar sort of thing , 2 Italian infantrymen who turn around and look back at the camera and nod thier heads and smile…… like this man 100 years later we can’t help but be moved

[@ianwilliams6042]

Of course, he may not have known what a camera was.

[@zarabada6125]

​@@ianwilliams6042 While possible, it would be highly unlikely. Photographic cameras had been around for decades at that point (coincidentally, a famous early photographic experiment took place in France in 1816 by Niépce, 100 years before this footage in 1916). The cameras we are shown in this video aren't that different in external appearance from many photographic cameras that the public would have seen at racecourses and similar public events.

[@mattpeckham667]

This is also used in the "World War 1" documentary series that was narrated by the actor Robert Ryan from the 1960's. There are several scenes of soldiers looking directly into the camera, they are haunting. We can't possibly know what they knew. Whoever this soldier is, I hope he made it back home and found peace.

[@eily_b]

It's unusual because unlike in private footage (that is usually not war footage) we are not used to see someone breaking the fourth wall. People in war movies don't look into the camera...

[@doberski6855]

May not have solved the mystery but clearly shows the importance of the work of the Imperial War Museums! Thank you all that hard work!

[@grahamfree3175]

Seconded

[@michaelmcneil4168]

@@grahamfree3175 incredible that in 1916/17 in the trenches, anyone who imagines a cameraman making videos for 2016/17 was not using actors. How could the Imperial War Museum offer that to the general public?

[@DLWELD]

Maybe we don't need the name - the man is simply every man. Very moving.

[@sugarkane4830]

Excellent point. 👏👏👏👏

[@JLange642]

@@sugarkane4830 Yes, well said!

[@Kurt_Steiner]

And all heroes...every one of them...

[@Kysushanz]

He's not heavy, he's my brother!

[@maplerice6226]

Gay!

[@bobjames6622]

I've seen that footage SO many times over the years, and it ALWAYS moves me. Whoever he was, he was an absolute hero and should be saluted.

[@Edward1312]

He carries the man with absolute care, I suspect therefore that he likely knew him.

[@alanjohnson6398]

He is an absolute hero but I think that, more than that, he is in a sense ALL the heroes of that great and awful war. Im not disagreeing with you; only suggesting that he is symbolic of more than just the individual heroism he displayed that day. God Bless Winston Churchill but I will always believe that, for the Royal Army at least, the Somme was their finest hour.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

I've seen this image countless times... thanks for trying to put a name with his face. History should be remembered.

[@djgreen8]

At 20 seconds the British soldier helping an injured German is my paternal grandfather. I’m privileged to have the pocket bible he carried.

[@harbourdogNL]

What unit was he with? (and your middle name isn't John, by any chance?)

[@djgreen8]

@@harbourdogNL Royal Berkshire, although not from Berkshire. Ended up in trench mortars. And yes it is John. ???

[@djgreen8]

He was initially identified by my late father from a picture in a book. We didn’t know it was from a short film clip until some years after he passed.

[@harbourdogNL]

@@djgreen8 Well, we share all three names! My paternal grandad was Essex Reg't., signed up in 1914 aged 14. Was demobbed in 1929 and disappeared the same year, suffering from shell shock. Never heard from again.

[@mathematician1234]

I am happy for you that you can see his image. I have been watching for my grandfather, who served on the Somme. I have not seen him though, and likely will not. There were so many men there.

[@RottenAnimal]

My grandfather was a soldier in ww1. He was wounded 3 times. For the first 2 after he recover, he was sent back to the trenches. The 3rd time, a shell exploded near him burying him. His fellow soldiers dug him up and he had a large piece of shrapnel in his back. They gave him some rum for the pain and they were afraid to pull the metal out. My grandfather then reached back and pulled the metal out himself. After that, he was sent back home to Canada. I have my grandfather's war medals

[@andrewwebb-trezzi2422]

@@RottenAnimal be proud. What Canada accomplished during the FWW is rarely discussed.

[@BelleBlu]

​@@andrewwebb-trezzi2422 The support, bravery, tenacity & selflessness of the Canadians during war, & peace, is to be absolutely more than admired. 🇨🇦 Every book I read on the wars, Canada crops up. A quiet nation. Quietly proud. 🍁

[@thehowlingmisogynist9871]

@@andrewwebb-trezzi2422 - Canucks - crazy brave!!

[@alidabaxter5849]

@@RottenAnimal Oh, my dear, what a heartbreaking story of incredible bravery. You must be so proud of your family history.

[@jamesbrook16]

Been to Vimy Ridge today. Beaumont Hammel yesterday. The Canadians were incredibly brave!

[@NVRAMboi]

The man's face is the sole reason this photo has remained iconic. Are the eyes not the window to the soul? It conveys the hopeless and extended suffering of the WWI foot soldier. It conveys the physical strain upon his back in attempting to save a buddy, a friend, a compatriot in the midst of hellish violence. It also conveys a certain sorrow that any human being with a heart can understand. - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

[@robertsansone1680]

The "Thousand Yard Stare".

[@michaellovell1368]

My thoughts exactly !!

[@maughan3061]

On the same day, 1st July 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme, there were 57,470 British casualties, of which 19,240 were killed.

[@freddiefreihofer7716]

Beautifully stated!! 👌👌

[@grahamfree3175]

Amen & well expressed - so agree (& helookslike Johnathan Pie lols)

[@aidanbrogan7598]

This comment will probably get lost, but Charles Brennan is my great grandfather on my fathers side. I’m 23 years old so he passed some time before I was born, but I was brought up being told this man was my great grandfather. My fathers side of the family are all Irish, and everyone had this photo of him in their houses whenever we would go over to visit. Although is no way to 100% say for sure my family would always tell me other people would claim the identity but they knew for sure it was him

[@RACHIEMAHON]

Hi Aidan. Molly’s grand daughter here 😊

[@MrMikemc1967]

Hi. My name is Michael McGuirk. Charlie Brennan is my grand father's brother on my mother's side. Sorry but I never heard of you

[@aramisortsbottcher8201]

​@@MrMikemc1967 So you know all your relatives 7 corners away?

[@carlelkerton2067]

Pittom Warwickshire

[@Zarastro54]

Are there no pictures of Charles Brennan?

[@Lucan44.40]

I'm sure that brave soldier didn't carry a wounded comrade for any recognition. He did it because they were all mates depending on each other. RIP our forefathers.😢

[@williestyle35]

Yes, the very deadly stress and... depravity of war binds most soldiers in comradery with their fellow soldiers. They fight to "save", protect, and avenge each other.

[@JOHNSmith-pn6fj]

To me what makes this piece of footage stand out is you can see the emotions in that poor guy's face. He has that look of hopelessness from everything he has seen , yet he struggles on in an attempt to save a fellow soldier no matter what.

[@robertsansone1680]

This brings tears to my eyes. Thank You. Sometimes a Hero is best left unidentified. That way, you can imagine all of those boys doing their utmost.

[@marstondavis]

The Great War is the saddest, most brutal war yet. I am so moved every time I see footage of it. It always takes my breath away and I always cry a little witnessing the inhuman conditions they lived in and the utter brutality of it all.

[@carolinependleton8445]

@@marstondavis I totally agree,I remember watching the testament of Youth in the 1970s absolutely heartbreaking.

[@leod-sigefast]

No more brutal than any war. We have this weird hand-wringing attitude when it comes to WWI that was fostered in the anti-war days of the 1960s, especially after the Great War documentary came out. WWI was necessary, despite its brutality. WWII was even more brutal. The British Army came on leaps and bound throughout the war and by the end was the best all-arms army in the world. Innovations in war that are still important today. People would realise the innovation of the British Army and its tactics if they only read real military history about WWI - not the hand-wringy stuff. I'm not being callous. My very own Great-Grandfather was killed at Ypres in 1915. An 'Old Contemptible' from 1/ East Lancashire Regiment. I remember his sacrifice and bravery all the time and I've been to Ypres and the Somme numerous times in pilgrimage.

[@bogdanpopescu1401]

@@leod-sigefast "WWI was necessary, despite its brutality." - "the war to end all wars"; in other words, utter failure

[@657449]

In war there are no victors, just victims. All these men were brave and should be remembered.

[@NoManClatuer-pd8ck]

I think Jew, African slaves, the Dutch, Belgians and Frenchmen, for starters, would disagree.

[@oxcart4172]

The arms manufacturers do very well indeed

[@jefferycsm]

@@oxcart4172we’d use tree limbs and rocks if we didn’t have anything else. It’s in our nature to destroy ourselves.

[@oxcart4172]

@jefferycsm We've got too good at it, and people are making money out of it though

[@dennisvanoord3278]

@@NoManClatuer-pd8ck Add the Brits and Americans to that list and we are faire and square -Dutchie

[@lucyenzed102]

My mother-in-law, originally from Manchester, always thought that the man carrying the wounded warrior on his back was her father, who was an ambulance driver/ stretcher bearer in the trenches in 1916… it would seem she was mistaken, but I’m sure that this kind of act happened multiple times every day, so her father no doubt performed this duty of care!

[@Lajs657]

Yes. Brave men in terrible times.

[@alanaw27]

@@lucyenzed102 My great uncle James Bain was a Baptist and rather than fight and kill, which was against his belief, he became a stretcher bearer. He was killed just before the Armistice. My grandmother said that as people rejoiced at the end to the war, her family sat in mourning with the blinds closed.

[@salguodrolyat2594]

Probably many many times.🙇‍♂️

[@aramisortsbottcher8201]

@@lucyenzed102 one would think she would recognise her own father 🤔

[@babooshka3298]

@lucyenzed102. A friend of mine, a well respected man. Told me years ago that this iconic scene in world war 1. Was his farther carrying the wounded solder. He was also from Manchester and said that he was an ambulance driver. His surname was Evans.

[@jm9371]

That footage is not acted out. The dauntless, unwavering look in those men's eyes tells a story.

[@zebradun7407]

Standing around with an optical device under arty and MG observation is pure lethal stupidity, no one does that.

[@shaggybreeks]

@@zebradun7407 Yeah, so maybe that's not exactly what happened,, right? I mean it's EZ to find ways something won't work.

[@HailHydra27]

​@@zebradun7407 "pure lethal stupidity" sums up most of the great war. Standing around filming it makes as much sense as climbing the trench and wading out into it to me

[@sailordude2094]

Fascinating, thanks for the follow up history of an image I've seen dozens of times!

[@seagoingcook]

My grandfather (HMRN) survived the Battle of Jutland but was never the same. So many who survived suffered for life from the experience.

[@RACHIEMAHON]

Charles Brennan was my great grandfather. There was a still from the video framed in my grandmothers house. His family are convinced it’s him but it can’t be proved. It’s great to hear research is ongoing.

[@sugarkane4830]

Well surely you have a photo of him?

[@RACHIEMAHON]

@@sugarkane4830we only had one of when he was much older

[@swanvictor887]

@@sugarkane4830 photographs were not a common thing for most people, over a hundred years ago. It was a new technology reserved for those with the spare money to afford a studio portrait. I only have about four photos of my grandfather, and he died in 1964, because nobody owned a camera in the family!

[@MrMikemc1967]

@@RACHIEMAHON Charlie Brennan is my grandfathers brother

[@ehayes5217]

👍❤️🇺🇸

[@keithfowler2013]

They are all heroes. God bless them.

[@kaycey7361]

The germans are. The british are war criminals.

[@andrewmacdonald4833]

You can tell that the man wearing the helmet and the fellow carrying the wounded man were the same....facial features are spot on....this is a fascinating video...thank you.

[@NonSektur]

Also, the sweaty hair stuck to his forehead is compatible with wearing a helmet just before the scene.

[@jackspring7709]

I agree. I agree completely. A facial recognition expert would also be able to confirm for the Imperial War Museum beyond doubt and I think there is even computer software that can do that, too, these days.

[@craigplatel813]

So the imperial war museum who obviously has access to photographic experts who can do computer assisted photo analysis can't ID them as being the same man, but you can by just looking at a few seconds of this video. I suggest you go get a job in the field. You'll be the most sought after expert.

[@la_old_salt2241]

I concur, look at the shape of his nose as one point of comparison.

[@stephenbarlow2493]

I agree, that the facial features we can see, are very consistent with the rescuer wearing a helmet, and the one carrying the injured man on his back. This may not conclusively prove they are the same man, but there is nothing I can see to say that he isn't the same man. This is supported by the circumstantial evidence, that the unidentified man, carrying the injured man, looks like he was recently wearing a helmet. And if the original rescuer, he might be overheating, and would have removed his helmet and jacket, to continue, carrying the injured man, alone this time, on his back. In addition, the original man carrying the injured man, identified as Tom Spencer, was clearly exhausted from carrying the injured man on his back. It would therefore make sense, before the second man took over, that he would remove his helmet and jacket. None of this absolutely proves anything, but on the balance of probability, and circumstantial evidence, I think it says that it is very probable they are both the same men, with nothing I can see to contradict this. All strongly consistent using Ockham's razor, where the most likely explanation, is the one requiring the fewest assumptions.

[@shotani790]

The similarity between the soldier in the helmet and the man carrying the casualty is striking especially around the mouth area

[@cmcb7230]

Tom Spencer looks exhausted in the second video

[@Montana_horseman]

The thing that made me think that the second man carrying the wounded soldier (Brennan?) was part of the rescue was the shear sweat and exhaustion that was very evident on him. If you look at the other man (Tom Spencer) who took part in the rescue in the back ground of the film, he also is very exhausted and sweating. Nobody else in the films appears that way. Having been good friends with a WW1 veteran myself and having conversations with him about it, I would add that going out into no mans land you would see many, many horrific things along the way. The looks on the faces of both men tell me that while going out there to get the wounded man, they endured much more than the rescue. No mans land was a scene of unimaginable carnage strewn with human wreckage.

[@LonesomeDove-dn8dk]

Carrying a man weighing 150 lbs or more is pretty exhausting, particularly if they are not helping in any way and are just a really large and unwieldy package. If someone was carrying them across the no-mans land they'd be hot and want to remove their coat and helmet before taking over carrying the full weight from the first guy. Then, when he's exhausted, they would pass him on to another, which in this case was the two guys with them who now had a stretcher to use. It makes sense that it would be the same guy helping carry from no-mans land, then carrying his legs in the trench, then losing his coat and helmet to take over carrying him solo before passing him on.

[@PD-hv4js]

@@LonesomeDove-dn8dk His hair looks like he was sweating with a helmet on that he has just removed. Plus, not only carrying a deadweight man but also uneven, unstable footing on no man's land.

[@daviddenaldi816]

Brilliant video! Shocking that we cannot 100% identify him. I think it is the haunting image of his face and all the emotions it carries that drives the search.

[@wetleyrocks3092]

I'll tell you this for certainty. The mystery man has 'helmet hair', (as any biker etc. would concur). He has VERY recently removed his helmet, and for obvious reasons. 1) He's in a safe(ish) area 2) He's overheating (obviously). 3) The helmet's brim would've cut into the severely injured soldier. Tom Spencer knew him, all points to Charles Brennan. But did Tom Spencer mention his name 50+ years later?

[@jeffreytan2948]

@@wetleyrocks3092 Good observation

[@mileshigh1321]

He said "...the fellow who claims to be the original in the photo" was that claim made public and maybe mentioned in the news paper who the claim was made by? Maybe more research will confirm if it is Charles Brennan!

[@dirkbonesteel]

The helmet would for sure hurt the injured man, but literally everyone would have helmet hair, plus combs and showers were not things most had

[@philipstrachan6212]

I was going to say that that is clearly the same face as the one wearing the helmet. He's seen in profile.

[@wetleyrocks3092]

@@dirkbonesteel Yes, I agree regarding all who wear helmets having 'helmet hair' but... There is a very distinctive and obvious moment when someone has immediately removed a helmet. Even if you don't ruffle your hair it will recover somewhat. This soldier was clearly wearing a helmet seconds (not minutes) beforehand.

[@warwarneverchanges4937]

Entering nomansland up to 20 times in one day and live to tell the tale is truly something special

[@emmayarseeyuess9044]

Cheers to all for your collective efforts. I have seen his face dozens of times and have always wondered.

[@misst.e.a.187]

This is well-researched and excellent video. I've been seeing that soldier's image for decades and have always felt a sense of great sadness and empathy for him. It would be wonderful if his identity were finally confirmed.

[@michaelbrennan7798]

My grandfather, Francis Brennan, served in the British army for most of the war in an artillery battery. He was born in Ireland and lied about his age when he enlisted. My father claims that his father was only about 15 years of age in 1914. His only physical injury was permanent deafness in one ear; the psychological injuries he carried with him until his passing in 1975. His wife Julia, suffered in silence to protect her home and her two sons from his dark moods. He emigrated to Australia in the early 1920's, lived in Bondi and then Katoomba. He worked as a painter and decorator and became a Freemason.

[@ehayes5217]

👍❤️🇺🇸

[@maughan3061]

For 50 years, ever since I was at school, I've always wondered about this man. Thankyou IWM.

[@PangurBan-l1s]

@@maughan3061 me too.

[@franceshendry5656]

Absolutely fascinating. The best video I've seen on youtube. Ever!

[@bluerock4456]

That hero's face is very haunting.

[@wtfbuddy1]

Great video of trying to put a name to a face, remarkable research to this exact point in time, thank you for sharing. Cheers

[@alancooper9632]

I've seen this footage many times, absolutely fascinating.

[@ehayes5217]

Simply amazing, the work on this, cheers to everyone & thanks!🥂👍🇺🇸

[@jonathanwhiteside816]

My great-uncle was in a heavy mortar team, Canadian Army. He was killed in the Battle of the Somme. George Neville.

[@d.martin7692]

Two of my grand uncles fought in WWI. One received a medal from the French government for doing the very same thing this video is about, rescuing a man by carrying him on his back. Their names were Bert and Ernie Newton from Seattle. Bertie is buried in the Washelli war memorial cemetery in Seattle.

[@markrounding2731]

Aye and brave lads too, but this was 1916 and the American did not enter WW1 until 1917.

[@leod-sigefast]

@@markrounding2731 Doesn't mean he can't contribute to the discussion, does it?! A relate but later battle.

[@nilsalmquist9424]

Bless everyone of those poor people having to endure that horror, rest in peace.

[@gazza2933]

I think that you only have to look on these soldiers faces to realise the reality of battle. Interesting video. God Rest Them. 🇬🇧

[@stormship1647]

He is Everyman ..the poor German lads were going through the same hell…don’t make it about country or patriotism …that’s how the wars start in the first place and the young men suffer

[@faeembrugh]

One of my great-grandfathers won the MM carrying his wounded captain back from the fighting around Flesquieres during the battle of Cambrai in 1917. Amazingly neither was hit as he had to carry the officer over open ground and quite a few shots came their way. He died in 1958 but his nephew told me the story and still has all his medals.

[@nickmiller76]

MM was a bit stingy for that.

[@kevinclark1992]

My Grandfather was there, he told me about it when I was a child. God bless them all.

[@Blair338RUM]

Great research.

[@clivedunning4317]

A really interesting article. Well done.

[@rogerrees9845]

Thank you for another informative presentation.... They were all so incredibly brave.... My Grandfather was there, he would never talk about it.....I doubt it you will ever get definitive proof, the Heroes kept silent...

[@ianmcsherry5254]

Absolutely sums up armed conflict, when you get down to it. The politics go out of the window, it becomes about looking after yourself, and each other. Everyone else does the same, all in the same grim boat. Especially true in WW1.. I lost a Great-Uncle at the Somme. His brother perished in the Quintinshill troop train disaster, en route to embark for a ship to the battle at Gallipoli.

[@gumpy4960]

The second rescuer carrying the man’s legs and wearing the helmet certainly looks like the man carrying the wounded soldier. I know the angles are different but to me the way his face sits, the shape of his face with his mouth open just looks the same.

[@chrisfrost8456]

My Father was a Soldier in WW1 He was in the Tank Corps in the Heaven Machine Gun department, he never spoke about what he did I learnt most from my mum, who passed a long time back ,what he must have seen must have affected him it must have, all Wars affect affect everyone and everything for What Aim.❤❤

[@jonnypariah1]

Amazing. My great grandad Bill fought through ww1 and died in 1984.

[@Luciano-IL]

My grandfather fought also in WW1,was wounded and died also in 84 with the bullet still inside.

[@jonnypariah1]

@@Luciano-IL funny you should say that, Great Grandad bill was badly wounded and had a chunk missing out if his back. He had some really interesting war stories …

[@ehayes5217]

👍😢❤️🇺🇸

[@deanjacobs1766]

One thing is for certain he’s wondering how he’s gonna get around the guy shooting the film with his injured possibly dead comrades on his back.

[@drapedup76]

The way the wounded man’s limbs dangle with absolutely no resistance 😔

[@BigLisaFan]

Unconscious more than likely.

[@clivebroadhead4857]

They all died. Its what made the final scene of Blackadder so poignant and all that needs to be said.

[@eadweard.]

Culturally impoverished drivel.

[@pitchforkcustom]

amazing that a 30 second part of your day becomes so fascinating 👍

[@sandmanjono1239]

Fascinating story and research. I assume many men risked their lives to rescue others and didn’t get mentioned in dispatches?

[@louise_rose]

Very interesting - and it's also amazing that they were able to lug the heavy film cameras of those days around the scarred landscape of the trenches. Thanks for sharing this investigation.

[@JH-lo9ut]

And shoot a single sequence of events from three different locations...

[@myke.h2913]

My sincere respect for those British Soldiers also to my Grandfather Middlesex Regiment wounded twice in that Lot.

[@olwens1368]

Like most of us I've seen this bit of film many times. Fanciful I suppose, but I've always felt there's an element of challenge in the man's face- to the civvies at home watching it at the time, and to us a century later (and more, no doubt). 'THIS is what it is really like, THIS is what we cope with, THIS is how we look out for our mates, who in the end are the people who really matter.

[@johnallen7807]

Does it matter? the mere act of heroism in such conditions speaks for the man.

[@sometimesleela5947]

Being anonymous, he better represents all those just as brave that didn't make it in front of the camera.

[@johnallen7807]

@@sometimesleela5947 Which was the rationale for not knowing the identity of "the unknown soldier". In the days when we call footballers and reality TV "stars" heroes it is an indication of just how far our society has sunk!

[@whyjnot420]

@@sometimesleela5947 There are better things to look at if you want that anonymous appeal. Like all the silhouette shots. Here you have a detailed look at a persons face, a very personal thing. Not some nebulous anyman.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

Different horses for different courses, mate.. Some people enjoy discovering the minutiae of these historic incidents. For some people, learning the backstories is an important endeavour. There is lots to learn from researching things.

[@johnallen7807]

@@NiSiochainGanSaoirse Agreed but the mystique of anonimity is that it could be anyone regardless of rank, race or class.

[@drfill9210]

I just googled charles brennan from that unit and got an image. I was struck by those eye ridges. The forebears angle giving him a worried look. The same ridges are visible in his other photos. Not conclusive but i have no doubt it's him.

[@perryhocking9134]

@@drfill9210 I just did the same, and I agree.

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

Yes it is Charlie brennan and he was from finglas in dublin and great uncle.

[@drfill9210]

@AlanBrennan-pl9zu proud to get a response from you my friend! I've seen that small clip dozens of times and personally couldn't fathom the kind of horror it represented.

[@stoneymcneal2458]

Brilliant analysis.

[@josiahfinley9075]

This man is Britain. The very embodiment of the British Tommy. We Will remember them.🇬🇧

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

He was irish but sure.

[@bigblue6917]

As all the men seem to be from the same unit this would suggest that this man was also from that unit.

[@twanderson7756]

Gunners wouldn't normally be out in front of the line - so no.

[@JAmediaUK]

@@twanderson7756 Yes and no. My grandfather took mortars out into no mans land. However this was the Stokes 3 inch Mortar. It is a "light" mortar and was man portable, as were the bombs for it. The mortar team in this film are a Heavy Mortar team so would not be in the front trench let alone attacking forward as infantry. They would probably be behind the front trench as they are an indirect fire weapon. It is possible that they were moved forward to help with casualty recovery and evacuation after an assault. So would have gone forward to recover the wounded. Therefore they would not be from the same unit as the soldiers they were recovering.

[@twanderson7756]

@@JAmediaUK Indeed. I'll take it as a 'no' then - ie you agree with me!

[@JAmediaUK]

@@twanderson7756 in short, yes I agree with you. A Heavy Mortar Team would not be in no mans land as attacking infantry or indeed as a mortar team. A "gunner" with a light Mortar team certainly would in no-mans-land. Hence the "yes and no" for gunners. Though the term "gunner" usually refers to artillery not mortars (as we are splitting hairs here! totalmilitaryinsight.com/mortar-vs-artillery/ ) Artillery gunners certainly don't like being on the front line let alone in front of it.

[@df289]

My grand uncle who grew up on a farm with nothing but dirt to live on and died in 1918 in France. He was one of 12 children.He was never talked about, never honoured by his family He was 28 when he died in France in 1918.He survived the war for almost 4 years , and was in Gallipoli.He is buried in France and today his grave has flowers. For our family right up until the 2000s He was considered an embarrassment to the family because he had served in the British army, a traitor to Irish nationalism. My old man would mention him in caustic tones. I only mention this because the man in the clip is probably Irish and from, Sligo Ireland.

[@ehayes5217]

👍😢 ❤️🇺🇸

[@TimoRasimus]

Thank You! Excellent video.

[@nicpiperdebreit8211]

It seems likely that the Sligo Champion is right and he is indeed Charles Brennan, a member of the same unit as the identified participants, one might also consider or factor in the politics of Ireland at the time and the likelihood he might not have wanted to be subsequently identified as a British soldier - assuming he survived the war ??

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

Yes you are right his name is Charlie brennan and he was from finglas in dublin and was my great uncle on my dad's side.

[@jeremyroberts39]

Fascinating..... I always wondered. Thank you.

[@Canuck13]

My uncle Dennis Yates was at all the WW1 major battles. He was from Canada. He is not this soldier, but he told me all his stories from the war.

[@TomBartram-b1c]

He'll still be gazing at the viewer long after we're all gone.

[@johnstevens282]

Has anybody ever identified, the British ( or Canadian ) soldier, on a Normandy landing craft, shortly before disembarking. He has a casual look, and he appears in many different documentaries / newsreels

[@retiree1033]

Looks like Michael Palin. 🤣

[@BigLisaFan]

Yes. He was identified and survived the war. I don’t recall his name though.

[@dbaider9467]

All the great work done 2020-2024 in restoring these movies, clips and still images is just brilliant. In the future, they may become even clearer. Who knows?

[@anthonywilson7304]

I've never seen this footage before. Very haunting to watch. What great young blokes they were. They just got on with the job at hand.

[@qcsorter4626]

Like many others, I have seen this clip at least a hundred times in various documentaries. For some reason I'd always assumed that the man carrying the wounded British soldier was a captured German! I'd seen other clips where German POWs were used as temporary stretcher bearers and thought that this was another example. Thanks for putting me right!

[@elisabethhopson5639]

I think this clip is so moving. It conveys the absolute horror of warfare in the trenches and the need to save your mates at any cost. He is looking at us directly. His eyes say " please stop this war". I have an uncle in Ecoust St Mein near Arras. He died in a similar way in 1917. Truly shocking stuff.

[@tectorama]

Fascinating...As mentioned, a lot of battle scenes were filmed a long way behind the lines, and some even in England.

[@Apollo890]

"now for it, come Mr Frodo, I cannot carry it for you but I can carry you". J R R Tolkien Every time I read those lines that soldiers face comes to mind he is just the sort of person Sam was based on.

[@frankemerson8584]

Also, one puzzling thing about the shot of the two soliders carrying a wounded comrade back to a trench is that they are going back to their lines whilst walking *away* from the camera. Surely the camera operator's post could not have been more advanced on the battlefield than an extraction point ? Especially considering the size of the camera and tripods - not exactly something you could carry through no man's land at your leisure and install wherever. And they don't seem to be "under heavy fire" either, so that shot could very well be a reenactment indeed. Anyways, yet another great video by IWM, thanks !

[@dougc3930]

That does not look like a front line trench. There is no barbed wire and lots of grass. It was probably a support or reserve trench some way behind the lines - which would mean the camera was not in no-man's land. It might have been real - just the end of a much longer carry from further forward.

[@CyrilSneer123]

doesn't look like a renactment. trenches were multiple lines so likely this was a rear trench and this particular patch of ground wasn't no mans land. Perhaps they were rescued from no mans land and then helped to make their way through to the rear trenches. Perhaps in this case it was easier to move wounded men above the trenches provided they were further back from the frontline making for quicker extraction to the aid station rather than having to go through a windy thin trench system.

[@frankemerson8584]

@@dougc3930 True.

[@frankemerson8584]

@@CyrilSneer123 Fair point.

[@lorenzbroll101]

As a child in the 1960's I was fortunate to come across these heroes. Many were maimed with missing limbs and living on inadequate war pensions.

[@Hoops-Senior]

I knew of a man that lodged with my grandparents... we called him 'uncle' Frank. He almost never left his bed and was gassed in WW1.

[@lorenzbroll101]

@@Hoops-Senior a generation who suffered in silence.

[@alidabaxter5849]

​@@Hoops-SeniorI am a Londoner and remember meeting a man in the late 1950s who'd been gassed in the First World War and suffered ever since, but worked because his pension was too inadequate to live on. British Pensions for war widows were also totally inadequate in both the First and Second World Wars.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

Tragic that these men were not taken care of. They fought for the free society that allowed many to become wealthy. No justice.

[@erickmeza-viera2668]

The one thing we do have irrefutable evidence of is that he was a brave British soldier who answered the call when his country and his wounded mate needed the most. God bless the great generation of World War 1 allied soldiers.

[@caveman4598]

It was an Australian soldier

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

He was actually irish but ok.

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

​@caveman4598 no he wasn't he was irish and his name was Charlie brennan my great uncle.

[@grahammoore-grundy9944]

This is being shown as a short film at IWM North, daily at 15.00.

[@joaniejay22]

Wow this is an amazing video thank you

[@davidh.8798]

Fascinating video, thanks for posting. Hadn't previously seen or noticed Tom Spencer's expression at 4'20". Devastating. As for the featured man, I definitely can say I see Irish characteristics in his face - he looks like all my uncles - which would tie in with the name Brennan. That said, I agree with many others - whatever his name, his contribution to history is to represent all these men, who all had names.

[@Thereishope664]

He looks like he's saying "For those of you wondering, this is what war is like'

[@annehampton5807]

His identity is in a strange way known to us all. He was a brave man, a hero. His actions live on . All of these amazing men, who went through hell on earth for us, for our freedom. Freedom that has come at a horrendous price. Have we ever really recovered from losing so many of our men in the first and second war? The United Kingdom now is not the country that I grew up in. Sadly, we have lost our country without a war. It's unrecognisable. Our people have been let down by every government since the last world war. Rest in everlasting peace, our brave warriors.

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

He was irish not English but ok.

[@alwoodsmodellingmayhem]

A very moving image. I believe that the man holding the legs is teh same man carrying the wounded soldier later. We will remember them. 😪

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

No it wasn't.

[@bikenavbm1229]

it gathers so much interest just because it is , physical, emotional, painfull, just so human, as the footage is relatively good quality you see it in the Mans face even without knowing the back story.

[@Slithey7433]

I’m reminded of the brief WW II D-Day footage of two soldiers falling just after wading ashore at Normandy.

[@FilmbuffWSussex]

The features of The soldier in question are very clear…am I right in saying it seemed compulsory at this time for servicemen to have their portraits taken? Thank you IWM for this absorbing document…

[@gilliandianeryan1493]

There were two brothers from Tredegar ,soldiers in the War ,that were given medals for going back on to the battle field to save injured soldiers .My grandfather was blinded on the battle field .His mate run onto the field to carry him off .I know one of the brothers was killed the following year .Their surname was Bosley .

[@stewartmackay]

Really interesting, thank you very much.

[@jonbates2984]

For many years I have wondered who that soldier was. I also have thought that it’s right not to know, feeling that he is representative of so many anonymous, brave acts carried out for their fellow soldiers in such circumstances. A very interesting video.

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

Well I can tell you it is Charlie brennan and he was from finglas in dublin ireland and he was my great uncle.

[@michaelkinsellaactor]

Do we know if it was Charles Brennan who was the other claimant in 1916 mentioned in the commentary? The subject in the rear of the photograph and the mystery man certainly appear to be the same individual. Thank you for your hard work in documenting their bravery and compassion.

[@HighWealder]

Very moving

[@karaperrio-du5gs]

he is not saving a wounded man, that is a dead man he is carrying, he is suffering from trench madness and shell shock

[@vesawuoristo4162]

I think it is easy to see the second man is the same man from earlier , his face matches in my opinion

[@scottgainey602]

Same nose, brow, mouth and chin.

[@la_old_salt2241]

​@scottgainey602 That's what I noticed, particularly his nose.

[@sebzaleski9733]

The man with the helmet holding the ankles in the earlier shot is DEFINITELY the man carrying him on his back later without his helmet

[@AlanBrennan-pl9zu]

He is definitely not because the guy carrying him is definitely Charlie brennan from finglas in dublin ireland the other guy was English.

[@Hoops-Senior]

Part of me hopes that he is never formally identified as he represents all of the men on the front line; though another wants full recognition for his service. A very different generation of young men than today.

[@williestyle35]

Not so different as the surface would suggest. While the younger generations show a bit less commitment to "patriotism", when events call for it, most younger people sacrifice and do what is needed. Tho it was over 20 years ago, the events of 9 / 11 showed this somewhat.

[@pmcg97]

Irish guy from Dublin 👍

[@MaryTheresa-d47]

I worked as a volunteer when age fifteen in an old people's home. In the men's hall, in the evening l did sewing. The door was closed and you could hear the ex soldiers from world war one talking ...many were from the battle of the Somme. They spoke about football and every subject but never about the war. Each had shrapnel and other wounds. Until l saw footage of world war one l couldn't understand why they closed up about it. It's a ruthless world. Respect to these warriors..

[@UKsoldier45]

If this brave man rescued 20 wounded colleagues, under heavy fire, why on earth wasn’t he recommended for the VC. Perhaps the witnesses were later killed?

[@MrKarlMANno1]

I saw the picture of Tom Spencer before I saw the footage of the unknown man. I was struck with how timeless Tom Spencer looks. Ignoring the backgrounds and the uniform, the head could be from a photo taken in 2016 (or 2024).

[@theflyingfool]

A fascinating investigation