Educational Value Statement: Scenes from the Western Front

'Scenes from the Western Front' is a confronting collection of photographs of Australian soldiers in well-known war zones in France and Belgium during the First World War. The images are organised in a sequence to illustrate preparations for combat, action at the front, conditions in the trenches and the aftermath of different battles. The trail demonstrates the atrocious conditions in which Australian soldiers fought and the terrible consequences of war. The work of the great Australian war photographer Frank Hurley features strongly in the trail.

Scenes from the Western Front

  • The trail graphically portrays the experiences of some of the 290,000 Australian soldiers who fought on the Western Front. There are photographs of healthy and courageous young men, many of whom would not have survived the War, carefully preparing their arms. There are also details of the guns and ammunition they used and the uniforms they wore. The total devastation on the front is depicted, but the images also show the compassion and humanity of the men.
  • The pictures vividly show the atrocious conditions on the front. Constant artillery fire and exceptional rainfall meant that fields were completely waterlogged and defoliated. Soldiers lived constantly in mud, often so deep that both men and horses could drown if they slipped off the paths created by duckboards. 'Trench foot' (rotting flesh), shown being treated in one of the photographs, was a constant problem. Many soldiers feared that their bodies would never be found or would not be identified.
  • There are details of the tragic aftermath of battle, including moving photographs of the wounded at the battle of Paschendale and of soldiers being treated in an advanced dressing station. Crippling damage to tanks, roads, fields and buildings is also shown. There are shots, taken with a battalion camera bought for the purpose, of an individual grave and a war cemetery, indicating the efforts made to honour the many dead and to bring some comfort to grieving families.
  • The photographs record the range of new and older weapons that caused unprecedented casualty rates during the First World War. There are images of huge pieces of artillery in action and soldiers firing machine guns. There are also picture of tanks, then a new form of weapon. Dramatic scenes of air battles show the development of war in the air, and images of soldiers wearing masks in the trenches record the introduction of chlorine, phosgene and mustard gases.
  • The images record the cramped uncomfortable conditions in the system of trenches, tunnels and fortifications that stretched 700 km along the Western Front. Soldiers sought protection in these dugouts and improvised shelters, where they kept cooking utensils, stores and personal items. In contrast, barracks located behind the front in areas often unmarked by war provided periodic respite from the fighting. A strong sense of camaraderie prevailed.
  • The images exhibit the talent of war photographers such as Frank Hurley, who is shown in one of the photographs preparing to film. War photographers worked in dangerous circumstances and often risked their lives to record experiences of war. The picture trail shows the artistic use of composition, framing and perspective, and the photographs communicate information and ideas so vividly and effectively that audiences still find them compelling today.