German star shell bursting at night, Ploegseert, March 1916

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German star shell bursting at night, Ploegseert, March 1916

Mary Evans Picture Library makes available wonderful images created for people to enjoy over the centuries

Media ID 32383830

© The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive / Mary Evans

Artillery Bursting Shell

EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative vintage lantern slide depicts a German star shell bursting in the night sky over the battlefields of Ploegseert, Belgium, during the early months of World War I in March 1916. The ethereal glow of the exploding star shell illuminates the darkened landscape, casting an eerie and otherworldly light upon the trenches and no-man's land below. Star shells, also known as parachute flares, were a type of incendiary artillery shell used extensively during the First World War to illuminate the battlefield at night. The German army was particularly known for their use of these flares, which were filled with magnesium powder and designed to burn brightly for several minutes once detonated. The photograph captures the raw power and intensity of the artillery barrage, as well as the stark contrast between the light and dark, safety and danger, order and chaos that defined the Western Front during this period. The image transports us back in time to the Victorian and Edwardian era, a time of great upheaval and transformation, when the world was forever changed by the horrors and realities of modern warfare. The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive Collection, from which this lantern slide is taken, is a unique and valuable resource for historians, students, and anyone interested in the history of the First World War and the era in which it took place. This photograph, in particular, offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the night-time realities of trench warfare and the technological innovations that shaped the course of the conflict.

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