Edition: 1st Edition
Published By: Printed In The Field by No 2. Advanced Section, Army Printing and Stationery
An exceptional and rare original bound volume of First World War aerial reconnaissance photographs, meticulously documenting the catastrophic landscape transformation during the Battle of Messines (June 1917). Produced by No. 2 Advanced Section, Army Printing and Stationery Services (A.P. & S.S.), this dossier contains 43 printed pages, each featuring a "Before and After" pair of silver gelatin-style prints (86 photographs in total). ?These photographs were captured by the Royal Flying Corps (No. 6 Squadron), likely operating R.E.8 reconnaissance aircraft. The volume serves as a chilling primary source of the British "Bite and Hold" tactics, showing the German defensive lines in the spring of 1917 compared to the utter "lunarization" of the same terrain following the massive preliminary bombardments and the detonation of 19 deep-crust mines on June 7th. The "White Chateau": Detailed sequences showing the total erasure of the chateau and its formal grounds, a critical German strongpoint. ?Shrewsbury Forest: Remarkable captures of the forest's transition from woodland to a pockmarked wasteland of overlapping shell craters. ?Strategic Infrastructure: Clear documentation of the Ypres-Comines Canal, the Dammstrasse, and the complex German trench systems (identifiable by the white chalk upturn).?Technical Markings: Each page includes precise Military Grid Map Refeences (e.g., Sheet 28), altitudes, and dates ranging from April to late June 1917.?Historical Significance?The Battle of Messines was a masterpiece of military planning by General Sir Herbert Plumer. This volume was not a commercial publication but a highly restricted tactical record used for damage assessment and intelligence debriefing. The clarity of the prints allows for the identification of individual shell holes, communication trenches, and the devastating efficiency of the British artillery barrage. full brown cloth binding, ?Contents: 43 pages, complete as issued.?Condition: Pages are crisp with excellent tonal contrast. Minimal silvering consistent with age. Binding remains secure, showing authentic field-use wear that adds to its historical character.
Book Condition: Very Good
Author: Major Arthur "Boffee" Ludlow-Hewitt.
Binding: Hardback
Ref: 123313
Price £750.00
