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Primary sourcePhotograph

Troops Moving Up at Eventide

Ernest Brooks

An official war photograph from Haig's own collection showing soldiers silhouetted on the march near the front line.

Part of Haig's personal collection of official war photographs, reflecting the war he commanded.

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Five soldiers in steel helmets walk in a line along a dark ridge, silhouetted against a bright, cloudy sky with sunbeams breaking through. Several carry rifles and packs.
Ernest Brooks, Troops Moving Up at Eventide, Men of a Yorkshire Regiment on the March. National Library of Scotland, Haig collection.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken by official photographer Ernest Brooks, shows five soldiers in steel helmets, several carrying rifles and packs, walking along a ridge silhouetted against a dramatic sky. It was originally captioned as showing men of a Yorkshire regiment at the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, though the Imperial War Museum identifies them as the 8th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment near Frezenberg. The image comes from Haig's own photograph collection.

Why it matters

As commander-in-chief, Haig kept official photographs like this one, which were used to convey the atmosphere of the front to the public back home. The striking lighting shows how photographers shaped emotional, memorable images of war even while documenting ordinary movements of troops.

Look closer

  • What mood does the photographer create, and how?
  • Why might Haig have kept this image in his own collection?
  • What does the picture not show about the conditions these soldiers faced?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Field Marshal Douglas Haig on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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