Somewhere in Flanders
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Somewhere in Flanders
A page from The Bystander, 22 December 1915, with an illustration by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather used as a header for the regular Somewhere in Flanders column. The caption to the cartoon is " Watch me make a fire-bucket of is elmet"
1915
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Media ID 14185175
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Bairnsfather Bruce Bystander Flanders Header Jack Johnson December
Somewhere in Flanders - A Soldier's Humorous Take on Life in the Trenches (December 1915)
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative image from The Bystander, a British military newspaper published during the First World War, we find Captain Bruce Bairnsfather's iconic cartoon, "Somewhere in Flanders," serving as the header for the regular column of the same name. The cartoon, titled "Watch me make a fire-bucket of is elmet," captures the daily life and camaraderie of soldiers in the trenches of Flanders, Belgium, during the winter of 1915. The scene depicts two soldiers, Jack and John, huddled around a makeshift fire, with Jack demonstrating to John how to create a fire bucket using an old helmet. The cartoon's humor lies in the soldiers' resourcefulness and their ability to find levity even amidst the harsh conditions of the battlefield. The title "Somewhere in Flanders" serves as a reminder that these moments of respite and camaraderie were precious and fleeting, as the soldiers continued to face the challenges and dangers of the war. Bairnsfather's illustrations, which first appeared in The Bystander in 1915, gained immense popularity and were later collected in the book "Fragments from France," published in 1916. These cartoons provided a unique and humorous perspective on the war, offering a glimpse into the daily lives and experiences of the soldiers in the trenches. This image, in particular, stands as a poignant reminder of the soldiers' resilience and their ability to find humor and connection amidst the horrors of war. This photograph, taken from the archives of the Illustrated London News Ltd and available through Mary Evans Prints Online, offers a rare and valuable glimpse into the history of the First World War and the experiences of the soldiers who fought in it. It is a testament to the enduring power of humor and the human spirit, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
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