Dustman saves 5,000 rare First World War photos from rubbish dumps

[BoldHighlander]

Greetings All!
It has been quite sometime since I've visited XMTS due to my studies at school (I can report that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!). I thought I'd pop in briefly to share three photos I found posted tonight in The Telegraph about a gentleman who saved 5,000 photos from the Great War. Among those pictured were three that showed Scottish troops. Two are identified as the London Scottish Regiment, the third is from Flanders (regiment unlisted). God bless this gentleman for saving this history. I hope that if he decides not to donate them to a museum, that he'll have the collection published so that we might all enjoy them and remember all those who gave everything in what they believed was to be the "war to end all wars."


The caption on the back of this photo reads: Soldiers from the Scottish Regiment, taken in Flanders just as the men were waking up.
Picture: MERCURY PRESS


Mr Smethurst said the treasure of his collection was a series of photographs of the London Scottish regiment, which fought a battle at Messines in 1914. No other photos of the regiment were previously known to exist.
A portrait of the London Scottish soldier who took the pictures of his regiment.
Picture: MERCURY PRESS


London Scottish Soldiers en route to Abbeville
Picture: MERCURY PRESS


The original source for these photos can be found at:
Dustman saves 5000 rare First World War photos from rubbish dumps.

[Chas]

Sad, but so true. As a nation, we seem to indulge in a national 'spring cleaning' after each major conflict. The number of minor stately homes that were knocked down, for no reason, after the second world war is staggering. Between 1945 and 1955 it is estimated that a minimum of 55,000 quality dwellings were destroyed and still to this day people are asking why.

War and its aftermath, really does bring out the worst in people.

[Downunder Kilt]

Good to see you pop in mate and thanks for the link and photos. All the best for your continuing studies, and after last years splendid job, I trust another top achiever this year. Cheers mate.

[Tobus]

Great photos, thanks for posting! That's a neat story about him saving the photos from the rubbish heap over many years. It's depressing to think of how many photos (and other historical artefacts) weren't saved.

Hey, I have a question for anyone who might know. In the very first photo above (the men waking up in Flanders), there are two men on the left wearing strange hats that I normally wouldn't associate with a Scottish regiment. We see the right side of one and the rear of the other. They vaguely resemble flat caps with some sort of band coming over the top of them. What the heck are those, and do they have any connection to Scottish regiments? Or are these fellows from some other detachment and just happened to be in the photo?

[Chas]

There are some strange headgear in the last picture as well. They could be 'cap comforters'. Non-standard, civilian knitted hats as 'comforts for the troops'.