'North county troops bomb Hun machine gunners out of their lairs in Polygon Wood, September 1917'

Stereoscopic photograph, World War One, Western Front (1914-1918), 1917.

Stereographs consist of two identical photographs paired in such a way that when seen through a special viewing instrument, a stereoscope, they appear as a three-dimensional images. By 1899 the photographs were mounted on thick card that was given a slight curvature to increase the illusion of depth.

The Battle of Polygon Wood was fought between 26 September and 3 October 1917, part of the second phase of the Passchendaele offensive. British and Australian troops fought for limited objectives, with lines of skirmishers advancing in front of small columns of infantry, all with increased artillery support. The improved weather benefited the British, and they were able to use their offensive superiority to take what remained of the wood. There were 15,000 British, and 5,770 Australian casualties.

From the collection of the former Buffs Regimental Museum.