Russian sappers returning from an assignment through deep snow in the Bitebak area, February 1944

Photograph, World War Two, Eastern Front (1941-1945), 1944.

Any sapper work in the open meant that soldiers had to operate at night to avoid being picked off by enemy marksmen and artillery. Such work remained a risky operation as the dazzling white light of flares and star shells could suddenly expose them to the enemy.

Small flares were fired from signal pistols, but the larger star shells were fired from artillery. Both contained magnesium, which burned brightly and, as they slowly fell to earth by parachute, they illuminated the surrounding area. Men caught out in the open by such flares would either freeze until the light of the flare died, or throw themselves instantly to the ground.

From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.