Les Chandler was always going on nature walks. If he had time off, he would go off and walk into a wood or go and look for bird's nests or chasing butterflies and insects or whatever because he was interested in the whole of nature. hand coloured photofishing, hand coloured, ww1, world war 1, aif, a.i.f

On the Western Front.ww1, western front, world war 1

A self-portrait, hand-coloured, of 9886 Private Les Chandler in France in 1916. For many Australians the arrival of snow was initially a great novelty. The appeal quickly wore off. The European winter of 1916. The coldest in decades caused further misery for front line troops. hand coloured photoles chandler, 1916, winter, hand-coloured, ww1, aif, a.i.f, world war 1

Les Chandler.ww1, world war 1, aif, a.i.f

Les Chandler was an avid bird watcher and naturalist who taught himself every aspect of photography so he could capture his obsession. les chandler, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

Les Chandler and mates.les chandler, camp, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1, resting

Les Chandler.les chandler, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

At Seymour training camp.seymour army camp, training camp, aif, washing, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, country, man, woman, notebook

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, desert, camp, tents

Seymour training camp.seymour army camp, seymour, training camp, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

Seymour training camp.seymour army camp, seymour, training camp, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

Training camp in Seymour.seymour army camp, seymour, training camp, ww1, world war 1, aif, a.i.f

At training camp in Seymour. seymour army camp, seymour, training camp, ww1, aif, a.i.f, washing

Straw effigies of the enemy strung up at Seymour Army Camp for use in bayonet drill. It was this sight and the compulsory instruction in the art of killing other men that so repulsed Les Chandler that he requested a transfer to an ambulance unit where he sought to save lives rather than take them. photoseymour army camp, seymour, target range, target dummies, ww1, world war 1, aif, a.i.f

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, uniform

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, middle-east, orient,shoe shine, young, boy

Western Front.western front, ww1, world war 1, trench, bunker

On the duck boards on the Western Front.photoduck boards, western front, ww1, world war 1, aif, a.i.f

A once grand French Chateau almost obliterated by artillery fire. Despite extensive frontline service this is one of the few instances where Les Chandler took a photograph of the destruction of war. In the several hundred letters he wrote to his family at home in Australia, he stuck to his vow of almost never mentioning the horrors of war.france, chateau, destroyed, ww1, world war 1

On the Western Front.photobunker, western front, ww1, world war 1

At training camp in Seymour.photoseymour army camp, seymour, training camp, aif, a.i.f, ww1, world war 1

At the training camp in Seymour. Photo by Les Chandler.photoseymour army camp, training camp, aif, a.i.f, seymour, ww1, world war 1

Photo by Les Chandler.camp, ww1, world war 1, a.i.f, aif

Les Chandler. Pacifist who was a stretcher bearer on the Western Frontpamphletww1, world war 1, 15th australian field ambulance, aif, a.i.f, 1918

Seymour training camp.photoseymour army camp, training camp, camp, ww1, world war 1

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, uniform, field, desert

Cooking house at training camp in Seymour.kitchen, cooking, ww1, world war 1, seymour army camp, training camp, seymour, aif, a.i.f

photoworld war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, uniform, journey, boat, indian, sailor

world war 1, anzac, ww1, soldiers, australian, damages, destruction, houses