Historical information

A book of drawings and photos published about the trenches in Europe in 1917. Put together by the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces and published by a British publisher. Reproductions of official photographs and cartoons and sketches by members of the A.I.F.
Photos show life in the trenches and the war zones, including Ypres, Hill 60, Hindenburg line, Bapaume, Menin Road, Zonnebeke and more. Plus conducting battle operations, Boche prisoners, ruined towns and churches, and the wounded awaiting transport. Most of the drawings are humorous.
It is incomplete, the back cover is missing and the pages are only from Page 1 to 24 and 57 to 127.
Information from the Australian War Memorial archives says it should have been 157 pages long.
Was with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Private John Basil McLean, 2nd Reinforcements, 37th Battalion, A.I.F.
J.B. McLean (Service No. 13824) was from near Maffra, Victoria and enlisted on 22 January 1916. He embarked on 16 December 1916 for Europe. His full war record is available from AWM. He spent time with the Australian Field Artillery (Pack Section). At the end of the war he worked for a year at the A.I.F. Headquarters in London before returning to Australia on the 'Ceramic', arriving Portsea in 1920.

Significance

A record that photos from the trenches were published as a memento of Christmas in 1917, presumably for the troops.

Physical description

A book of black and white photos and drawings published for the troops in World War 1.

Inscriptions & markings

Title page has 'JB McLean / Maffra' handwritten in blue ink.