With the Guns, 1914–1918: An Subaltern's Story

By: John Jones and Stanley Foxall

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Synopsis: Acquired at a local Cheshire auction house, several personal albums of WWI photographs taken by their previous gentleman owner, an officer in the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) called Harold Cooper Bebington. He was also a member of one of the early amateur photographic societies at his home town, hence explaining their excellent quality and his interest in taking them, although possibly against Kings Regulations! They relate to his training as an officer cadet initially from 1916 in England, working with horses and field gun limbers, his commissioning, and subsequent hospitalisation in England after wounding on the Western Front. Afterwards he was posted to the then new anti-aircraft artillery and returned in 1918 to the Front.Additionally, there are period photographs of family and friends in uniform as they too went off to War, showing different regiments which make a superb uniform study to complement his story.They show the Home Front aspects of army life covering officer training and medical care and recreation. The photographer himself is a classic example of the WWI British officer who saw service and is atypical of those who answered the call and as such is worthy of remembering by having his story told.