In
Britain, the government would restrict information civilians were privy to
concerning the war. They did not want to scare off any future soldiers and
wanted to keep the women handling much of the foot work by way of supplies,
making of materials such as clothing for the soldiers, etc. It was also a way
for the government to control the food rations. It is worth mentioning the idea
of public time when dealing with the war.
The civilians who were left back at home
only had public time to operate with. They sent their husbands, sons, nephews,
cousins and various loved ones off to fight in this war and all that remained
was the their knowledge, amongst other documents of weddings, births, deaths,
etc. that linked them to these individuals. In essence, all of them were
operating in this public time, this open community knowledge base. If these
residents at home had seen a photo or a postcard such as the picture below it
would have transferred them into the world of their loved ones. They would have
had that one impression of a discrete moment that gave them a sense of private
time.
In Britain it was one thing to know what
was going on as everyone knew what the word “war” meant. It was the 1900’s. War was not a new phenomenon that
plagued the world and everybody was trying to figure it out. A picture like
this would have made it real, it would have brought it home. “Here, Bullet,” by
Brian Turner is a book of poetry about his experience as a soldier in Iraq. It is
always more of an experience when you can share on a personal level. This picture
would have allowed the natives in Britain to connect with the situation at
hand. It may have disturbed them, but it would have given meaning. They would
have a greater appreciation for making the clothes and boxing the supplies. When
people can identify with a situation, they tend to be more open and
understanding.
The picture below although it shows the gruesomeness
of war and what it can take from you, it also shows them why they are doing
what they are doing and gives them a reason for it.
British artillery bombards German positions on the Western Front.
What seems significant here is the size of that gun. Though mechanized weapons had certainly been used in other conflicts, WWI represented the greatest use of mechanized weaponry to date.
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