discussion British propaganda photos

[Peter Gillson]

I was researching the return from dunkirk, in particular searching for photos of troops returning by train when I came across these two, which I find interesting.

Here is the first:

View attachment 315086
As you can see: two happy soldiers, one with a sandwich, the other with a cup, sandwhich in his hand and being fed another one by another soldier.

here is the second photo:

View attachment 315087

Same two soldiers, one with a sandwhich, dtc etc.

At first I assumed it was just another photo in a sequence until I realised the soldier giving the food had changed sex!

I wonder which was taken first. One, possibly both are clearly staged. Perhaps somebody thought a female handing out the food made a better photo. I suppose we will never know the real story behind these two photos.

 

[flyjoe180]

Part of a sequence.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197159
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197155
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197154
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197158
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197157

Here's the complete cast as seen in your initial post:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197156

 

[Peter Gillson]

Joe

Thanks for the links. The final photo showing the whole cast is particularly interesting. Since the FANY is holding both her basket and the bakers tray I think that the photo of her feeding the soldier is the posed photo, rather than the one of the soldier feeding the soldier.

Not that it really matters, but mildly interesting.

Peter

 

[Tim Marlow]

More importantly, did Henry Telfer get his tray back?
Seriously, there are some great sites and stories about the feeding of the troops...Headcorn in particular stands out.....also impressed that the whole railway effort was done without plans and by word of mouth....and the normal timetable was maintained pretty much unchanged...

 

[Guest]

Reminds me of the time I was rather shocked one day at the IWM by an elderly lady coming up to me and bellowing '' I WAS A FANY YOU KNOW!''