By Rebecca Drew
INCREDIBLE colourised images have revealed what life was like for French soldiers who fought in WW1.
The stunning pictures show men reading their mail in the safety of a shelter, smiling in the trenches in Souain and trying to grab some important sleep on top of sandbags. In others, soldiers can be seen bathing their horses in a river and the wounded on their evacuation route.
One photograph shows men enjoying a meal at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, whilst another shows a truck stuck in mud.
The expertly colourised shots were brought to life by French bank technician, Frédéric Duriez (51). The images were provided by the Valois collection which belongs to the BDIC.
“By colourising these photos, I reduce the time that separates us today from this conflict,” said Frédéric.
“A black and white photo does not attract the attention of young people, if you colour it, then people will look at it with curiosity.
“After this, we see the greater the misery and distress of these French fighters.”
The total number of casualties in WW1 was more that 38 million. By the end of the war, over eight-million men had been called up to fight in the French army.
France suffered 4.2 million casualties during the war with 1.3 million people dead.
“I love the colour and facial expressions of the people,” added Frédéric.
“I get good reactions from people and I am surprised at this, many tell me that they are impressed by the colours I use and that it highlights the characters.”
