History of the War: Russian Front

Intriguing instalment in Pathé series on WWI, looking at our Russian allies on the Eastern Front

This 1917 episode of Pathé's History of the War series is unfortunately incomplete, so it's hard to say with certainty what events are depicted. Clear enough are the Cossack soldiers and injured Russian fighters being treated by the Red Cross, but who the infantry units are - seen shelling each other across a wide valley - is more difficult to interpret. Most interesting is the reconnaissance method, employed by one side or the other, of seating an observer on top of a very high pole which winches up and down like a car jack.