Lines of Communication

Entrenched support for the front lines: French engineers lay cables to enable HQ to direct troops from as far away as possible

What these men wouldn't give for a mobile phone. Communication in war is key, and with the Western Front extending over 400 miles, both the telephone and the telegraph were essential to maintaining a coordinated campaign. This film is a great witness to the efforts of the unsung engineers as they lug cables down a six-foot trench, dug by hand, that stretches off onto the horizon.