Evening star., 1917-01-07

film, held 700 yards OF front-hne trench
all by themselves. They we're photo
graphing an intensive British lombard
nent and were practically alone for half
an hour with enormous shells breaking
only a short distance away. The Ger
mans spied the cinema machine
Brooks smaller camera was well hid
den behind sand baRs-and the pair came
In for lot of German fire.
More than once has death come
Brooks way. Once he was after a night
picture showing star-shells and other
lights which make the field OF battle
light as day. Lieut. Brooks intended TO
start operations about IL o'clock, but
was delayed until half past !, by
which time every one who possibly
could should have been asleep. Brooks
left dug-out and made his way down
the trench. He 7urned a corner. when
he was suddenly halted by a sentry:
Speak" cried the sentry, speak you
beggar"
Brooks spoke at once.
ITS all right. mate 10 he told the Brit
ish soldier, I'm only taking a photo
graph"
"A good thing you spoke exclaimed
the sentry. In another second I would
have bayoneted you. Come down here.
want to show you something
He led Lieut.. Brooks down the trench
and there showed him the bodies of Two
German soldiers. both OF whom the SEN
try. finding them prowling in the British
lines. had killed.
Brooks excitement was naturally rath-
er intense. Heavy firing was going on
and the lights were burning bright. lie
set up his camera for "A picture Of the
fireworks. He pressed his bulb and lay
low for a five-minute exposure. Then he
picked up his machine and rushed back
to his dug-out.
There he examined his plate holder and
discovered that he had forgotten to pull
the slide and had made no exposure at
all. So back he went and did the trick
over again He got. however. one of the
finest pictures of the war.
On another occasion thirty seconds
separated death from this photographer
I'VE were with the Australians"
Lieut. Brooks said. we got into the
front line and the soldiers saw my
popular with them. for the showing OF
the camera over the top of the trench
always meant burst of fire. So as we
went along the Australians kept tell
the trench there was a fine place from
which to make pictures. All were In
tensely interested in seeing me move
along to some other part of the line
and of this I wanted a picture. got
1t. and then decided that IL I got on
the other side and took a picture
against the sun, which was then be-
hind the clouds. 1 could get a fine
moonlight effect. AS i got around to
the new position the sun came out
again and spoiled, for the moment. ali
my chances: 1 decided to wait A SEN
try called from the trench to me- He
said that the Germans had been drop
ping shells Just where ] was standing,
and that I had better walt inside the
trench. So l moved, and within thirty
a German shell, a whixx.bang.
exploded on the very spot where I was
1t was once decided that II would be
a good thing to have photographs OF
she'll craters. SO Brooks went 70 get
them. There was one place between
the lines which was pock- marked with
these craters. Brooks started on his
expedition the night before. Just be-
fore dawn he crawied to the position
from which he hoped to make photo-
graphs when the sun came up. With
daylight he found that he had coma
10 a most exposed position, not A h,,n-
lred yards from the enemy trenches
and in full view. He Quickly rolled
nto a shell-hole. There he remained
Ill day.
II was too scared to sleep The onIv
thing In that hole was The
act that there were some flowers
growing, which indicated to me thar
.hells hadn't dropped there for a ions
line. That was helpful, but Il was
lar from comfortable"
At night he returned to the Hrlstsh
ines without his Photographic. When.
wing to the lay OF the LAND, were
mpeseible.
.Copyrght. 1915 by Curtis BrowuA