Somme selfies: young Irish fusilier from the ‘skins’
In the run-up to July’s centenary of one of the bloodiest battles in human history, The Independent is publishing a different Tommy’s picture every day
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A very young and freckled Irish soldier poses for a postcard image to send home. He wears the cap badge of the “skins” or Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Two battalions of the Inniskillings, a regiment based in Omagh, fought on the murderous first day of the Somme on 1 July 1916. They suffered over 1,000 casualties, more than half their strength. This image is part of a series of photographs taken in late 1915 and in 1916 for a few francs by a local photographer, Alfred Depire. Like almost all of the soldiers in the collection, our young Irishman has never been identified.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments