These images, scanned from old glass negatives which had surfaced in northern France, were believed to have been taken by a local amateur photographer in 1916. They showed British and a few Australian soldiers, in formal or informal poses, during or just before the most murderous battle in the history of the British Empire – Battle of the Somme. Who are these British and British Empire soldiers? The identity of the soldiers is, and may always remain, a mystery... (Property of Bernard Gardin/Dominique Zanardi/Joel Scribe/The Independent Magazine)

Iraqi troops fire artillery towards Islamic State (IS) group jihadists' positions in west Mosul on March 11, 2017 during the ongoing battle to retake the city from the group. (Photo by Aris Messinis/AFP Photo)

The MS Princess Seaways battles through the waves off Tynemouth pier as gale force winds hit the North east UK on September 25, 2020. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Portuguese firefighters and Spanish military personnel work together to battle a forest fire in the parish of Bouses, Oimbra, Ourense, Galicia, Spain on August 18, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pascual/Anadolu Agency)

An isolated five-floor building stands in the middle of a new road on November 22, 2012 in Wenling, Zhejiang Province of China. Zhejiang Province of China. 67-year-old Luo Baogen and his 65-year-old wife from Xiazhangyang village still live in the half-demolished residential building, because they are dissatisfied with the relocation compensation. The road, which leads to the Wenling Railway Station, has not been put into use. (Photo by China Foto Press)

Extras in the arena of the “Fete des Vignerons” (winegrowers' festival in French), during the last rehearsal in Vevey, Switzerland, 17 July 2019. Organized by the brotherhood of winegrowers, the event will celebrate winemaking from 18 July to 11 August. The arena has a capacity of 20,000 spectators and hosts a giant central LED floor of approximately 800 square meters. (Photo by Laurent Gilliéron/EPA/EFE)

Specialist Dilip Patel, left, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 9, 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 7.8%, its steepest drop since the financial crisis of 2008, as a free-fall in oil prices and worsening fears of fallout from the spreading coronavirus outbreak seize markets. (Photo by Richard Drew/AP Photo)

Dancers take to the dance floor as they show their skills to impress the judges and hope to advance to the next heat during the Blackpool Dance Festival at Blackpool Empress Ballroom on May 26, 2023 in Blackpool, England. The dance festival, which features more than 7,000 dancers from across the world for over two weeks, is hosted annually in the Empress Ballroom at Blackpool's Winter Gardens venue and is back for its 97th year. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)