Somme battlefield in 1917. Aerial photograph of a section of the Somme battlefields during the First World War, with French troops moving through trenches and shell craters into an area previously held by the German Army. A number of battles took place in the Somme area during the First World War. This photograph dates from 19 January 1917. Battles in this area during this period, with the British and French fighting the Germans, include the Operations on the Ancre that took place from January to March 1917. Distributed by the Central News Photo Service, this photograph was produced by a French aviator from a height of 180 metres.