Photograph - 'Shell Burst'; Mesen; Belgium; Sergeant John Lord; World War I; Jun 1917; Black and white photograph which shows a shell burst or a mine explosion at Mesen (Messines) in June 1917. On 7th June 1917 a British offensive was launched against the German forces at Mesen with the aim of capturing a stronghold just southeast of Ypres. One of the central features of the battle that contributed to the successful operation was the detonation of 19 mines