
A pair of photos I found in a flea market a few days ago. They appear to have been taken during the British offensive against the Turks in 1917. In the first photo grinning British soldiers are posing with a wrecked German-built AEG C.IV fighter plane. The bottom photo of troops resting in trench has a pencilled note on the back which I still haven't fully deciphered (perhaps you can help) which includes the words "second day of the Battle of Gaza".


My best effort: "204[?] Platoon in reserve on the second day of the Battle of Gaza. Your Humble [as in 'your humble servant'?] having a does [sic for doze?] with knees up marked with a cross." I see that there is what looks like a cross on top of the tent at center right, the one just above the rifles stuck into the ground. And the cross appears to be over the head of a soldier lying on top of the tent cloth. Perhaps he marked himself with a cross so whoever he sent the photo to could pick him out--I didn't realize there was a person there until I looked closely.
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