The mystery of WW1's most famous face

This 6 second piece of footage is one of the most iconic images of the First World War. It’s a moment from one of the most well known battles in military history - The Battle of the Somme. This clip in particular has become one of the most iconic images from the First World War. But more than a century later, one question remains unanswered - who is the man from the film?

Over the years, IWM has been contacted and received over 100 different names for the soldier in the film. So far none of these leads have enabled us to definitively prove the identity of this man, however, by carefully examining the film frame by frame, we are able to learn a great deal of information about the details surrounding this rescue, and perhaps, get a little closer to identifying the man from the film.

Watch the full Battle of the Somme Documentary on IWM Film, where you can explore our archive and licence thousands of historical films.

A special thanks to Roger Smither for his knowledge and advice and the ground-breaking research by the authors of Ghosts on the Somme, Alastair H. Fraser, Andrew Robertshaw and Steve Roberts.

Newspaper image - ©The War Illustrated 29 July 1916. Image created courtesy of The British Library Board.

[DLWELD]

Maybe we don't need the name - the man is simply every man. Very moving.

[clindholm]

What makes it compelling is his gaze. He looks directly into the camera, right at us. We aren’t usually confronted with someone looking at us in a film. It makes it feel like he is reaching out to us over time, telling us to witness what he has seen.

[NVRAMboi]

The man's face is the sole reason this photo has remained iconic. Are the eyes not the window to the soul? It conveys the hopeless and extended suffering of the WWI foot soldier. It conveys the physical strain upon his back in attempting to save a buddy, a friend, a compatriot in the midst of hellish violence. It also conveys a certain sorrow that any human being with a heart can understand. -
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

[RottenAnimal]

My grandfather was a soldier in ww1. He was wounded 3 times. For the first 2 after he recover, he was sent back to the trenches. The 3rd time, a shell exploded near him burying him. His fellow soldiers dug him up and he had a large piece of shrapnel in his back. They gave him some rum for the pain and they were afraid to pull the metal out. My grandfather then reached back and pulled the metal out himself. After that, he was sent back home to Canada. I have my grandfather's war medals

[doberski]

May not have solved the mystery but clearly shows the importance of the work of the Imperial War Museums! Thank you all that hard work!

[bobjames]

I've seen that footage SO many times over the years, and it ALWAYS moves me. Whoever he was, he was an absolute hero and should be saluted.

[djgreen]

At 20 seconds the British soldier helping an injured German is my paternal grandfather. I’m privileged to have the pocket bible he carried.

[dtaylorchuckufarle]

I've seen this image countless times... thanks for trying to put a name with his face. History should be remembered.

[aidanbrogan]

This comment will probably get lost, but Charles Brennan is my great grandfather on my fathers side. I’m 23 years old so he passed some time before I was born, but I was brought up being told this man was my great grandfather. My fathers side of the family are all Irish, and everyone had this photo of him in their houses whenever we would go over to visit. Although is no way to 100% say for sure my family would always tell me other people would claim the identity but they knew for sure it was him

[Lucan.]

I'm sure that brave soldier didn't carry a wounded comrade for any recognition. He did it because they were all mates depending on each other. RIP our forefathers.😢

In war there are no victors, just victims. All these men were brave and should be remembered.

[Montana_horseman]

The thing that made me think that the second man carrying the wounded soldier (Brennan?) was part of the rescue was the shear sweat and exhaustion that was very evident on him. If you look at the other man (Tom Spencer) who took part in the rescue in the back ground of the film, he also is very exhausted and sweating. Nobody else in the films appears that way. Having been good friends with a WW1 veteran myself and having conversations with him about it, I would add that going out into no mans land you would see many, many horrific things along the way. The looks on the faces of both men tell me that while going out there to get the wounded man, they endured much more than the rescue. No mans land was a scene of unimaginable carnage strewn with human wreckage.

[JOHNSmith-pnfj]

To me what makes this piece of footage stand out is you can see the emotions in that poor guy's face. He has that look of hopelessness from everything he has seen, yet he struggles on in an attempt to save a fellow soldier no matter what.

[jm]

That footage is not acted out. The dauntless, unwavering look in those men's eyes tells a story.

[lucyenzed]

My mother-in-law, originally from Manchester, always thought that the man carrying the wounded warrior on his back was her father, who was an ambulance driver/ stretcher bearer in the trenches in 1916… it would seem she was mistaken, but I’m sure that this kind of act happened multiple times every day, so her father no doubt performed this duty of care!

[michaelbrennan]

My grandfather, Francis Brennan, served in the British army for most of the war in an artillery battery. He was born in Ireland and lied about his age when he enlisted. My father claims that his father was only about 15 years of age in 1914. His only physical injury was permanent deafness in one ear; the psychological injuries he carried with him until his passing in 1975. His wife Julia, suffered in silence to protect her home and her two sons from his dark moods. He emigrated to Australia in the early 1920's, lived in Bondi and then Katoomba. He worked as a painter and decorator and became a Freemason.

[RACHIEMAHON]

Charles Brennan was my great grandfather. There was a still from the video framed in my grandmothers house. His family are convinced it’s him but it can’t be proved. It’s great to hear research is ongoing.

[df]

My grand uncle who grew up on a farm with nothing but dirt to live on and died in 1918 in France. He was one of 12 children.He was never talked about, never honoured by his family He was 28 when he died in France in 1918.He survived the war for almost 4 years, and was in Gallipoli.He is buried in France and today his grave has flowers. For our family right up until the 2000s He was considered an embarrassment to the family because he had served in the British army, a traitor to Irish nationalism. My old man would mention him in caustic tones. I only mention this because the man in the clip is probably Irish and from, Sligo Ireland.

[seagoingcook]

My grandfather (HMRN) survived the Battle of Jutland but was never the same. So many who survived suffered for life from the experience.

[marstondavis]

The Great War is the saddest, most brutal war yet. I am so moved every time I see footage of it. It always takes my breath away and I always cry a little witnessing the inhuman conditions they lived in and the utter brutality of it all.