Scrapbook 
Lt. Francis M. Tompkins (American, 1888-1928)
c. 1917-1921
28.5 cm x 37.5 cm x 5.5 cm
Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College 

In this album, approximately 100 photographs, many with detailed captions, record the experiences of American Francis M. Tompkins, 1st Lt. 305 Engineers, in World War I. Tompkins and his fellow engineers were in charge of repairing the devastation of the war to expedite troop movements through surveying, bridge and road repair, constructing buildings, maintaining communication lines, removal of land mines and “booby” traps, digging trenches and constructing shelters, providing clean water, and removing barbed wire. They also launched gas attacks; built hospitals, barracks, mess halls, stables, and target ranges;
and repaired miles of train tracks. Such extensive and time consuming duties left the men little time for rifle practice and drills, and they were not relied upon for frontline combat.1 Because of the nature of his service, many of Tompkins’s photographs depict European scenery and large bustling cities, rather than the carnage of war. Tompkins’s album at times tends to be touristic in nature, as he includes a postcard set of the major sites in Paris such as Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. These colored images contrast starkly to the more shocking, first-hand views of the trenches and decomposing bodies. Tompkins also included photographs of machinery and artillery, with a special interest in airplanes, which are situated in the book next to luxurious gardens and palaces.

Additionally, photographs of cemeteries and wounded soldiers awaiting treatment at a French hospital appear among the pages. As he and his platoon traveled through France, they witnessed horrible atrocities, such as destroyed cities and towns and battlefields littered with the decaying remains of men and horses. Tompkins photographs German tanks and airplanes, as well as remains of German bases, but does not capture the bodies of German officers or soldiers. Many of these photographs are accompanied
with a caption explaining German involvement, such as “One of the first shell holes we had seen. This was made by a six inch German shell,” or “A French Chateau destroyed by a German shell.” Another photograph of the aftermath of a skirmish is captioned, “The toll of one shell: Hethincourt 10-2-18;” the remains of multiple horses and men are strewn across a battlefield after being hit by a German shell. Through these photographs, Tompkins reveals more personal interactions with superior officers, formations, and sleeping arrangements, and these photographs suggest Tompkins’s friendships with other soldiers. The album highlights the wide range of experiences of war and shows the totality and multiple perspectives that are integral to understanding a soldier’s reality.2 

1 “Army Engineers in World War I.” World War I Vets, n.d. http://www.wwvets.com/Engineers.html.
2 Celia Malone Kingsbury, For Home and Country: World War I Propaganda on the Home Front (University of Nebraska Press, 2010), 19-25.