Horror of WWI: Veteran photographer who has covered conflicts for 50 years picks six photos that show the true desperation of th

For nearly 50 years, photojournalist Don McCullin covered wars across the world, from Biafra to Vietnam to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

He is known for his hard-hitting, uncompromising coverage, exposing the horror of soldiers fighting to the death and the tragedy of innocents caught in the crossfire.

These six pictures have been hand-picked by the veteran reporter to reveal the desperate reality of life on the Western Front for British soldiers during the First World War, reports the .

Mr McCullin said: “The pictures I have chosen here are mostly taken by the officer class; you don't see many sergeants' names. The authorities wanted people they could trust.

“For the same reason newspaper blokes weren't allowed anywhere near the front; the Army kept it within the Army so they could control what came out.

"Today they keep control by embedding people. They don't like free agents; they worry that the price of sacrifice will be unacceptable for the people back home."
 

_{A daylight raiding party of 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) waits for the signal to go over the top near Arras, March 27, 1917}

_{An abandoned trench destroyed by shellfire, Delville Wood near Longueval, Somme, September, 1916: 'Look at this lunar landscape, absolutely destroyed and broken, it looks as if nothing would ever grow again,' says Mr McCullin.}

_{1st Middlesex Regiment troops under shrapnel fire, Battle of Marne, Signy-Signets, September 8, 1914}

_{British soldiers queue for treatment after being blinded by mustard gas at the Battle of Estaires, Bethune, April 10, 1918}

_{Troops wounded during fighting for Bazentin Ridge walk to a dressing station, Bernafay Wood, Somme, July 19, 1916}

Royal Irish rifles rest in a communication trench during the opening hours of battle, Somme, July 1, 1916