From Leicester Square to Battle

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Extraordinary images of the London buses used to take British troops to the Western Front in WWI 

The celebrated London bus was used to transport thousands of troops to and from the Western Front, including at the Battle of Loos in northern France, which started 100 years ago today. This less familiar side of the Great War is revealed today in an extraordinary collection of photographs, which show the London buses that were adapted for use on the front line. More than 1,000 of the vehicles were sent from the capital and across the Channel after being adapted for use on the front line. As well as carrying troops these versatile chassis of B-type buses were also converted into ambulances, lorries and even lofts for carrier pigeons - and only 250 returned to Britain in 1918.