Camouflage trees (also known as fake trees, false trees, and observation trees) were observation posts invented in 1915 by French painter Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scevola while leading the French army's ''Section de Camouflage''. They were used by France, UK, and Germany in

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artille ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Nomenclature

English speakers also called camouflage trees "fake trees", "observation trees," and "false trees". Germans called them ''Baumbeobachter'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

: tree observers).

Context

During

, both sides on the Western Front were engaged in trench warfare, making observations of enemy forces' activity difficult.

Use

The camouflage tree was invented by the French painter

Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola (14 November 1871 in Sète, France – 29 March 1950 in Paris) was a French painter. He is known for his pioneering leadership of the ''Camoufleurs'' (the French Camouflage Department) in World War I. Early ...

, leader of the French Army's ''Section de Camouflage'', at the request of General de Castelnau. It was first used in May 1915 during the

Second Battle of Artois The Second Battle of Artois (french: Deuxième bataille de l'Artois, german: Lorettoschlacht) from 9 May to 18 June 1915, took place on the Western Front during the First World War. A German-held salient from Reims to Amiens had been formed in ...

. The French Army subsequently shared the design with the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

, who assigned

Solomon Joseph Solomon Solomon Joseph Solomon (16 September 1860 – 27 July 1927) was a British painter, a founding member of the New English Art Club and member of the Royal Academy. Solomon's family was Jewish, and his sister, Lily Delissa Joseph (née ...

to lead a program to make a British camouflage tree.

directed artist and sculptor

Leon Underwood George Claude Leon Underwood (25 December 1890 – 9 October 1975) was a British artist, although primarily known as a sculptor, printmaker and painter, he was also an influential teacher and promotor of African art. His travels in Mexico a ...

of the Royal Engineers Camouflage Section to build the tree. Underwood selected a dead

willow tree Willows are a genus of trees. Willow Tree may refer to: Places * Willow Tree, New South Wales, a village in Australia * Willow Tree railway station, in Australia * Willow Tree (LIRR station), a railway station in New York Entertainment * "Wil ...

no man's land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

between trenches, and sketched it. His sketches were used to build a replica that incorporated a steel-armored observation tower and a periscope to protect the user. One night in March 1916, the original tree was cut down and replaced with the camouflaged tree.

Germany used a camouflage tree in 1917 in Oosttaverne (or Oostaverne) Wood near near Messines, Belgium during the Battle of Messines. The German design covered the viewing hole with wire mesh.

Legacy

A British camouflage tree remains in the permanent collection of the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

's First World War Galleries. The

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving p ...

displayed a German camouflage tree during the centenary of World War I.

References

{{World War I Military equipment of World War I Science and technology during World War I 20th-century inventions French inventions Technical intelligence Camouflage

Nomenclature

Context

Use

Legacy

See also

References