A soldier's sketchbook: Henry Buckle's images of the First World War Henry Buckle was a whitesmith from Tewkesbury who volunteered for active service in September 1914. During his time in France and Belgium with the 5th Gloucesters, he created over 60 paintings which show daily life in the trenches. This image shows a Geman sandbag fort nicknamed "The Birdcage" in Belgium. "We blew this up with a mine on Sunday June 6, 1915," wrote Buckle in his diary.