[Mishap while making fortifications]

A farcical scene in the trenches depicting a private accidentally smacking himself in the head with a tool for knocking posts into the ground. He is wearing a shocked expression as the tool impacts with his helmet. The protagonist looks amused as he casually strolls towards the soldier with one hand in his pocket. Another soldier, who is attaching barbed wire to the poles looks like he is shouting. The scene takes place in front of a complicated fence constructed almost like a maze, made of barbed wire and posts. The ineptidude of the soldiers is very apparent.

Depicts life in the trenches during the first two costly battles of Champagne. The first battle took place between 10 December 1914 - 17 March 1915 and 90,000 French were injured. The second battle occurred between 22 September 1915 - 6 October 1915. It probably does not depict the thrid battle of Champagne (16 - 20 April 1917) because Prangere states the date of creation as being 1916. Many of the illustrations are of a jovial and gentle life in dugouts. The second half of the sketchbook portrays the soldier on leave with his wife or girlfriend after being injured. Despite the grim nature of life in the trenches, the artist largely portrays a lyrical existence, with his simple and humourous illustrative style anticipating Hergé's Tintin (which was first published in 1929).