This print is from a portfolio commissioned by the Bureau of Information in 1917 called ‘The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals.’ It is from the ‘Making Soldiers’ series, which shows different aspects of soldiers’ duties. Bayonets (a blade fastened to the end of a firearm) were part of the official weaponry for British soldiers during the First World War. They are still used by the British Army in modern warfare, and were employed during the Falklands War and the Iraq conflict of 2004. During the First World War, soldiers would practise bayoneting sacks of straw – in the background of this print rows of hanging sacks can be seen. The man in the image is dressed as if for fencing, and he appears to be jousting with an unseen opponent.