conscripted Bicycle 2 September 1939

An army NCO, cigarette dangling from his mouth and wearing stylish dark sunglasses, takes a spin on a child’s bicycle. the location is Aachen, the westernmost city in Germany, on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands. Also known as Aix-la-chappelle, it was a popular resort and spa town. Despite this image of carefree playfullness, the day after the photo was taken, Britain and France declared war.