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Colourised by @cassowarycolorizations. The original caption, provided from a collection of war stamps, reads: "The spring Battle at Arras. April 2 - May 25, 1917. Parachute jump of an artillery watcher from a captive balloon during an enemy air raid." However, as is always the case, it's possible the photograph was staged, perhaps as a showcase of how to abandon ship as a balloon observer.
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During the First World War, observation balloons played a major reconnaissance role for the warring armies. Flying high above the trenches, too high for standard rifle-fire to reach them from the ground, observation balloons reported on enemy troops movements and pinpointed places for the artillery to aim for.
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Observation balloons were highly flammable and vulnerable to enemy aircrafts, which recognized them as important targets. To combat this, anti-aircraft guns on the ground and patrolling friendly aircrafts were extensively deployed to protect the observation balloons.
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Although dangerous, some pilots still dared to take on the challenge of taking down an observation balloon. These pilots were often called "balloon busters", with Belgian pilot Willy Coppens the leading ace with 34 balloon kills between April and October 1918.
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Due to their high vulnerability, observation balloon crews were the first to receive and use parachutes, first adopted by the Germans and later by the British and French on the Western Front.
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Parachutes weren't issued to aircraft pilots until later due to a lack of space in the cockpit. Additionally, it was feared their presence would be an easy and tempting escape route when in danger.
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