The trigger happy frontline snapper immortalised British soldiers as they marched to war, fought in the trenches and larked about between battles.
By the time the bloodshed ended on 11 November 1918, Brooks had taken a staggering 5,000 photographs – more than a tenth of all official British images taken during the conflict.
The photographer enlisted in the Royal Navy Reserve in January 1915 and kicked off a impressive career documenting both the horrors and humour of life in the trenches.
Over the course of the war he developed a unique style, capturing candid stills of soldiers as well as dramatic silhouettes of allied troops walking along ridges with the sun behind them.
Ironically, Brooks used a German-made Gorez Anschutz camera to take most of his images.
His career was not without controversy, however, when he once got caught staging a photo to show troops in a heroic light.
Fellow journalists were furious, the Daily Express reports, and the incident resulted in the Army banning staged pictures.
Brooks vowed never to fake a photo picture again afterwards.
Before the war, Brooks saw success taking pictures of the Royal Family at their official photographer.
His most famous image had been of King George V on a tiger hunt in India.
He first picked up a camera when he was hired by a diplomat's widow to develop photos.
Later, he took portraits of high profile clients and worked briefly as a newspaper snapper before joining the royal household.
Pictures taken of Brooks in the trenches show him carrying his signature Goerz Anschutz plate camera.
His distinguished wartime service led him to be decorated by both France and Belgium, and awarded an OBE and British Empire Medal.
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