The Western Front was just one of the many battles fought during World War 1. It was a series of trenches that ran approximately 700 kilometres from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border and is thought to of been named by the Germans. Both sides of this war dug deep trenches, deep enough to stand in, and sometimes they were only a few metres apart. Trenches were the soldier’s only protection from the murderous gun fire, but they were not sheltered from the explosive artillery shells that rained down on them every few seconds for days at a time.
In 1917, a French village called Bullecourt (Bull – cor) sat in the middle of Hindenburg Line; this was a mass of barbed wire that joined concrete block houses and trenches. In some places the wire was 100 metres thick and no army had yet been successful in breaking through it.
When night fell on the 11th of April, the Australians attacked the Germans in Bullecourt. The ANZACs were in possession of no artillery and the tanks that were supposed to break through the wire had either broken down or were bogged in the snow- covered ground. Major Percy Black, a brave Australian, lead part of the attack and called to his men, “Come on boys, bugger the tanks!” At this they charged towards the wire. The courageous men fought their way into the German trenches and were the first soldiers to break through Hindenburg Line. As they proudly searched for Major Black, they found he lay dead on the wire.
A large number of ANZACs had been killed during the break through and only a few were left to hold the trenches. As soon as the Germans realised this, they counter- attacked on three sides, causing the remaining Australians to withdraw. The ANZACs soon received another order, to “fight it out like Australians” so they returned three weeks later and captured the German trenches again. For two weeks they continued to fight against brutal counter- attacks until the Germans finally gave in. By the time this battle came to an end, 10,000 Australians had been either killed or wounded as they fought to save this small French village.
In 1918, the German troops planned one final attack that they hoped would win them the war. At first they surprised the Allies, helping them to capture many towns and they were soon within sight of the town of Amiens. The British High Command feared that if the Germans were able to capture Amiens, they would lose the war. The ANZACs raced back from Belgium as ‘storm troops’, special fighting soldiers who would be placed wherever they were needed to fight the most. At first, the ANZACs fought at a small town that was on the road to Amiens called Dernancourt (Dern-an-cor). The 4,000 Australians that fought here amazingly managed to beat off an attack of 25,000 Germans.
Next, the Germans attacked a French village called Villers-Bretonneux (Bret-on-er) using poisonous gases and artillery. When night came, the ANZACs raced from their trenches and counter- attacked the Germans. A British General, who had won a Victoria Cross for bravery, said that the ANZACs’ attack was “Perhaps the greatest individual feat of the war.”
The ANZACs had to then fight from house to house in the village and finally Australian and French flags were raised over Villers-Bretonneux. In saving the village, 1,200 Australian soldiers had been killed and those still standing stopped to bury their mates. As they were marking the date on the crosses, they realised that it was ANZAC Day 1918, exactly three years since the landing at Gallipoli. The Australian flag still flies over Villers-Bretonneux.
In May 1918, an Australian officer was finally chosen to command the ANZACs. General Sir John Monash had seen too many Australian troops killed and he was determined to use these men properly. In his first battle at le Hamel, Monash used aircraft, tanks and artillery to soften up the enemy before sending in the ANZACs. This attack was rehearsed many times before the actual attack on the Germans and Monash hoped that it would last for 90 minutes. After 93 minutes, his men had taken 1,500 prisoners, had caused 2,000 German casualties and had captured nearly 180 machine guns, but this was not John’s most successful attack.
The Germans had several thousand of their best men in reserve on Mont St Quentin. The German General had decided that no one would be foolish enough to attack this hill, but he still ordered his best trained units to hold “to the death” just in case. The ANZACs attack the hill from three different directions and in two days they not only secured the hill, but they also captured 2,500 prisoners. Seven ANZACs were awarded a Victoria Cross for this great attack. This was the final great battle of their war.
The ANZACs that fought in the First World War never forgot the dreadful experience as the war changed millions of lives. This Great War also changed the lives of many French and Belgian citizens who lived in the towns the ANZACs fought to save and they promised never to forget the role the ANZACs played in gaining their freedom.
In 1917, a French village called Bullecourt (Bull – cor) sat in the middle of Hindenburg Line; this was a mass of barbed wire that joined concrete block houses and trenches. In some places the wire was 100 metres thick and no army had yet been successful in breaking through it.
When night fell on the 11th of April, the Australians attacked the Germans in Bullecourt. The ANZACs were in possession of no artillery and the tanks that were supposed to break through the wire had either broken down or were bogged in the snow- covered ground. Major Percy Black, a brave Australian, lead part of the attack and called to his men, “Come on boys, bugger the tanks!” At this they charged towards the wire. The courageous men fought their way into the German trenches and were the first soldiers to break through Hindenburg Line. As they proudly searched for Major Black, they found he lay dead on the wire.
A large number of ANZACs had been killed during the break through and only a few were left to hold the trenches. As soon as the Germans realised this, they counter- attacked on three sides, causing the remaining Australians to withdraw. The ANZACs soon received another order, to “fight it out like Australians” so they returned three weeks later and captured the German trenches again. For two weeks they continued to fight against brutal counter- attacks until the Germans finally gave in. By the time this battle came to an end, 10,000 Australians had been either killed or wounded as they fought to save this small French village.
In 1918, the German troops planned one final attack that they hoped would win them the war. At first they surprised the Allies, helping them to capture many towns and they were soon within sight of the town of Amiens. The British High Command feared that if the Germans were able to capture Amiens, they would lose the war. The ANZACs raced back from Belgium as ‘storm troops’, special fighting soldiers who would be placed wherever they were needed to fight the most. At first, the ANZACs fought at a small town that was on the road to Amiens called Dernancourt (Dern-an-cor). The 4,000 Australians that fought here amazingly managed to beat off an attack of 25,000 Germans.
Next, the Germans attacked a French village called Villers-Bretonneux (Bret-on-er) using poisonous gases and artillery. When night came, the ANZACs raced from their trenches and counter- attacked the Germans. A British General, who had won a Victoria Cross for bravery, said that the ANZACs’ attack was “Perhaps the greatest individual feat of the war.”
The ANZACs had to then fight from house to house in the village and finally Australian and French flags were raised over Villers-Bretonneux. In saving the village, 1,200 Australian soldiers had been killed and those still standing stopped to bury their mates. As they were marking the date on the crosses, they realised that it was ANZAC Day 1918, exactly three years since the landing at Gallipoli. The Australian flag still flies over Villers-Bretonneux.
In May 1918, an Australian officer was finally chosen to command the ANZACs. General Sir John Monash had seen too many Australian troops killed and he was determined to use these men properly. In his first battle at le Hamel, Monash used aircraft, tanks and artillery to soften up the enemy before sending in the ANZACs. This attack was rehearsed many times before the actual attack on the Germans and Monash hoped that it would last for 90 minutes. After 93 minutes, his men had taken 1,500 prisoners, had caused 2,000 German casualties and had captured nearly 180 machine guns, but this was not John’s most successful attack.
The Germans had several thousand of their best men in reserve on Mont St Quentin. The German General had decided that no one would be foolish enough to attack this hill, but he still ordered his best trained units to hold “to the death” just in case. The ANZACs attack the hill from three different directions and in two days they not only secured the hill, but they also captured 2,500 prisoners. Seven ANZACs were awarded a Victoria Cross for this great attack. This was the final great battle of their war.
The ANZACs that fought in the First World War never forgot the dreadful experience as the war changed millions of lives. This Great War also changed the lives of many French and Belgian citizens who lived in the towns the ANZACs fought to save and they promised never to forget the role the ANZACs played in gaining their freedom.