Tuesday, August2,2016 stanthorpeborderpost.com.au LOCAL LIFE LIFE 9 Look back at horrific battles

Peter McLady

THE Battle of Pozieres took place from July 23 to September 5, 1916. The Allied infantry began its attack during the , by exploding 19 mines under the German lines on July 1, 1916. By the end of the first day, the British Army had suffered 57,470 casualties, including nearly 19,240 killed, the greatest loss ever in a single day. Estimates of total casualties vary widely, but by the time the Battle of the Somme had ground to a halt with the onset of winter in November 1916, more than one million men had been killed or wounded. On July 7, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) 1st and 2nd Divisions and the newly arrived were ordered to the Somme. The 5th Division remained in French Flanders where it would fight about two weeks later in what has become known as the Battle of Fromelles. Fromelles was a microcosm of the bigger disaster taking place on the Somme. “The fight at Fromelles was a short, sharp incident... that deceived its own people, not the Germans, and shook the faith of its soldiers... LOOKING BACK: A pre-war photograph of the village of Pozieres looking along the main road through the village. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED faith which might have been of great value... but of all the great battles of the next two and a half years, the fight Many of that now lay ahead of the 1st, the 2nd, and 4th Divisions, then German garrison marching up to the Somme ❝ Battle, was in several ways were killed or the hardest experienced by the First A.I.F” (Bean 1948, captured; others 237). fled or withdrew The village of Pozieres occupied one of the highest to the northern points of the Somme end of the village battlefield. —Bean 1948, 242 Between July 13–17, the British infantry made four vain and terribly costly destroyed with the loss of 92 attacks on Pozieres, the final officers and 2558 men. one after a sustained The 2nd Division was then bombardment that reduced The main street of Pozieres brought back to replace the the ruined village to rubble after the heavy bombardment but in four days’ (Laffin 1992, 87). by the British and the fighting lost 1268 men (Laffin The 1st Division AIF Germans. 1992, 89). In an ongoing cycle moved to the Somme The main street of Pozieres in more recent times. PHOTO: PETER MCLADY PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED of death and injury, the 4th frontline on July 19 and was Division took its place back ordered to attack Pozieres in the front line. The 4th on July 23. At 12.30am the bombardment increased on windmill” (Bean 1948, 253). cover of the new trenches, heroic efforts of the AIF. Division launched a series of artillery barrage lifted and July 25 as they prepared Patrick “Paddy” the 2nd Division was able to Albert Jacka, successful attacks against the first wave of Australians their final attempt to retake Hyde of Stanthorpe was overrun the enemy lines arguably Australia’s most objectives including set off. They made steady the village. killed in the attack by the including the old windmill famous soldier of World War Mouquet Farm. On progress and, despite fierce Private John “Jack” AIF 7th Brigade on July 29. site. In fierce fighting on I, was instrumental in September 3, the Australian resistance, captured the Swaysland, of Stanthorpe, Paddy, too, has no known August 5, the Germans retaking the ground lost to 13th Brigade attacked and lines of German trenches died in action during the grave but is also counter-attacked but the AIF the Germans in the early captured most of Mouquet that were their main attack by the 9th Battalion remembered with honour at line held at the old windmill fighting. Following the Farm. objectives. AIF on July 23. He has no the Villers-Bretonneux (Bean 1948, 255). failure of the German attack “In its last two terrible “Many of the German known grave, but is memorial. The next attack By now the 2nd Division on August 7, the 4th Division days at Pozieres, the 4th garrison were killed or remembered with honour on was planned for August 2, was exhausted and had concentrated its advance Division was joined in the captured; others fled or the wall of the Australian but by then, more than 1.5km suffered heavier losses than northwards along the fighting by the Canadian withdrew to the northern National Memorial at of new trenches had been any other Australian Pozieres ridge towards the Corps. On September 5, the end of the village” (Bean Villers-Bretonneux, near dug, narrowing the distance division in one tour of the high ground of Thiepval. Canadians relieved the 1948, 242). Amiens. across no-man’s land. line (Bean 1948, 256). During Between August 8–21 the Australian positions but by Through heavy fighting, Despite the 2nd Division Believing the Australian 12 deadly days on the 4th Division, under the most then the 4th Division had including a “Herculean having been at the front only troops were assembling for frontline, the 2nd Division appalling conditions, lost another 1346 men. The bombfight” the Australians since July 27, it was ordered an attack, the Germans suffered 6846 casualties. Five launched a series of attacks surviving Australian troops moved through the village to undertake its first assault launched a relentless of its battalions had each against the German left the battlefield to join positions on July 24 (Bean just after midnight on July artillery barrage making the lost between 600 and 700 stronghold at Mouquet their comrades now 1948, 247). Once the Germans 29 (Pedersen 2012, 41). trench digging “one of the men (Bean 1948, 258). Farm. The 4th Division, recovering at Ypres in became aware they were The attack failed because most terrible tasks At 4am on August 7, the having lost 4649 men, was by Belgium. losing the village, they of poor planning, costing the undertaken by the AIF. Men enemy attacked the then exhausted, and was In 45 days’ fighting on the heavily bombarded the area lives of 3500 men. The 7th were buried as they worked, Australian lines, capturing replaced by the 1st Division Pozieres ridge, the three to inflict damage and loss on Brigade was particularly were dug out, and buried some of the forward which was brought back to Australian divisions the 1st Division (Pedersen hard hit as it tried to push again” (Bean 1948, 254). trenches and dugouts. The the front (Pedersen 2012, 43). launched 19 separate attacks 2012, 40). onto the summit and “the The attack was postponed German counterattack was The 1st Division made and lost more than 23,000 The German low mound of the tumbled until August 4 when, under turned back due to the some gains but was virtually officers and men.