Australi an Remembranc e Trail alon g the Wester n Fron t

A Tra vel ler 's Gui de Plan Your Visi t 2

Cont ent s

AUSTRALIANS ON THE WESTERN FRONT 1 NORTHERN REGION 31 Plan your visi t 2 Ypre s 32 In the footsteps of the family 6 Pol ygon Wood 36 Tyne Cot 37 SOUTHERN REGION 7 Messine s 38 Amien s 8 The 'mad pho tog rapher s' 39 Thie pval Memorial 9 Ploegste ert 40 Pozière s 10 The silent citie s 42 Albe rt 12 Naours 13 IN FORM ATION 43 Vignacou rt 14 In the Sout h 43 Péronne, Mo nt S t Que ntin 16 In the Centre 46 Bellenglis e 17 In the No rth 47 Corbie 18 Treating the wounde d 19 ITINE RARIES 49 A walk in the Somm e 49 Le Hamel 20 A bike ride t hrough Flande rs Field s 50 Viller s-B retonn eux 22 Pozières and the 1916 front lin e 51 Sir John Monash Centre 23 The Australian Remembrance Rid e 52 CENTRAL REGION 26 Arras 27 Fromelle s 29 Bulle cou rt 30

Aust ralian soldiers in t renches in f ront of the vi llage of Le Hamel after the battle on 4 July 1918 AWM E028441

© Th e Co mmon weal th of Aust ral ia

Pu blished by the De par tment of Ve ter ans ’ This work is copyri ght. Apart from any and inquiries con cerning rep roduction Afffffairs , Canb erra, April 2018 use permitted under the Co pyri ght Act and ri ghts should be addressed to 1968 , no part may be reproduced by any the publi cations section, De partme nt ISB N: 978 -0- 6482602-0- 2 process without prior wri tten permi ssion of Veterans’ A fffffairs or emailed to Pub licati on Numb er: P03 563 from the Common wealth. Requests public ations@d va.gov.au

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Australians on the WesternPlan Your Front Visi t 1

Aust rali ans on th e weste rn fron t

Most Australi ans hav e hea rd of Gallipo li in 19 15, bu t few kn ow muc h abou t th e W est ern Front . In ever y sense , this wa s a bigge r story . Australi ans fough t here fo r t wo an d half years at dre adfu l co st - 80 pe r cent of A ustralia n cas ualtie s for th e whol e wa r happene d on th e Wester n Fron t, in Franc e an d B elgiu m, bet wee n mi d 1916 an d lat e 19 18.

Visi tin g the battl efield s and PLAN YOU R JOURNE Y memo rial s h er e is an e motiona l Thi s book let will hel p yo u pla n you r bu t r ewardi ng ex peri ence, wh eth er jour ney . It is no t a militar y hist ory of you ha ve a f amil y co nnecti on th e battl es alon g th e Wester n Fron t to the Firs t Worl d War or no t. – althoug h we’ ve include d eno ugh Th e site s alon g th e Australi an of th e stor y to ge t yo u start ed. Thi s Australian recruitment pos ter 1918 Re membranc e Trail offfffer us all a is a prac tica l guid e to you r tri p: AWM ARTV00039 way to r eme mber and hon our ou r whe n an d wher e to go , wha t to see tro ops re capture d the small villag e foreb ears . Les t we forget. an d do , wher e to sta y an d eat , an d of Vil ler s-Bretonneu x in no rther n som e sugg este d iti nerari es base d on TH E AUSTRALI AN Franc e. Th e i nten se fi ghti ng di ffffferen t int erest s and th e tim e you REMEMB RANC E TRAI L hal ted progr ess of the Ger man hav e to spen d here . Th e Austr alia n Rem embran ce Trai l spri ng offfffensi ve an d m arke d link s th e most si gni fica nt sit es Ther e is muc h to se e an d do beyon d th e beginn ing of t he en d of the fo r Austr alian s al ong 200k m of th e battl efield s in thi s par t of Fran ce Grea t War . T he peopl e of Viller s- an d Belgi um – fro m th e beauti ful th e Wester n Fron t: bat tlefiel ds, Bret onneux never forgot those Ba y of th e Somm e to anci ent town s cem eteri es, memori als, museu ms wh o liberat ed th eir town . lik e Ami ens an d Arra s to liv ely villag e an d th e trace s tha t Aust rali an To mar k th e centen ary of th e en d mark ets sellin g reg iona l deli caci es sol dier s left of themsel ves acros s thi s an d wines . Th ere ar e als o so me of th e w ar , th e Sir John Mon ash land scape . Rec entl y th e Austr alian , sup erb walkin g trac ks an d som e of Centre, a new int er pre tati ve c entre Fren ch an d Belgia n gover nment s th e bes t bik e ridin g tra ils in Europe . loca ted behin d the Australi an hav e work ed togethe r on a numb er Nati onal Memori al, comm emorat es of thes e site s to upgrad e fac iliti es A GREA T TIM E TO VISI T thi s s acri fic e for ne w generati ons an d impr ove th e visito r exper ienc e. of A ust ra lian s. On Anza c Da y 1 91 8 – t hre e year s Fro m nort h to south , th e Trail run s to the da y af te r t he Ga llipo li Th ere’s nev er bee n a bette r tim e to fro m Ypre s in Belgi um nea r the land ing s – A ust ralia n an d Briti sh visi t th e Wester n Fron t. sit e of th e Battl e of Passch endael e, Along the Somme River thr ough Fromel les an d Bulleco urt Amiens in north ern France , to Pozièr es, th e battl efield s of th e Somm e and Vill ers- Breton neux .

Eac h sit e repr esent s a stor y of imm ense suffffferin g an d toil : 46,00 0 Aust rali ans die d on th e West ern Fron t bet wee n Marc h 191 6 an d the en d of th e wa r in Novemb er 191 8; anot her 134,000 wer e wou nde d or capt ured . Man y of th e bodie s of the dead were never recovered but their name s ar e no t forgo tten ; th ey ar e recor ded on th e memo rial s to th e missi ng.

No pl ace on ea rth is mo re steepe d in Aust ralia n cou rag e or blood .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Plan Your Visi t 2

PLAN YOUR VISI T

If yo u are thinking abou t a tri p to th e Australi an reme mbranc e Th ere ar e lots of we ll mark ed si tes, y ou ’re li kel y to have lots of quest ions . Wh at do I most hiki ng an d b ikin g trai ls aro un d want to se e? How m uc h tim e do I have? Whe re do I start? th e W ester n F ron t a nd a good Wh at’s th e best wa y to get around ? Do I nee d a gu ide or a t our? select ion of places to sta y. Thi s bookle t will hel p you to wor k through thos e qu estio ns an d Experienc e th e regio n design an itine rar y to s ui t you r int erests an d time . Whil e yo u are visit ing th e We ster n Fron t, leave some room to enjo y How muc h ca n I do of tim e to w al k aroun d all the th e r egi on. Y ou do n’t have to majo r site s in Fl ander s and get spen d eve ry min ute w alki ng the If yo u have o ne day : dow n to Arra s or to wal k throu gh battl efields , visiti ng mu seu ms or joi n an orga nise d tou r fro m Par is, th e So mme Valle y aro und the squ eezin g in eve ry ‘ mus t see’ si te. Ami ens, Y pre s or Arr as - with hote l battl efield s an d alon g th e rive r. Rela x ov er di nner in a ri versi de or stati on pi ck-up an d drop offfff, Or rent a bike – you ca n tes t you r restaur ant or with a p icni c on a lunc h an d guid e i ncl uded cyc lin g skill s on some of Belgi um’s hill ; try some of the loc al food and fa mous cob ble d road s or rid e al l wine ; visi t a gal lery; rent a bike for If you have three day s: th e w ay al ong th e We ster n Fron t a lei surel y ride ; or sp end an h ou r at this is a comfortable amount of tim e fro m Y pre s to Viller s-Breto nneux . on e of the livel y loca l mark ets . to explore one region in d epth. Or, if you are driving yourself, you MU could cov er the major si tes alon g SEEST the We stern Front, spending on e 5 MILI TARY SITES ON THE WESTERN FRONT day around Amiens, one day around Arras and one day around Ypres . 1. Th e vill age of Vill ers-B retonn eux , hom e to th e Aust ralia n Nati ona l Memo rial , th e Franc o-Aus trali an Museu m an d th e ne w Si r Joh n If yo u hav e f ou r or fiv e days : Mona sh Centr e (p22 ) thin k abo ut splitti ng you r ti me bet wee n th e no rth ern an d souther n 2.Th e Meni n Gate at Ypres . At 8p m ever y nigh t, th e fire men bug lers of th e Las t Pos t Associ atio n pay tribut e to th e dea d in a mov ing regi ons . Ther e’s plent y of Grea t Wa r cer emony . Mak e sur e yo u ge t ther e earl y to ensur e a spot . (p33 ) hist ory to absor b bu t there’ s al so roo m to tak e som e tim e awa y fr om 3.Th e Windmi ll Memoria l at Pozi ères , sit e of Austral ia’ s wors t loss es th e stor y of war . Enjo y a da y at the on th e Somm e an d clos e to th e Thi epva l Memo rial (p10-1 1) se a aroun d th e Ba y of th e Somm e, 4.Th e Aust ralia n Me moria l Par k an d VC Corne r Cemet ery at shop pin g in Lill e or walkin g aroun d Fro melles , wit h th e ne w Pheas ant Wood Milita ry Cemeter y an d th e medi eval centr e of Bruge s. Batt le of Fromel les Mu seu m nearb y (p2 9) If you have a w ee k: 5.Th e ne w Vignaco urt 14-1 8 Museu m, devote d to th e recentl y tak e it slo wly. Pu t your boo ts on disc overe d pho togra phi c wor k of th e Thuillie r fa mily (openi ng in an d take a hike – a w ee k is pl enty earl y 201 8) (p14 )

Bay of the Somme at dus k

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e PlanPlan Your your Visi visi t 3 itinerarie s

On ce y ou ha ve decide d how m uc h tim e you have an d wh at most int erests yo u, the re are lots of choi ces for pl aces to st ay, si tes to see and thing s to do. You ca n foc us on on e region or c over several areas, f oll ow on e of ou r s ugges ted itine rari es or desi gn you r o wn .

Man y peopl e s pen d tw o or three Ami ens C athedra l, Vil lers - days in Ami ens an d th e sam e in Br eto nneu x and th e Si r John Ypres, bu t if you do n’t w ant to Mona sh Cen tre, an d th e memori al chan ge hotel s yo u coul d s impl y at Le Ha mel (p20 ). Dr ive on to sta y in Arr as , h al f w ay betwe en Pozi ères (p1 0), wi th a stop for th e two (cent ral reg ion) . It’s wi thi n co fffffe e or lunc h in th e pr ett y town abou t 80k m of all th e m ajo r site s in of Al ber t (p12). Visi t th e memori al eit her di rection . Arra s is a beautif ul, an d mu seu m at T hi epval (p9 ) hi sto ric town wit h good trans port bu t don’t mis s th e ne w mu seu m to P ari s a nd Li lle, man y fine dedi cate d to th e Th uilli er fa mil y restaur ants an d a fant asti c Satur day ph otogr aph s at V ignac our t (p14). mar ke t. You ca n ta ke day tri ps to the Bel gia n ba ttl efield s or the Somm e v alle y. Th e Austra lia n ba ttl e Chroma li ght s how on Amiens Cathedral sit es at F ro melle s an d B ull ecou rt ar e much clo ser to Arra s an d t he amazin g W elli ngto n Tunn els - a Osten d majo r site f or Ne w Zeal ander s - are LONDO N r e ENGLAN D v Dunkir k B E L G I U M o nea r the cent re of town . D f o Iepe r/ t BRUSSE LS ai Ypres r t S BELGIU M River Lill e ser Souther n Regio n Somm Y e Langemar k RiveCalair s Tyne Cot Cemeter y Amiens Pé ronn e Ypr es Pa sschendael e IF YOU ’RE INTER ESTE D MAINL Y F R A N C E Polygon Wood Brussel s Hill 6 0 IN THE BAT TLE S OF 1916, base 0 80kilometre s PARI S 0 40mile s Toronto Avenu e N your self at Amiens or nearb y, Ploegsteer t arou nd an hour from P ar is Lys River by trai n. You’ re abou t 4 0k m Lill e from the Somme bat tl efi elds Fromelles an d th e important Austral ian si tes at Po zières , Le Ha mel and Lens Not re Dame De Loret te Vi llers- Bretonn eu x, site of the Vimy Aust rali an Nati ona l Memori al, F R A N C E th e Fran co- Austral ian Museum Arra s an d th e new Si r John Mon ash Centre. Péronne, Mo nt Sa int- Saint Valerie sur Somme Bullecour t Quenti n and Bellen glise ar e a lit tl e

Somme further east; th e medi eva l caves Beaumont-Hamel Ulster Tower Naours Thiepva l at Naour s a nd the ne w ph oto Pozières Rive r Lochnagar crater mu seum at Vi gnaco urt a li ttl e Albert Dernancour t Mont St -Quenti n further north. Amiens is al so the Corbi e Péronn e Bellenglise ga tewa y to the Bay of the Somme, Amiens Le Hame l Villers-Bre tonne ux on e of the mos t bea uti ful m ar ine env ir on ment s in Fran ce . sir john monash centr e Australian National Memoria l IN JUST ON E (PACKE D) DAY Th e Western Fr ont 0 50kilometres Take a g uide d tour from P aris , or (early 1917 ) 0 20miles arran ge a gu ide to pic k yo u up Pari s in Amiens . V isi t t he ma gnificen t

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Plan Your Visi t 4

IN TWO D AY S If you ’re stay ing the ni ght, boo k dinn er in one of the man y cana l sid e restau rant s in Quartie r S t- Leu in Amiens . N ext da y visi t the cave s at Nao urs (p1 3) an d t he fabul ous Hi sto ria l Museu m at Péron ne (p1 6), finis hing wi th th e A ustral ian 2nd Divi sio n Memori al at Mo nt Saint-Qu en ti n (p16). Or ta ke a bik e ride al ong the Somm e cana l fro m Pé ron ne (p1 6) an d stop for a ri versid e l unc h at Feuill ères, Suzanne or C orbi e.

IN THREE DAY S Tak e in th e Somm e 191 6 Trenc h Museu m at Alb ert (p1 2), an d the batt le site s at Bullecou rt (p30 ) an d Fro melle s (p2 9); bot h hav e ne w or Boating around the h ortillonnages upgr ade d museu ms. At Fromell es, Amiens visi t th e ne w cemet ery fo r Austral ian for the Last Post Ceremony at th e Avenue cem etery (p31) – the onl y an d Briti sh soldier s rec entl y rebu ried Menin Gat e (p3 3) at 8p m ev ery ni ght. all-Australian cem etery in Belgium. fro m a mas s grave . IN TWO D AY S IN THREE DAY S IN FI VE D AY S Go south from Ypres to M essine s Visi t Lij ssen thoe k Mili tary Ce met er y Head no rth int o Bel gium, fo r the (p38 ), stopping at the Pool of Peace, nea r Pop ering e f or an insi ght int o Au stral ian sit es near Yp res (se e bel ow) the New Zealand Soldier Statue an d th e w orki ngs of a fi eld hos pital . At the Island of Ireland Peace Park – all Poperi ngh e, T al bot Ho use is a livi ng Norther n Regio n on M essines Ridge. Continue to th e mu seu m – larg ely un chang ed si nce IF YOU ’RE INTER ESTE D MAINLY IN Plugstr eet 14-18 Experience (p40), sol dier s re sted behin d t he li nes TH E BATTLEFIELD S OF 1917, a small museum near the Toronto here 100 year s ago. bas e y oursel f at Y pre s in Belgiu m. The Cl oth Hall You’r e w ithi n 20k m of mos t of Ypr es th e maj or si tes – P assch endael e, Zonn ebek e, Men in Roa d, Pol ygo n Wood , Messi nes, Ploeg steer t, an d th e ce me te ry at Tyn e Co t. Ypre s is a f asci natin g medie val ci ty wit h som e of th e regi on’ s bes t foo d, bee r a nd ch ocolat e an d t he area is a cy cli st’s heaven . IN JUST ON E (PACKE D) D AY Boo k a gui ded tour from Y pre s (p32 ). Vi sit th e m agnificen t Cl oth Hall (p32 ) hom e of th e In Flan der s Fiel ds Mu seum (p35), one of the bes t on t he W este rn F ron t. Head eas t to th e Austral ian 5th Divi sion Monu ment an d B utte s New Br iti sh ce mete ry at P olygo n W ood (p3 6), wit h a visi t to the fasci nating Memo ria l Museu m P assch enda ele 191 7 at Zonn ebeke (p3 6). Th e Tyn e Cot Ce mete ry (p37) nearby is a must-see. Return to Ypres in tim e

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Plan Your Visi t 5

DON guide to suit you. Most tourism MI offfffi ces keep a li st of qualifie d S 'T GRE AT EXPERIENCES O N S guides, including those who spea k 5 English and some who specialise i n THE WESTERN FRONT working with Australian visitors. (se e 1. Ami ens C athedr al, a magnificen t Gothi c c athedr al in a p43-48 for contact detail s). beau tifu l c it y DOin g IT YOURSEL F 2.Th e B ay of the S omm e - su n, sea, bi rd li fe an d n autica l hist ory - at th e mout h of th e f amou s riv er If y ou’d ra the r pla n you r own 3.Th e Clot h Hall Ypre s a med ieval masterpi ece d estr oye d in iti nerar y an d go at y ou r o wn pac e, th e Firs t Worl d Wa r and pains taking ly reco nst ructe d o ve r 40 hiri ng a ca r is the bes t opti on. The yea rs majo r car r ent al agenci es have offfffices in most – bu t not all – of 4.The caves at Naours: a s ystem of medie val tunnels, dug into chalky soil, bearing thousands of signatures of Great War th e large r t own s in the re gion . Y ou soldiers ca n also pi ck up a ca r at th e a irpo rt if you fly int o Par is, Li lle, Br uss els 5.Th e L ouvre- Lens: 205 maj or art wo rk s from the L ouvre Pa ris , or Ch arl eroi or at on e of th e TGV hous ed in a st unnin g ne w b uil ding clos e to L en s a nd Li lle station s – Lil le or H aut e-Pi card ie.

Checkin g OPENIN G HOUR S

IN FI VE D AY S HIRIN G A GUI DE Before you finalise your plan, don’t forget to check website s Do any or all of the above on a for opening hours and special bicycle, on Belgi um’s e xtensive If you ha ve a li st of specific things you events. While most cem eterie s network of cycle paths. Or conti nue want to see or do or you are tracing and memorials are open every south into France, via Fromelles an d th e f ootstep s of a r elat ive, thi nk day during daylight hours, other Bullecourt, to the Australian site s ab out hir ing a pr ivate guid e to design si tes – li ke mus eums, galleries , around the Somme (see abov e). a tour that co ver s onl y th e plac es yo u want to s ee. It’s a mo re expen sive tourist attractions - will ha ve Cent ral Regio n opti on tha n a regul ar grou p tou r bu t di ffffferent opening hours in winter it ca n be worth it. A good guid e ca n and summ er, may close on on e If you want to see the whol e mak e a bi g difffffer ence to helpi ng yo u or two days each week or chang e Australia n Remembranc e Trai l withou t to under stan d wha t happ ened in a operating hours for special days or chan gin g hotel s, bas e yoursel f in the pa rticu lar pl ace or wh at ha ppene d to events. Make s ure t hat you chec k centre in Arras, near the Bull ecourt your rel ati ve. for public holi days too – th ere are an d From elle s site s (p29). Vent ure 11 o ffffficial holi days in France an d ou t on tri ps no rth or south , d rivi ng Check the local tourism i nformation 10 offffficial holidays in Belgium an d your self or wit h a gui de. services and websites to find a usually some local extras as well.

Satur day market Arras

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Plan Your Visi t 6

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAMIL Y

Fo r man y Australi ans, visiting th e West ern Fron t is a bou t traci ng th e e xperien ce of a fa mil y membe r who foug ht in Fran ce or Belgiu m dur ing th e Fi rst Worl d W ar . As mo re tha n 29 5,000 Aust rali ans ser ved on the Wes ter n Front, t od ay thousand s of Aust rali ans have a rel ati ve who foug ht t he re.

Finding out more about wh ere t hey Li nco ln, Sout h Austra lia . When fought adds so mething very special we search agai n usin g jus t the to any trip to the battlefields – and surnam e and servic e nu mber, we the earlier you start to research t hat ca n see wha t reco rds the A WM family hi story, the better. hol ds, mos t of whic h is di gitis ed. Fran k has a studi o ph oto , identi fied Som e people may not ev en by a numb er that yo u c an us e to kn ow someon e fr om their family order a c opy. served . S ta rt by ask ing you r ol des t relati ves wh at they know If a sol dier wa s liste d as missing , or if any on e has lett ers , diarie s or ther e cou ld be a Re d Cros s recor d medals from th e Great Wa r that atta ched , whic h cou ld tell yo u wha t coul d pro vid e some clues. the y foun d ou t late r abo ut hi s deat h. If ther e ar e letter s or diari es, yo u Onc e yo u hav e a name , ther e shou ld fin d a recor d on th e AWM ar e lot s of fre e on-lin e res ourc es web site ; no t all hav e bee n digiti sed, avai labl e – an d no t jus t fo r Austr ali an so yo u ma y hav e to visi t th e AW M in Lt Frank Watts Davis sol diers . Th e UK an d Ne w Zeal and Canb err a to rea d them . AWM PAFU2013.185.01 als o hav e web site s tha t ca n help . Th e Stat e Libr ary of NS W hol ds Yo u ca n als o searc h th e AWM Researchin g a rea l soldi er ove r 700 diari es of sol dier s fr om web site fo r th e Battalio n Di ary of hi s th e Grea t War : www. sl.n sw.gov .au / unit . Thi s let s yo u wor k ou t wher e Fran k Wat ts Da vis came from res earch- and-c ollec tion s. he migh t hav e bee n durin g the Wil cannia , in wester n Ne w Sout h batt alion ’s majo r engag ements . Yo u Wales . No w we have a n ame, we Othe r sta te librari es ma y hav e ca n acces s th ese in per son at the ca n searc h for hi s reco rds on the reco rds fo r soldier s fro m tha t Sta te. AW M resea rch librar y. Austra lia n W ar Memoria l ( AWM ) Th e Nati onal Archi ves of Aust rali a webs ite, usi ng th e sea rch functi on To find a g rave, sea rch the nam e (NAA ) web sit e (www. naa. gov.au ) on th e hom e pag e (www .awm.go v. on the Commonwealth War Grave s hold s ot her record s on thi s soldi er au) . Tha t will giv e us hi s servic e Commi ssion (CWGC) websi te an d we ca n us e th e servi ce numb er numb er, usual ly three or four (www.cwgc.org) for a record of to fin d them . On th e NAA websit e, digits . If th e p erso n y ou are looki ng the cem etery and position of th e clic k ‘Co llect ion ’ the n ‘Sear ch the for wa s an offffficer , he pr obabl y grave. If th ere is no known grave, coll ecti on’. Ente r jus t th e surna me wo n’t have a s ervic e nu mber – so you’ll find wh ere his name i s an d servi ce number . Thi s take s us to havin g t he full na me will hel p. commemo rat ed among the mi ssin g. a digita l cop y of hi s servic e reco rds – In this ca se, we learn that Da vis’ s an Attest atio n for m (o n enli stment ), If yo ur re lativ e was fr om th e UK or servic e nu mbe r w as 15 24, that a recor d of th e battali on(s ) he Ne w Z eal and, you ca n sea rch si tes he en liste d on 3 Decembe r 1914 , serv ed in an d th e nam e of th e shi p lik e www. nat ional arch ive s.gov .uk hi s unit was th e 50th Battali on, tha t too k hi m to Europe . Ther e ma y an d www. archi ves.g ov t.nz/ worl d- he attaine d th e rank of secon d be detail s of wound s or sickn ess, wa r-on e lieu tenan t, that he serve d in fami ly addres ses, disci plin e recor ds, Last ly, commer cia l websi tes ca n hel p Gall ipoli and F ranc e a nd was kil led an d post- war corre spond ence wit h yo u fin d reco rds in Austra lia an d in acti on on 2 Febr uar y 1917. nex t of ki n. in othe r count rie s incl udin g www . We al so lea rn that th ere is a le tter , In F ran k W att s Dav is’ s ca se, this anc estry. com (yo u ge t tw o week s aski ng whoe ver find s hi m in the reco rd tell s us so mething of wher e fre e to s ta rt you r sea rch) , even t of hi s d eat h to sen d th e r ing he serve d and that he was bur ied www.f orc es-war- record s.co.uk an d aro und hi s nec k ‘wit h my dyi ng at th e Ber nafa y Wood Briti sh www. grea twar.co.uk/resea rc h/ love (t o) Mi ss M Murr ay’ in Port Ce metery in F ranc e. fa mily-hi story .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - The Somme 7

The Somme

After eight mo nth s at Gallipol i, th e first Australia n troo ps DON arriv ed in Franc e in Ma rch 191 6 to f in d a ver y di ffffferen t war. Th e MI 'T SS Wester n F ront , st retching for 600k m from th e B elgia n coast to 5 GRE AT th e Swis s borde r, was in st ale mate. Fiv e al l-voluntee r Au strali an EXPERIENC ES divisi ons joine d 50 exhaus ted Britis h divisi ons whos e number s IN THE SOMME ha d bee n deci mated over 18 month s of rel ent les s f ighting . 1. Ride a bike along th e The German o fffffensive at Verdun military hi stor y. The Australians Somme canal – a 160k m had in fli cted terrible lo sses on th e went i nt o their fir st major actio n trail from the Somme to French. To relieve the pressur e, th e north of h ere on 19 July at Fromelle s the se a British commander Gen eral Hai g where the Australian 5th Division 2.Wat ch Ch roma, the f ree agreed to launch a major offfffensiv e su ffff fered 5,000 casualties in on e high tech li ght s how fu rther west along the Somm e night. Five days later, the 1 st , 2nd and projec ted on to the f ront River. It began at dawn on 1 Jul y 4th Divisions went in at Pozière s of Amiens cathedral; 1916, with the explosion of a massive and over seven weeks lo st 23,000 only in December and i n mine ben eath German positions jus t men – killed, wounded or cap tured. summer – mid June to north of the river. By the end of th e For the next two and a half years , mid Sep tember day, the British had su fffffered 60,000 Australian troops would rarely b e 3.Go bi rdwat ching at casualties – the worst day in Britis h out of the f ront line. Ma rque nt er re bi rd sanctuary, in the Bay of the Somm e 4.Explo re the b eautiful town of Corbie; its ric h history dates back to th e foundation of a powerful abbey in 657 5.Visit the astonishing ai r mus eum at Alb ert, hom e to hund reds of vi ntage aeroplanes and cars

Australian 2nd Division tro ops halted on a sunken roa d MU Somme Vall ey, Oc tober 1 916 AWM E Z01 22 SEEST 5 MILI TARY SIT ES IN THE SOMME 1. The Australian National Memorial and the Ville rs-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, site of the new Sir John Monash Centre TH E AUSTRALIA N REMEMB RANC E 2.The Historial de la Grande Gue rre museum at Péronne, one of TRAI L SI TES ON TH E SOMM E the finest on the Somm e Th e A ustrali an Re membra nce T rai l 3.Th e Lochnagar crater at La Boisselle, l eft by th e explosion t hat mark s the mo st si gni fican t s ite s marked the beginning of the Battle of the Somme for Austr alian s in the Valle y of th e So mme, both battl e site s lik e 4.The Thi epval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme nea r Pozières. A new museum includes an amazing 60m lon g Pozi ères an d V iller s-Bretonneu x backlit mural of the first day of the Battle of the Somm e an d town s behi nd th e line s wh ere Austra lia n soldier s reste d like 5.The South African Memorial at Delville Wood near Longu eval. Vign ac ou rt an d Naours . Out side On 15 July 1916, the South African Brigade went into battle th e T rail , ther e a re m an y o th er with 121 o ffffficers and 3 032 troops; t hey came out a week later fa scinati ng pl aces an d si ght s to with just 29 offffficers and 751 other rank s visi t that e xpl ore or explai n the exp erienc e of th e Grea t War .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Amiens 8

Amiens

Amien s is an elegan t, captivating ci ty an d th e ga teway to the Somm e ba ttl efiel ds. Juliu s Caesa r spe nt a wi nt er he re in 54 BC , campe d be sid e th e Somm e Ri ver. Jule s Vern e moved he re in 1871 an d wrote most of hi s f amou s boo ks in a hous e that’s now a m us eum . Th ousand s of A ust ralia n soldiers cam e throug h N her e on thei r way to th e S omme . Som e l eft thei r mark : the LUTIO UN ESCO lis ted belfr y tower was kn own locall y as th e Pr ison de s O Australi ens becaus e so m any w er e brie fly locked up her e fo r RES drun kennes s or dis orderl y be haviour . LOW

Th e Notr e-Dam e Cat hedra l ha s th e objec tive s th e Germa ns mo st domi nate d th e cit y fo r almos t 80 0 want ed to capt ure . Durin g th e Fir st year s. It is no t jus t th e larges t Gothi c Worl d War , lar ge bank s of sandbag s buil din g in France , roug hly twi ce prot ecte d th e buil ding bu t a smal l Wa terside r est aurants th e siz e of Notre- Dame in Paris , it numb er of Ger man shell s hi t it in St-Leu, Amiens is als o on e of th e mos t exqui sit e Ma y 1918 . It is sai d tha t th e bis hop of chur che s anywh ere in th e worl d. Ami ens sen t a messa ge to th e Papa l The river meanders t hrough th e Begu n in 1220 , it survi ved bot h the Nunc io in Muni ch, wh o persuad ed city in several channels and at Fren ch Rev olut ion an d two worl d th e Germa n Cha ncell or to spar e the night, beside the water, the bars war s – remarka ble give n tha t Amien s Cat hedral . Tha t nun cio wa s Eugeni o and restaurants in Quartier St- is a majo r rai lwa y hu b an d on e of Pac elli , wh o becam e Pop e Piu s XII. Leu come alive with hundreds of students and visitors. In the Middl e Ages, the marshes east of th e city were used to mine p eat an d grow veg etables ; tod ay’s mar ket gardeners still sell their vegetable s at Pl ace Parmentier on Saturdays. On one Saturday in June the y dress in t raditional co stume to sell produce from boats along the qua y. The ho rtillonnages – the net work of small islands- is now a nature res erve you can explore by foot, boa t or ka yak.

Ami ens is a ci ty of grea t cult ura l an d cu lina ry pr ide, fa mous f or maca ron s a nd ch ocolat e, as we ll as f or rai sing th e curr ent presi dent of Fran ce, E mma nue l Mac ron . Amiens Cathedral It is a ls o a festiva l town hosti ng prot ec ted by sandbags an in ter nat iona l fil m festiva l in No vemb er, a f amou s Chr istma s TRANS PORT mark et in D ecemb er, a wel l- re specte d f esti val devoted to ‘BD’ Ami ens is a littl e ove r on e hou r fr om tak e th e SNC F bu s tha t goe s direc t in Ju ne (B D - B and e Dessiné e the Pari s by trai n (fro m th e Gar e du to Amiens . Hau te-Pi cardi e sta tio n is Fren ch na me fo r th e ar t of the Nord ) an d th e train s ar e freq uent . a good optio n if yo u ar e stay ing in graph ic novel ) an d in Ap ril and If yo u fly int o Char les de Gaull e Pér onne , 10k m to th e east . As k you r Octob er, the La G rand e R éderi e air port (CDG) , a fas t trai n ca n tak e hote l to arran ge a taxi . d’Ami ens - 51 stre ets clo sed f or yo u throu gh to th e TG V statio n at an ant ique s f ai r that att ract s Haut e-Pi cardi e bu t yo u ar e still 30 Ami ens ha s a numb er of place s to 80,000 peopl e. R eme mber this if minu tes eas t of Amiens . Yo u ca n pi ck ren t car s an d bicyc les an d a goo d you’re tryin g to get a roo m up a rent al ca r at th e TG V statio n or rang e of acco mmodat ion . aro und that ti me.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Thi epval Memorial 9

Thiepval Memorial

Th e Britis h Memoria l to th e Missing is th e largest Commonwealt h fo r havin g 300 Brit ish an d Empir e Wa r Memoria l in th e world . Perhap s it ha d to be , to accommodat e sol dier s an d 300 Frenc h soldi ers th e 72,24 3 name s of th e Britis h an d Britis h Empir e soldiers classe d buri ed side-by -side , sy mboli sing the tw o count ries ’ alli anc e in th e Fir st as missing afte r th e Battl e of th e Somm e in 1916 . Missing her e Worl d War . mean s the y hav e no know n grave , or th e bod y coul d no t be identifie d on burial . Thei r averag e ag e was 25 . Th e memor ial , 45 m high , ca n be see n fro m all ove r th e battl efield . It wa s desi gned by Si r Edwi n Lut yen s, Aust rali ans di d no t ente r th e Batt le th e cemet ery at th e foo t of the wh o als o desi gned th e Austral ian of th e Somm e until 23 Jul y 191 6 monu ment . Man y mor e die d near by, Nation al Memoria l nea r Vil lers- at Poziè res, bu t 10 Australi ans, si x tryi ng to tak e Pozi ère s an d Mouqu et Bret onneu x. Ope n ever y day , clos ed of the m unknow n, ar e burie d in Farm . Th e cem eter y is unusua l fro m mi d Dece mber to mi d Janu ary .

Thie pval Memorial In terior

HI STORIA L THIEP VAL

Th e Histori al de la Gran de Guer re mu seum at P éron ne ha s establ ishe d a ne w mu seu m at Thi epval , f ocussi ng on the B attl e of th e So mme. Thi s is a mus t s ee f or th e stun nin g 6 0m l on g illumi nate d panora ma by Am erica n illu stra tor an d artis t Jo e Sacc o. It g ive s a continu ous vie w of th e fir st da y of th e ba ttl e. Th ere is nothin g l ik e it in an y o ther wa r mu seu m on the We ster n Fron t. Th e mu seu m also hold s a li fe-si zed replic a of on e of Geo rges Guy nem er’s aeropl anes. At th e tim e of hi s d eat h in 191 7, age d 22, he w as a nat iona l hero in F ranc e, cr edit ed wi th sho oti ng dow n 54 en emy pl anes . O pen A B OY S OLDI ER’S STORY eve ry da y, clos ed mi d Dece mber to mi d Janua ry. Robe rt Warner was living in Kiama, like to see hi s New South Wales when he enliste d people. We wer e Panorama in January 1916. He had been bor n wounded on a by ill ustrator Joe Sa cco in London, but came to Australia Mond ay nea r with his family when he was seven. Moquet (sic) His experience of war was brutall y Farm; we were sho rt: four days after joining th e just going up to 4th Pioneer Battalion, he was hit i n a sap. They w ere both legs and an arm while moving going over th e up to t renches near Mouquet Farm, top t hat ni ght. AWM P05301 .244 close to Thi epval. In 1917, a Corporal He was hit by a bo mb. B oth his leg s Ban field, who s erved with him, had to be amputated. He died i n wrote the following note to th e hospi tal near Alb ert. He was very Red Cro ss from an army hospital i n well li ked. ’ Robert Warner is burie d Randwic k, Sy dn ey. ‘ I kn ew Warner in the Puchevillers British Cem etery, well. He was only a young lad but a Puchevillers , France. He was aged 1 5 very great cobber of mine. I shoul d years and ei ght months.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Pozi ères 10

Pozière s

Pozi ères is on e of th e most signifi cant si tes for A ust ralian s on bloc khou se. The vie w fro m here th e Western Front. More Australians died here than on any othe r gi ves a cl ear idea of the st rate gi c battl efiel d in France . Fo r ma ny, it wa s their first expe rienc e of wa r. impo rtanc e of Pozi ères. Thi s is on e of th e highe st spots in the Somm e Val ley an d th e Britis h At 12:30a m on 23 Ju ly 1916 , the had l ost thousands of men since 1 July 1916 trying to ta ke i t. If th e Aust ralia n 1st Divi sio n a ttac ked newl y arrive d Australia n division s coul d tak e Pozière s an d Mouque t Pozi ères tak ing th e vil lag e but Farm , Ge nera l Hai g ho ped to tak e Thi epval fro m th e r ear . not th e Windmi ll. Thre e week s of relentl ess count er- attack s a nd shel lin g followed ; th e ba ttl e was By th e time the Austr alian s sout her n end of the vil lag e, wo n b ut at an unp reced ented arri ved , the li ttl e far min g villag e besi de th e F ir st Austr alia n D ivi sion cost . Th e Australia n 1st, 2nd and ha d been ob litera ted by shelli ng. Memo rial . T he German s ha d also 4th Divi sion s sufffffere d 23,00 0 Th ere we re few buil ding s le ft forti fie d th e re main s of an anc ien t ca sualt ies , includ ing 6,700 dead, bu t the Ger man s h ad bu ilt solid wind mill at th e northern en d of man y of who m wer e neve r found . defence s - deep trenc hes , bunker s th e villag e. This is no w t he si te of ‘Th e h orro r w as indescri babl e’, an d blockh ouses . You ca n see th e othe r Austra lia n M emor ial , wr ote L ieut enan t John ‘Al ec’ Raws th e Gibralt ar bl ockhou se at the buil t ov er th e ruine d Wind mil l of th e A ustralia n 2nd Di visi on.

We are lousy, stinking, r agged, unsh aven, sleepl ess. Even “ when we’re back a bit we can’t sleep f rom our own gun s. I have one puttee, a dead m an’s helmet, another dead m an’s ga s protector, a dead m an’s bayonet. My tunic is r otten with other men’s blood and p artly splattered with a comra de’s brai ns…. Courage does not count here. I t is all ne rve. Once t hat go es, on e becomes a gibbering mani ac.’

From a letter by Lt J A Raws, Australian gunners in action who was killed la ter in the same battle. near Pozi ère s, July 1916 AWM E Z0141

A DAY OU T You can easily visi t Pozi èr es , the Go p ast Al bert to La Boi ssell e an d Alb ert fir st for th e weekl y mar ke t, Th iepva l M emori al and it s new th e L ochna gar Crate r, then on to the n on to Pozi ères an d T hi epval. mu seum, the Lo chnag ar crater Pozi ères. Afte r that, leav e at lea st Chec k wit h t he Albert Touri st an d th e pre tty t own of Al bert in an ho ur fo r the Thi epval Me mori al Offfffice abou t a g uide d tou r of the on e day. 3k m to th e we st, an d an oth er Somm e pa norama s - three hour s for th e p re serve d tre nche s at eve ry F ri day. Or t ak e a 4 0-min ute Fr om Amiens, tak e th e D929 towar ds Beau mont-Ha mel . boa t tr ip on t he ri ver fr om the Al bert, a stra ight Ro man road , vill age of É clu sier -Vau x, 18k m to ex cept wh ere it veers arou nd the Retur n to A lbe rt fo r lunc h th e south east of Alb ert . If you love Ch âteau de Qu err ieu , whi ch wa s the the n d iv e i nt o t he eccen tri c cl ass ic aerop lane s an d aut omobi les, 1918 headqua rters of Au str ali an wa r und ergrou nd Somm e 191 6 Museu m visi t th e extrao rdina ry person al co rresponden t Cha rles Bean. Yo u wi ll jus t offfff th e main squar e. If you ’re mu seu m of Mon sieu r Betra ncou rt soon se e a ri ght tur n to Dernanco urt, visi tin g on Saturda y or th e secon d on th e out skirts of Al bert (onl y just befor e Al bert. Wedn esda y of t he mon th, go to ope n on Sat urdays ).

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Pozi ères 11

WH AT TO SEE A SOLDI ER’ S STOR Y

By 1916 , Alber t Jac ka ha d alread y wo n th e Victori a Cr oss fo r his bra ver y at Gall ipoli , th e firs t Aust ralia n to do so in th e Grea t War . A far mer’ s so n fro m Wedder bur n, Vict oria , he wa s no w 23 . On th e nigh t of 6 Augu st 191 6, at Pozièr es Ridge , he an d hi s me n wer e caugh t beh ind adva ncin g Ger man troops . Jack a em erge d concu ssed fro m a Germa n dugou t aft er a bom b wa s throw n in . He le d hi s rema inin g eigh t me n in a char ge on som e Ger man soldier s wh o wer e esco rtin g Aust rali an pri soner s bac k to thei r lines . Ot her Austral ians , isol ated in shell holes , ju mped up to joi n in . Som e German s surr ender ed, other s foug ht on an d died . Jack a wa s hi t TH E 1ST DI VISIO N MEMOR IAL (26 8 Ro ute d’Alb ert, thre e ti mes an d ever y on e of th e eigh t me n wit h hi m 80300 Pozi ère s); co mmemo rate s the 1st Divi sion’s rol e wa s wound ed. Thei r acti ons turne d th e tide , recap turi ng in Franc e an d Belgi um fro m Pozi ères in 1916 to the th e ridg e an d taki ng Hind enbu rg Lin e in 191 8. Comi ng fro m the sout h, AWM A0340 8 42 prison ers . Th e tur n lef t just afte r yo u ente r th e vill age . Th e Gibra lta r Australia n offfffici al Bloc khous e stand s nex t to th e memor ial . Th ere is new hist oria n Char les Bea n int erpreti ve si gnag e and a w oo den observa tio n dec k call ed it ‘th e mo st an d tw o new walki ng tr ail s li nk site s of impo rtan ce to dra mati c and efffffec tive Austral ians . Lis ten to the a ud io on th e ‘Aust rali ans in ac t of indivi dual th e So mme 16 & 18’ app for mobil e devi ces . auda cit y in th e histor y TH E AUS TRALIA N MEMORI AL (T HE WI NDMI LL): bui lt of th e AI F’. Jack a wa s ove r anot her Ger man bl ockhou se, thi s haunti ng sit e awar ded th e Militar y repre sents th e hard est-wo n po int of th e battl e for Cro ss. He wa s awar ded Pozi ère s and th e place wh ere most Au stral ian s di ed. a bar to th e Milita ry Driv e throug h the vil lag e to the no rther n end . To the Cros s at Bull ecour t in we st, yo u se e the Th iep val Memo ria l and opposit e 1917 . He survi ved the th e Wi ndmil l, th e Tan k Memori al. Thi s is wh ere tan k wa r an d becam e mayo r warfar e beg an whe n 36 Br itis h tan ks se t offfff fro m here of St Kilda . He die d in on 15 Sep temb er 1916 . 1932 , age d 39 .

NEAR BY

UL ST ER TOWER : TH E LOCH NAGAR CR ATER : NEWFOU NDLAND PAR K AT a memo ria l to the Ul ster b at tali ons, th e explos ion of a hug e mine BEAUMON T-HA MEL: more than in th e for m of a moc k Got hic sign alle d the Al lie d sta rt to the 800 me n of th e Ne wfoundl and tower . On 1 Jul y 191 6, th e 36th Ul ster Battl e of t he So mme on 1 Jul y 1 91 6; Reg iment w en t in to acti on here Divi sio n su fffffere d 5, 000 casua lti es 54,000l bs ( 24,500 kg) of ex pl osi ves on th e firs t da y of th e Battl e of the here , mor e tha n ha lf of them wen t up at 7 .28a m, leavin g t he Somme ; by th e ne xt morni ng, 68 kill ed, on the first da y of th e Battl e larges t m in e cr at er of the Fi rst we re left stan ding. Y ou ca n see of th e Somm e. Worl d War . re main s of t he origi nal trench es.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Albe rt 12

Alber t

Wit h its 250 Ar t Dec o house s, Albe rt is now o ne of th e pretties t to wns in th e Vall ey of th e Somm e bu t to Britis h an d A ustrali an soldiers , it was th e hom e of th e Le aning Vi rgi n - a st at ue of Mar y an d b aby Je sus on top of th e Basilica of No tre-Dam e de Brebi ère s in the middl e of t own .

Visi ble from mi les aroun d, the finall y f ell in April 191 8 a nd was statu e w as hi t by a shell in J anua ry neve r rec ove red . Afte r th e war , the 1915 ; it sl umpe d si deway s bu t did Basilic a was rec onstru cted as an not fal l. Th e Brit ish s ai d wh oeve r ex act rep lica , w it h a ne w st atu e of The leaning virgi n knock ed th e st atue down woul d th e Virgi n recr eatin g th e origi nal. Basili ca of Albe rt 1 916 AWM C05062 los e the wa r; th e G erma ns bel ieve d Alb ert is a nothe r g rea t base from no n ba ttl efiel d attraction s bas ed th e opposi te. Austral ian s c alle d her whic h to e xpl ore th e S omme. aro und three ri ver s – the S omm e, ‘Fanny’, af te r Olympi c s wimm er Thi epval , Pozi ères , the Lochn aga r th e Ancr e a nd the Au thi e. Ren t a an d dive r F ann y D urac k. In Marc h crate r, th e Ul ste r Tow er an d the bik e, a ka yak , a houseboa t for the 1918 , t he German s b ri efly occupi ed Ne wfoundl and Park are all clos e. beaut ifu l rivers , c anal s an d p ond s th e to wn an d Bri tis h artill ery Thi s is th e Pay s du Co quelic ot nea r here ; go hors e ri ding or tak e targ ete d th e tow er to stop it bei ng (Popp y Count ry) and th ere ar e a vint age tra in ri de at Ha mea u de use d for obs erva tion . The Vi rg in 38 walkin g t rack s and lots of Froi ss y.

NEAR BY

DERN ANCOU RT: SO MME TRE NCH MUS EUM: L’ÉP OPÉE DE L’I NDUSTRI E ET Austra lia n troo ps were rushe d here (Mu sée Somm e 191 6): in side a s eri es L’AÉRO NAUTI QUE: in Ma rch 191 8 to st op th e Ger man of 13th centu ry tun nel s buil t to Mon sie ur Betran co urt op ens hi s advanc e toward s Ami ens. Sout h pr otec t t he peopl e of Alb ert from person al mu seu m of aeronau tica l Austra lia ad op te d Dernanco urt maraud ing ar mies , t he 250m of an d mechan ica l trea sure s o nl y on after th e war an d r aise d mon ey tunn els ar e f ille d with a co rnucopi a Saturday s, bu t it is w ort h th e wait. to r ebui ld th e to wn. Le Pavil ion of artefacts . Di orama s show the Ad élaïd e is ne xt to th e schoo l war und ergro und – in bunk ers, A fa sci nat ing col lectio n of inta ct an d across the ma in squ are, y ou’ ll min es, dug outs , an d tr ench es. Y ou aeroplan es, vin tag e truck s and fin d ru e d’Austral ie. Th e Australi an ca n even bu y a tin y box of shrapn el cars . If you ’re lucky he ma y even Go vern ment ha s contri bute d pell ets in t he gift shop! Ru e A nic et show yo u t he holy grail - a p iece to a n ew wal king tra il here, wit h Godi n, Al bert, right b esid e the of th e Red Baron’ s Fokker ! 17 rue sign age explai nin g the 1918 acti ons Basili ca. Ope n eve ry da y 23 Janua ry Indust rie, 803 00 Alb ert Op en onl y alon g th e ra ilwa y embankm ent. to mid Dece mber. on Sat urda ys .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Naours 13

Naours, the hidden cit y

In July 19 16, the fi rst Australian soldiers to arrive in France came Som e of th e me n wh o scri bbl ed to Naours as touri sts, and le ft their mark with g ra fffffiti on th e thei r na mes woul d becom e famo us: walls of the anci ent subterranean city. These tunnels, extending Capt ain Ivo r Marget ts, a leg endar y over 3km, were built over ce nturie s to protect the local peopl e sol dier wh o die d soo n afte r at th e Battl e of Pozi ères ; Lieut enan t during frequent in vasions and wars. At one ti me, the 300 rooms Lesl ie Blake , MC , wh o ha d surviv ed could accommodate 3,000 people and their livestock. They th e rigou rs of Doug las Mawson ’s had an extensive ventilation system, an underground church, Anta rcti c exp editio n of 1911- 191 4, and carefully concealed entrances. During the First World War, onl y to di e of woun ds in Oct ober thousands of Allied soldiers came to see the tunnels and l eft 1918 ; Ali stai r Ros s of Lismor e, on e of their names in pencil on the walls. Archaeologists have recentl y fou r brot her s wh o serve d in th e war ; photographed and catalogued every one of the 3,000 signatures or HJ Leach , wh o wrot e th e wor ds preserved here and produced a book about the gra fffffiti – th e ‘mer ely a pri vate’ unde r hi s nam e. most extensive collection of First World War signatures in Franc e. Som e of th e Austral ian signat ures dat e fro m jus t bef ore th e battl es Of the 1, 821 names al re ad y ide ntified, 731 are Aust ralian, 339 of Fromel les an d Pozière s in Jul y British and 55 American. More than 600 are still to be identified. 191 6 an d man y of thes e youn g men woul d di e wit hin a fe w week s of thei r visi t. Thei r name s at Naou rs beca me a kin d of self -mad e memo rial .

A boo k, The Silent Soldiers of Naours, by the team t hat worke d on the cataloguing proje ct - Gille s Prilaux, Matthieu Beuvin, Michael Fiechtner and Donna Fiechtner – i s now available in English.

Th e cav es ar e bes t vi sited wi th a gu ide, becau se some of th e na mes ar e hard to find . Call or ema il to book a gu ide d tou r (+3 3(0)3 22 93 71 78 ; co ntact @citesouterrainedena ours. fr

The tunnels at Nao urs

A S OLDI ER’S STORY : HERBE RT JOHN LEACH

Leac h wa s 25 whe n he visite d the At Na ours , he left beh ind hi s mar k: cave s at Naour s in Jul y 1916 . ‘HJ Le ach . Mere ly a private . 13/7/1 6 SA A ust rali a’. Si x we eks late r, on 23 He was from South Australia, the Aug ust , he was ki lle d at Pozi ères, second son of Eli and Mrs DM Leach a fe w kil ometre s to the ea st. In of Hyde Park, South Australia. For dayli ght on 21 Au gust, th e 10th six years before the war, Herbert Ba ttali on a ttac ked towar ds John had worked as a carpenter Far beck Graven , nea r Mouqu et at the Lion Timber Mills. He gave Farm . Of th e 62 0 men , 12 0 wer e his religion as Church of England hi t by shel lin g bef or e the fight (Anglican). He was a slight man, bega n. E very o ffffficer in the weighing only 65kg on enlistment in battalio n was wounde d or ki lled January 1915. By the time he arrived in th e atta ck. Le ac h is buri ed at at Marseille in France in April 1916, he Bull s Ro adCe me tery, Fler s had served four months at Gallipoli, ben eath an inscri pti on that say s from August to December 1915. ‘Du ty Nobl y Don e’. Naou rs tunnels gr afffffitti

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Vigna cou rt 14

Vignacour t

From th e middl e of 191 6 until earl y 1917, th e small tow n of Ker ry Stokes , owner of Channel 7, Vigna cou rt becam e a re fug e f or A ust ralia n soldier s. Just no rth bought the entire collection, of Amien s, it w as ou t of re ac h of Ger man artiller y, bu t cl ose donated the plates s howing enough to th e ba ttl efield s f or effff fici ent troop mov eme nt as the Australians to the Australian War Memorial, and returned a rail way r an through to A mien s, P ari s an d th e Channe l po rts. full digital copy to the t own of Most Australia n divisi ons rota ted through a coupl e of camps Vignacourt. The plates have now near by. Exh aus ted me n from P ozi ères an d Mouqu et Far m been pres erved and copied at th e coul d ge t a warm bath , a ho t meal , a clea n uni for m an d e ve n a Australian War Memorial, whic h comfortabl e b ed , if they we re billete d in a Frenc h house . Th ey mounted a travelling exhibition i n coul d als o ge t a con stan t suppl y of vi n blan c (per hap s th e origi n 20 12. Ro ss Coultha rt’s boo k, The of th e wo rd plonk ) or vi n roug e at o ne of th e many w arti me Lo st Diggers of Vignacou rt, ha s caf és . At th e Thuillie r hous e on th e edg e of t he villag e, m any of become a best-sell er. Many of th e thes e me n h ad thei r phot os ta ken – on thei r ow n or w it h a ma te soldiers have now been id entifie d through the phot os t hey s ent hom e - to kee p as a s ou veni r or to se nd ho me. a hundred years ago.

Th e Australi ans retur ned in spri ng hist oria n Pete r Bur nes s wer e take n to A new museum, Vignacourt 14-18, 191 8 w he n the German s c ame th e ol d Thuill ier house . In th e atti c, showcases the work of Louis an d very cl ose to c apt urin g A mien s. the y foun d wha t the y ha d hop ed Antoinette Thuillier and will open i n In Nove mber , A ustralia n sol dier s fo r – 4,000 glas s negati ves , store d in 2018 in the renovated outbuilding s celebra ted the en d of th e w ar thre e ol d che sts. of the family farmhouse. here, dancin g in the mai n squa re Group portrait of soldi ers of 2nd Division wit h t he t own sfolk . A f ew s taye d on AWM P1 0550. 140 after th e war to marr y. Vi gna cou rt hos ts a ser ies of even ts aro und Anz ac Day eac h y ea r to h onou r the to wn’s re lation shi p with A ustrali a.

TH E DISCOVE RY OF THE PHOTOGRAP HS

Ant oinett e an d Loui s Thu illie r ra n a far m an d sol d far m machiner y in Vign acour t. Loui s wa s fascina ted by tech nolog y an d mach ines , incl udi ng bicy cles , mot orcycl es an d camera s. Bef ore th e war , he taugh t hi msel f an d hi s wif e ho w to tak e an d pri nt phot ograp hs. He enliste d in 191 4 bu t wa s wounde d an d demo bbed by 1915 . He an d Antoinet te bega n maki ng photo s of th e man y soldier s pas sing throug h th e vill age – Fren ch, Briti sh, Indian , Nepa li an d Aust rali an. The y kep t mor e tha n 4,000 neg ativ es, bu t whe n th e wa r end ed, the y apparen tly stopp ed taki ng commer cial photog raph s an d pack ed th e glas s plate s away . In 2011 , res earch ers fro m Cha nne l 7’ s Su nda y Nigh t pr ogra m hear d a rumou r tha t th e negat ive s still exi sted . Afte r neg otiat ion wit h th e Thuilli er fami ly, report er Ros s Coultha rt an d

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Vigna cou rt 15

BE RT MOUAT AN D TH E XM AS DINNE R

Her bert Al exan der Mo uat served The duck and the dog may have in th e 6th Battali on, a fter enlisti ng been Thuillier farm animals. B ert in la te Au gus t 1915. He ha d a wif e went missing again in February an d f ou r chil dren in Poowong , 1917, after being hospitalised i n Vi cto ria . He ha d man y bo uts of England. He was fined again i n sick nes s an d jus t as man y citati ons mid July for being abs ent without for bei ng abs ent wit hou t leave, leave. He returned to his battalion dis obedi ent, miss ing roll calls , a nd in September 1917, having misse d eve n f or talkin g afte r light s ou t. the battles of Menin Road an d Th e 6th was bil let ed at V igna co urt Polygon Wood, but he was hit soo n in Nove mber , 1 916 , w he n he ha d afterwards at Broodseinde Ridg e thi s p hoto tak en at the Thui lli er in Belgium. The bullet severe d far m. He sent th e pi ctur e hom e as his spinal cord and he becam e a postc ard and it b ecam e a pa rt paraplegic. After 11 months i n of th e A ustralia n Wa r Memori al hospital in England, he caught a n collect ion . On th e back is wri tten : in fection and died on 28 Sep tember 1918. He was 29 years old. '46 71 Pt e Herb ert Al exande r M oua t, 6th Battali on, hol din g the Xma s Be rt M ou at is on e of th e sol dier s Dinn er. Taken in Fran ce.' deta ile d in Ross Coult hart’s boo k, AWM H06113 Th e L os t Digge rs.

Regiona l Sp ecialiti es

Pâté de canard d’Amiens : La ficell e Pica rde : ha m Maca ron s: Ami ens is created in 1 643, duck pate an d co oke d mu shroo ms fa mous for it s ma caro ns in pastry (’en croute’) , rol led in a cr epe an d an d chocol ate Whil e you ar e with pork, apples , cognac, bake d in a cream y chee se travelli ng aroun d the tru fffffles, mus hrooms, egg sauce Somm e r eg ion , do n’t and shallot s mis s th e op portunit y to tr y som e of t he loca l deli cacies .

You’ ll cer tainl y fin d a sel ectio n of tradit iona l dis hes on th e menu at man y cafe s an d restauran ts bu t mak e sur e yo u dr op Le ga tea u batt u: an La Rab ote : a Pica rdy Fl amich e au x poi reaux: in at on e of th e weekl y anci ent speci alty , liter all y de ssert, peele d and sealed an d bak ed pi e of mark ets too . You’l l beat en cake , whic h is core d appl e fille d with leeks, cr ème frai che an d fin d pl enty of cheese s, serv ed at wedd ing s an d suga r an d b aked in pu fffff bu tter, som etimes wit h char cuter ie, cake s an d fest ivals , exc ellen t wit h ja m or short cr ust pa st ry nu tmeg an d ch eese. past rie s to temp t yo u – ju st Ty pical of th e San ter re tr y wha t th e local s buy . area, wes t of Pér on ne

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Péronne and M ont Saint -Quenti n 16

Péronne and Mont Saint-Quenti n

In th e autum n of 1918, Australia n f orce s too k pa rt in a seri es of decisi ve vi ctorie s along th e S omm e Ri ver, movi ng e ast from Amien s. Th e A ust ralia n divis ion s fo ug ht alongsi de e ac h o the r unde r th e c omman d of th e A ustralia n gen er al , Si r John Mon ash who was kni ghte d in A ugust 1918 an d whos e con fidenc e an d audaci ty in thes e mont hs would ear n hi m muc h praise . P éronn e an d Mon t Saint -Quenti n were he avil y defende d bu t t hey f ell in a det ermi ned A ust ralia n at tac k ov er fou r days, from 29 A ugu st to 2 Se pt embe r. Th e co st was heavy – 3 ,000 Australia n cas ualti es – bu t indi vidua l acts of gall antr y w er e m any. Ei ght Austr alian s won th e Vi ctori a Cros s, mo re t ha n on any o the r Aust rali an fiel d of battl e of th e First Worl d W ar .

‘Yo u have al tere d the wh ole cou rse thou ghtfu l d ispla ys. Th e collect ion of the war,’ th e Brit ish Genera l S ir incl ude s man y importa nt artw ork s Hen ry Rawlin son is sai d to have – pa rticul arly those by th e Ger man tol d Mona sh. arti st Otto Di x, wh o fo ug ht in the nd war. T wo ne w gall erie s o pene d in Australian 2 Division Memorial Pér onne ha s bee n sacke d man y Mo nt Sai nt -Que ntin 201 5, on e d epicti ng th e Austra lian time s si nce th e Vikings . Th e rol e in th e near by ba ttles . rive r offfffer s lot s of scop e fo r non Ger mans hel d it fro m lat e 1914 , so mili tar y touri sm an d th e bicy cle th e tow n wa s virtua lly raze d by Péron ne sit s at th e junctio n of the path s to th e wes t ru n 160k m to the Alli ed shel lin g. At it s centr e, a larg e Somm e and th e Col ogn e river s, sea . Th e Somm e Rive r di vide s her e medi aeval fortr ess hou ses on e of an d appear s s ur round ed by w ater , int o man y idyl lic ponds , whic h ca n th e fines t w ar mu seums on the maki ng it one of th e lo velies t t ow ns be explor ed on foot , ca r or boat . We ster n F ron t. L ’Hi sto ria l de la in this re gion . It is a good bas e if Th e city ha s some fin e hotel s an d Grand e Guer re di splay s 70 ,00 0 yo u woul d lik e to sta y somewh ere rest auran ts an d a fas t trai n li nks the object s from all sides , in cleve r a nd smal ler tha n Amien s or Arras . Th e near by statio n at Haute- Picar die wit h Men of 54th Ba tallion Char les de Gaull e Airpo rt nea r Pari s. after the captu re of Pé ronne AWM E03183 Mon t Sain t-Quent in is a bou t 1.5k m no rth of P éron ne. Th e 2nd Divi sio n Memori al, on th e site of on e of t hei r grea tes t vi ctori es, is on a venu e d es Australi ens, near th e top of the hi ll. Th e statu e of a di gger in slou ch hat, hea d c ast dow nward in reflection , is the se cond on this si te. Th e firs t, an Aust ralia n soldie r s ymboli call y bay on ettin g a G erma n eag le, w as re move d by Ger man force s in the Secon d W orl d War .

New signage and a walking path help to explain the Australian actions here. The signs begi n outside the church on rue d e l’Abbaye, a good pl ace to park. I f you go fir st to the Hi storial Mu seum or the tourist offfffi ce opp osi te th e château, pick up a brochure about the new walking tour, ‘ the Battle of Mo nt Sai nt -Que ntin ’.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Bellenglis e 17

Bellenglis e

Bellenglis e, a h aml et of 4 00 peo ple, is th e most east erl y p oi nt by a te am of six sol dier s inside, an d on th e Frenc h section of th e A ust rali an R ememb ran ce Trail . we re pl aced wh ere th e G erma ns Th e A ust rali an 4th Division has its memori al he re, just no rth of coul d s ee them, to in spir e f ea r. th e town , becaus e it is th e last battl e they fough t, seven week s Th e fina l acti on beg an on 18 bef ore th e A rmisti ce. Septemb er. Advancin g on the Hind enbur g L ine, th e Austra lian s los t over 1,200 men . Of th e fiv e At th e ti me, e xhausti on ha d set Austra lia n troo ps. The Austr ali an Austra lia n divisi ona l memori als on in on bo th si des, afte r month s of sol dier s we re jus t as sic k of war, th e Wester n Fron t, Belleng lis e is fightin g f or ev ery sma ll town al ong havin g f ough t continu ousl y s ince th e leas t visi ted, p artl y becaus e it is th e So mme Ri ver . Th e German s Mar ch, bu t they coul d see an end th e mos t isola ted , bu t th e Memori al ha d re treat ed to th e massiv ely in si ght . Genera l Mon ash pl ann ed is surr ounde d by beaut iful , tranqu il fo rti fie d Hi ndenb urg Li ne, th e attac k wit h h is usua l p rec isi on far min g c oun tr y. It’s a short dr ive demo ra lise d by a strin g of los ses. an d flai r. Wi th onl y ei ght t ank s fro m Pé ron ne, 22k m w est. Gen eral Hai g was told that Ger man avail able, he ordered en gineer s to offffficer s were repo rtin g t hat their buil d 10 du mmy ta nks ou t of w oo d Australian 45th Batallion tro ops at tack sol dier s we re no w r elu ctan t to fac e an d canvas . E ac h coul d be move d towards the Hindenberg Lin e 1918 AWM E03383

HAVE A DRIN K IN PICAR DY – TH E SOLDIER S DI D

Austra lia n soldier s devel ope d a for at least two years. A number ta ste f or r oug h v in blan c and vi n of medieval concoctions are still rou ge dur ing th e war, b ut mo der n made – usually from a base of white visi tor s have more choic e. Pi card y, wine, combined with suga r, hon ey, (n ow pa rt of th e Haut s-de-Franc e apple, and lemon. These t raditions reg ion ) is st ron g on app les an d go back to the Romans: try som e barle y – so thos e ingred ient s lea d Hypocras (spicy red wine wit h inevi tabl y to cide r an d beer. cinnamon and honey) or Saugette (whi te wine, hon ey and sag e). The barley produces two varietie s of beer – a li ght lager known a s Whil e th ere isn’t muc h wi ne Rebelle, and the stronger Milli acus gr own in P ica rdy, th ere are a be er. Boutique organic ciders are few co mmun es in t he Ai sne very popul ar. In we stern Picardy, depa rtm ent t ha t have the ri ght cider is then distilled to produce to grow an d produce proper ly an eau de vie t hat is aged in oak accre di ted cha mp agn e.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Corbi e 18

Corbi e

Corbi e is an anci ent t ow n wi th a fascinating histor y, a friendl y at mospher e a nd goo d rail conn ection s to Pa ris an d Ami ens. Li ke Albe rt, it has a r ang e of acc ommod ation and r estaurants an d a lo vel y small town feel .

The Germans shelled Corbie an d The locals say the twin tower s came close to taking it in the Sprin g of the abbey church were part Offfffensive of 1918. B efore t hat, it was of his inspiration for The Lord of a rest t own for Australian troops the Rings. In 1918, the Australian – up to 20,000 at a time. A l arge gen eral Pompey Elliott caught a hospital t reat ed ma ny Aust ralian British offfffi cer with a ca rt full of and British soldiers, including th e looted cha mpagne near h ere. Elliott British wri ter JRR Tolkien, wh o promised th at the n ext offfffi cer came in late 1916 with trench fever. caught looting would be hanged i n The illn ess probably saved his life. the Corbie market squar e. Market, Place de la Républiqu e Corbie Very littl e remai ns of the 7th century Benedi ctine Abbey, but it was once one of the mos t important in Fra nce. The tou rist offfffic e has walking tours tha t ta ke you insi de th e Abbe y c hu rch of St- Pierre , wi th it s ex trao rdina ry collec tion of r elics. Cy cle r ou te nu mbe r 32 pas ses t hrou gh her e on its way from Ami ens to Arr as, vi a Al bert and Dernanco urt . Wit h a fe w detours , you coul d al so include Vil ler s-Bret onn eux, Le Ha mel, P ozi ères and Vaux-sur - So mme (se e below ). Down lo ad a brochure from the So mme To uri sme websi te. Ruined abbey church of St Pierr e Corbie, 1 918 AWM H1 5599

NEAR BY

VAUX- SUR -S OM ME: Ma nfred v on stop the Ger man Sp rin g offfffensi ve. field of pea s), then the 3rd Division Ri ch thofen , also known as the Th e 3rd Divisi on Memoria l is on the Memorial, at one of the highes t Red B aron , crashed here on 21 D1 , wher e the smalle r roa d comes poi nts. Return via Saill y-Lau ret te, Ap ril 1918 . Th e Can adi an pi lo t Roy up from Sail ly-l e-Sec. Y ou can see where in 1916 British engineer s Bro wn wa s initial ly credited with th e A ustrali an Corp s Memoria l at Le rebuilt the lock so barges could take shoo ti ng him down but r ecent Ham el, ac ros s th e riv er. the wounded back to hospitals i n res ear ch suggest s he was ki lled SCENIC DRIVE: in l at e 191 8, Corbie and Amiens. Wilfred Owen by A ust ral ian grou nd fi re. Hi s Australian troops fought acro ss all was one of t hose wounded. Hi s pl ane was str ipp ed fo r souv en irs of this land scap e. Cr oss the Somm e poem ‘ Hospi tal Ba rge’ recalls thi s wi thin minutes. A piece of the via the D1, on the r oad to Bray. journey. Th ere’s a small memorial wi ng reside s at the Aeron auti cal Just outside t own, park at Point d e to him next to the main loc k. Th e Mu seu m in Al bert. Vue Ste-Colette for a great view D71 will ta ke you on to Le Hamel SAI LLY-L E-SEC : th e A ustralia n 3rd ov er the man-made ponds bel ow, and the Australian Corps Memorial . Divi sio n foug ht h ere in Ma rch 1918 dating to the 7th cent ury. Conti nue Conti nue to Viller s-B retonn eux or as pa rt of a d esp era te ca mpa ign to on to the Red Baron crash site (in a back to Corbie via Fouilloy.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Treating the Wounde d 19

Treating the wounde d

Australian forces su fffffered five times a s many casualties on th e enough to send him to ‘Bli ghty’ Western Front as t hey did in any other pl ace. The figures are as the soldiers called England - staggering and while exact numbers are in dispute, most now because this could mean a spell agree that Australia lost over 46,000 dead and mo re than 130,000 away from the battlefields. Th e wounded here – more than half of the t otal AIF enlistment of wounded soldier would be put o n a hospital ship although sadly man y 295,000. Those figures would be higher if t hey included th e of these were sun k by Germa n thousands of men who died soon after returning to Australia – submarines b efore t hey reache d some by their own hand, others from wounds i ncurred on active England. Those who would never b e service or from illnesses made worse by t hat servi ce. able to rejoin their units would b e sent home to Australia, wh ere new military hospitals were hurriedly set By 1916 , b oth treatm ent s and Thes e me n did this da y af te r da y up to recei ve them. organ isatio n had impro ved from unde r fir e an d ma ny w er e k ill ed. th e previou s yea r at Gall ipoli , wh en Th e Dressin g S tat ion worke d as a man y soldier s d ie d f ro m d isea se Man y of th e militar y ce meteri es on tri age cent re, patchi ng up m ino r ra the r t ha n wound s. On t he th e West ern Fron t gre w up nex t wou nds to sen d soldi ers bac k to We ster n F ron t, wh ethe r a soldi er to fiel d h ospitals , as at Vign acou rt. th e F ron t and orga nisin g th e m or e su rviv ed a woun d dep ende d pa rtl y Thos e ce meteri es hav e a high er seri ousl y i nj ure d to be sent by on wh en he w as w ound ed dur ing prop ortio n of kn own grav es, ambu lanc e, trai n or even barg e a ba ttl e, wh ether st ret cher bearer s becaus e th e soldi er’s id entity was to a C asual ty Cl earin g S tation , a coul d r eac h him an d ho w c los e he usua lly know n whe n he arriv ed mobi le hos pita l that cou ld perform was to an ai d post . fo r treat ment . In 1918 , th e two mos t ki nds of s urge ry, incl udi ng Brit ish casual ty cleari ng st ation s at ampu tation . Tha t w as co mmon , A sol die r w ound ed at P ozi ères in Vign acour t rec eive d man y Aust rali an partl y b ecaus e gang ren e set in Franc e in Jul y 1916 , if he coul d sti ll woun ded fro m th e Battl e of Amien s. rapi dly fr om wo und s contami nate d walk , mi ght be t ol d to get hi msel f That ’s wh y mor e tha n 400 of th e 58 4 by soil . to a n ear by dr essin g station . Thos e Firs t Wor ld War graves at Vigna cou rt wh o co uld not w al k had to be If a soldier was wounded in France ar e Austr alian . Man y Au strali an pi cke d up from th e battl efiel d an d or Belgium, he might hope he ha d sol dier s ha d happ y memor ies of re st carr ied bac k by str etch er-b earer s. a ‘Blighty wound’ – an inj ury seriou s peri ods at Vignacou rt – bu t no t all . Casualty clearing station in Larch Wood tunnel s Belgium, Augu st 1 917 AWM E 00672

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region- Le Hamel 20

Le Hamel

Aust rali ans may w on der why the re is a se con d A ust rali an monumen t so clos e to Viller s-Bretonneux . It’ s becaus e Gener al John Mo nas h made his tor y he re.

In mid 1918 , Gen er al Mo nash had jus t been given comm and of the enti re Au strali an Cor ps, th e fir st Aust ralia n to hav e tha t honou r, aft er a strin g of Britis h comm ander s. Th e small vil lage , know n the n si mply as Hamel , ha d bee n in Germa n hand s fo r thre e mon ths . Gener al Rawl inson , Mon ash’ s sup erior , want ed it back . Mon ash di d no t li ke th e odd s until he sa w wha t th e new Mar k V Britis h tank s wer e cap abl e of . He sa w a wa y to coordina te artill ery, inf antry , air craft an d tank s so tha t eac h ar m suppo rted th e oth ers. Th e batt le order s wer e so detaile d tha t th e posit ion s of ne w shell hole s wer e mark ed in adva nce , so th e infantr y The Australian Cor ps Memorial coul d us e the m as cover . German. Monash famously wrote th e hill on th e site of the Germa n Eight hundred Americans joine d later t hat ‘a p erfe cted moder n comm and po st. Th e Ger man s the Australian attack on 4 July 191 8 battle plan is like nothing so ha d deep du gout s acros s 55 0m – American Independen ce Da y. much as a score for an orchestral of trenc h here ; yo u can se e the Monash predi cted the battle would composition, wh ere the various re main s of the trenc hes jus t to take 90 minutes. Th ere is som e arms and units are the i nstrument s, th e righ t of t he mon ument. Th ere argument among hi storians about and the tasks t hey p erform thei r ar e s om e in teresti ng ph oto graph s whether it took 85 or 93 mi nutes , respective musical phrase s’. alon g th e pa th from th e ca r pa rk, but it was an a stounding s uccess. show in g the destr uctio n wr ou ght Even so, th ere were 1,200 Australian AUSTRA LIA N CORP S ME MORIA L: on th e vill age by Alli ed shelli ng. casualties, 1 76 American and 2,000 th e monum ent is on t he top of Th ere is a mov ing messag e

Part of the message from French Prime Minis ter Georges Clemenceau insc ribe d on th e monu ment fr om a sp eech that th e F renc h Pri me Mini ster George s Clemenc eau gav e whil e visiti ng Australi an troops soo n after the ba ttl e.

'Whe n th e A ustra lia n A rm y ca me to F ran ce, th e F re nch peopl e exp ect ed a great de al of y ou … We kn ew that you woul d fi ght a real fi ght , bu t we di d n ot kn ow that fro m the beg innin g yo u wo uld asto nis h the who le c onti nent … I shall go ba ck to mor row an d say to my countrym en: ‘I hav e s ee n the Aust rali ans. I have look ed int o thei r faces. I know that these men … wi ll fi ght along side us agai n u ntil the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and our chil dren.'

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Le Hamel 21

A GENE RAL’S STOR Y - SI R JOHN MONAS H

Mona sh wa s the firs t Aust ralia n to road s and bridges , an d ha d almost comm and th e combine d Au strali an 30 years ’ exper ience as a vol unteer forc es in th e Firs t Worl d Wa r in in the Victoria n Mi lit ia, wit h a Fran ce. He wa s hate d by som e, special interes t in arti ller y. He had ador ed by oth ers, an d hi s reputati on jus t turne d 49, w as comforta bly is still debat ed by hist orian s. Wa s he weal thy and commande r of an th e great est genera l on th e Alli ed inf ant ry brigade. He wa s also sid e in th e Grea t War , or merel y the smart, ambi tious and brashl y grea tes t tha t Austr ali a produ ced ? confi dent – which sometimes Wa s hi s caree r pat h slow ed by ma de him un pop ula r wi th hi s entr enche d ant i-se mitis m in the con tempora ries. Brit ish Arm y or simpl y by hi s ow n fierc e a mbit ion ? He comm and ed the 4th Infantr y Br igade at Gall ipoli and took John Mona sh gre w up in a Jewi sh ov er as comman der of the newly fami ly in Mel bourne . Hi s fat her wa s for med 3rd Divisi on in Fran ce in fro m Pru ssia , (nea r Pozn an, no w in 1916. His su cce ss in th e Th ir d Battl e Pol and) bu t John gre w up spea king of Ypres, pa rti cul arly in th e 3rd Engl ish an d German . He wa s an Di vision’s victor y at Broo dseinde, exc eption al st uden t until his fir st pu t hi m in good stan din g wit h yea r at univer sity , whic h he fail ed, th e Br itish High Comman d. he wa s onl y 15 . He excel led at ches s, John Monash 1 919 In Nov embe r 1917, when the by James Quinn (1 860-1951) mat hemati cs an d music , all o f whi ch fi ve Aust ral ian divisions were oil on can vas cont ribut ed to hi s devel opmen t co mbi ned as the ne w I Anzac Collection: as a sol dier. He studi ed arts an d National Po rtrait Gall ery, Canberr a Cor ps, Mona sh wa s one of two engi neeri ng at th e Univ ersit y of Gi ft of John Colin Monash Benn ett 2007 Austr ali ans m os t likely to be gi ven Mel bourne , the n too k a la w degree . Donated t hrough the Australian it s comman d. Th e other wa s Government's Cultural Gifts Program By 1914 he wa s an exper t in General Cyr il Brud enell White , co ncret e con struc tion, especially th e favouri te of Aust ral ian war corr espon den t Ch arle s B ean . Genera l Monas h escort s Australia n Prim e Ministe r Wilia m Hughe s to th e Australia n Fron t Bea n d id not like Mon ash . Mona sh Som me, September 1918 AWM E03851 reg ar de d Bea n’s ca mp aig n to stop his app ointm ent as stra igh t anti- semit ism . In a lette r to hi s w if e, Mona sh cal led it a ’pog rom’.

Austra lia n Pr ime Mi niste r Bill y Hugh es co nfirme d Monas h a nd Bea n l ate r c hang ed hi s ass ess men t of Mon ash ’s abil ities . He ha d li ttl e choic e whe n M onas h beca me th e mos t s ucce ss fu l gen eral on th e Britis h sid e in th e la st six month s of th e war, deve lopi ng ne w tact ics that empha sised coor dinati on betwe en artille ry, infant ry, ta nks an d aircr af t. Havi ng bee n kni ghted in the field , Si r John Monas h ret urne d to A ust ral ia a nati ona l hero . He continu ed hi s distingu ishe d c are er in p ubli c admi nistratio n in Vi ctori a an d die d in 1931 .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Ville rs-B retonneux 22

Villers-Bretonneu x

Of all th e place s wher e Australian s fough t on th e Wester n Front , Villers- Bretonneu x is perhap s th e best know n to Australi ans today .

Thi s is p artly becaus e Vill ers- Ami ens – an d they d id tak e it f or a REVIEW OPTIONS - Br eto nneu x w as a tu rnin g poi nt in few hour s on 24 April 1918 . CHANGE S HOT 1918 , bo th for th e Austra lia n troop s an d the ( most ly) B riti sh gen er al s The Australian and British counter- comma ndin g t hem . T he Germa n attack then retook the town i n Spri ng offfffensi ve in Marc h h ad one ni ght of brutal hand to han d take n back nearl y all th e ter rito ry combat. This stopped the Germa n Ville rs-Br etonneux mili tary ce metery no rth of th e Somm e th at th e Alli es advance and from h ere, Australian Th e 5,000 inhab itant s of the vi llag e ha d gaine d s ince J ul y 1916 . Vi lle rs- battalions played a big part i n vo wed not to forg et le s Austra lien s. Bret onneux sto od betwe en the the final ca mpaigns of the war, i n Thi s contri bute d to th e d eci sion Ger mans an d th e v ita l B riti sh rai l victory after vi ctory - at Le Hamel, to est ablis h th e m ai n A ustrali an an d road h ub at Ami ens , just 15k m Péronne and Mont Saint-Quentin. I n Memo ria l on Hill 104, jus t north of wes t. If th e Ger mans co ul d take a sense, the end of the war bega n th e villag e. F or Vi ctori ans, Vi llers - Vill ers- Bre tonneu x, they coul d shel l here, in Villers- Bretonneux. Br eto nneu x has a specia l s tatu s, becau se so many of the Austr ali an sol dier s wh o d ie d h er e w er e fro m Vi cto ria . Many Australi ans, incl udin g schoo l group s, c ome here eve ry year to pa y th eir re spec ts. A dawn servic e has be en hel d h er e on Anza c Da y sinc e 20 08 an d comm emorati ve ev ents continu e ov er sev era l da ys. Th ere is ev en an a nnua l A ustralia n Rul es Football mat ch , pl ayed on gr ou nd that A ustrali an sol die rs once fough t o ve r. Th e new Si r Joh n Mona sh Cen tre furthe r cement s thes e memo rie s f or both co untri es.

Ecole Vi ctoria Ville rs-B retonneux

WH AT TO SEE

Sta rt at th e ÉCOL E VICT ORI A Aust ralia . Loo k ou t fo r th e two prev iou sly un seen items to be put (9 ru e du Vict oria) , wh ere the ka ngaroos on th e town ha ll’ s ver sion on view . A n ew gla ss chap el at one famo us messag e ‘Do No t Forg et of th e Au str alian Coa t of Ar ms. end of the mus eum l ooks d own Aust rali a’, writte n in Engli sh, ador ns in to the sch ool co urtyard wi th i ts th e playg roun d shel ter . Th e messag e TH E FRANC O-AUS TRALI AN MUSEUM , famous me ssage. is repeat ed in Fren ch in eac h of upstai rs on th e f irst f loo r of the th e clas srooms . Th e scho ol wa s scho ol, ha s bee n recentl y reo pen ed Vill ers- Bre tonneu x ha s limit ed rebu ilt betwee n 1923 an d 192 7 wit h afte r a full renovat ion , funde d in par t fac iliti es fo r touris ts but th ere ar e a fund s don ate d by schoo l chil dren by th e Austral ian Gover nment . It few pl ace s to sta y an d se vera l spots fro m th e Stat e of Victor ia. Th e hou ses a larg e numb er of int eresti ng for a dr ink or so methi ng to ea t. scho ol at near by Dernanc our t wa s art efact s - letters , map s, painti ngs, Th e Sir John Mon ash Centr e h as a als o rebu ilt wit h fund s fro m Sout h post ers , unif orms an d especi ally small café a nd just at th e bo tto m Aust ralia . A numbe r of buildi ngs an d phot ograp hs, mos t of the m donat ed of th e hill , th e Aub erg e de Foui llo y str eets aroun d Vill ers- Breton neu x by th e loca l commun ity . Th e ha s se vera l di nin g room s an d a demo nst ra te th e afffffili ati on wit h reno vatio n ha s all owed aroun d 30 0 sun ny c ou rtyard g arden.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Southern Region - Ville rs-B retonneux 23

The Australian National Memorial Ville rs-B retonneux TH E AUSTRALIA N NATIONA L MEMORIA L

Open ed in July 193 8, thi s w as on e of th e l as t nati ona l On th e wall s of th e memori al ar e th e name s of mor e memo rial s to be esta blis hed on t he W ester n Fron t; it’ s tha n 1 0,700 Australi ans ki lle d in F ranc e an d Bel gium als o one of the mo st seren e an d beauti ful , high on a wh o have no kn own gr ave. If th e weat her is good , hill and surr ounde d by a patc hwor k of field s of wh eat. clim b th e tow er an d yo u c an se e Ami ens in t he Th e approa ch is t hro ugh a C ommo nwe alt h W ar distanc e. The Si r John Monas h Cent re below t he Grave s C ommi ssion ce metery wh ere 77 9 A ustrali ans memo ria l is desi gne d to be i nvisi ble as y ou approa ch ar e b urie d amon g th e 2 ,041 grave s. throug h the ce mete ry.

NEAR BY

ADE LAID E CE METE RY: in Nove mber THE SOMME CANAL: this hi storic 1 8th 1993, t he bo dy of an unkn own century canal links Péronne in th e Aust ralia n soldie r was ta ke n east with Saint-Valery-sur-Somme i n fro m here to be reb urie d in the the we st, passing t hrough 25 locks Hall of Memo ry at th e Austra lian on a jour ney of 155km, to the Bay Wa r Memoria l in Canb erra . A of the Somme. Most of it now ha s ne w gr ave stone in the ce me ter y a bike path running alongside. Th e comm emorate s that soldi er’s ne w upper stretches between h ere an d rol e as Th e Unkn own Soldi er. Péronne are some of the pretties t Th e A del aide Cemeter y is on the to ride. west ern ou tski rts of t he vi llag e on TH E LITTL E T RAI N OF TH E H IGH th e D 10 29. T ucke d in offfff the roa d, SO MME: th e tr ack s we re buil t in it is e asy to m is s bu t well wo rth 191 6 f or the B attl e of the S omm e. A a vi sit. Th ere ar e 51 9 Austral ian s 1940 s stea m tr ain take s pass enger s buri ed here, man y of w ho m died at in woode n carri age s alon g a 14k m Vill ers-Bret onn eux on 25 April 191 8. loop fr om Froi ssy via Do mpier re. CORBIE: a ve ry pretty t own whic h Th e tr ain runs on ly fr om Apr il to gr ew up around a grand Abbey Heads tone of the Unknown Soldier Septemb er. Th e track s s tart at La established in the 7th cent ury. Adelaide Cem et ery Neuvi lle-le s-Brays , offfff th e D 329.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e The Sir John Monash Centre 24

THE SIR JOHN MONASH CENTR E

View of the grassed r oof of the Sir John Monash Centre Viller s-Bre tonneu x Whe n yo u wa lk up th e gen tle slop e of the Villers -Bretonneu x Sta rt at th e Orie ntatio n Buildi ng next Militar y Cemetery , th e ne w Si r John Monas h Cen tre is invis ibl e to the ca r par k, walk to the Stone of behin d th e Australia n Nationa l Memorial . Nothin g disturb s the Remembrance at the we stern en d peac e of th e cemeter y or th e solemnit y of th e Memorial . Bu t thi s of the Villers-Bretonneux Militar y Cem etery and on to the Cro ss of wa s onc e a bloo d soake d battle field . Sacri fice. Acro ss the forecourt, the walls of the Australian National 'Th ere is no spot on th e whol e prov ocati ve, emoti onal , imagi nati ve, Memorial are inscribed wit h of the t ortured soil of Fran ce usin g sta te of th e ar t mult i medi a the names of mo re than 1 0,700 whic h is mor e asso ciate d wit h tech nolog ies to weav e togethe r new Australian soldiers missing in France Aust ralia n hist ory an d th e triump h an d archi val footag e, animati on, during the Great War. Some are of A ustra lia n s oldi ers than Vil lers- maps , mu sic an d soundsca pes to buried h ere, their grave stone s Bret onneux ' wrote Gen er al Sir guid e yo u thr ough th e Centre . marked “Known unto God”; som e John Mona sh. Entrance to Sir John Monash Centre Viller s-Bre tonneu x That ’s wh y this ground , so impo rtan t to Austra lia’s hi story an d id ent ity , wa s chose n as th e s it e for th e S ir John Mo nas h C entr e, a pl ace w here visi tor s ca n immer se the mselv es in an ex peri ence unlik e an y othe r on th e form er battl efield s of norther n Franc e an d Belgi um. Th e Cent re tak es an inn ovat ive app roa ch to t ellin g t he moving an d har ro wi ng stor y of Austra lian s on th e We ster n Fron t, muc h of it in t he word s of thos e wh o serve d here duri ng th e Fir st Worl d War .

Th e exper ienc e is design ed to be muc h mor e tha n educ ation al – it is

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e The Sir John Monash Centre 25

The Sir John Monash Centre viewed from the wes tern co urtyard In terior, Sir John Mo nash Centre Viller s-Bre tonneu x Viller s-Bre tonneu x wen t int o batt le an d wer e nev er se en ele ment s we re left un don e. Now, impr inte d wit h the da ily sl ang of again, their bodies n ever found. new p avin g wor k has c on nec ted Austra lia n soldier s – wo rds like th e t ow er an d th e pa vili ons at cobbe r an d smoko and two up - It is onl y whe n yo u clim b th e tow er eit her en d of th e forecou rt. an d trenc h sign s like ru e de K ang a of th e Memoria l tha t th e Cent re Th e hedg e of trees ar oun d the an d W all aby La ne. rev eals itself , du g int o th e hill below . Memo ria l has bee n re plant ed an d Th e roo f is sow n wit h loca l gra sses so The Centre’s inner walls are line d th e y ew tr ees r einsta ted . tha t it blend s int o th e surr oundi ng with Au stralian timbers and open on land scap e of field s an d farms . Fro m eithe r pavili on, a ra mp lea ds to the centrepi ece of the building – a 360 o theatre designed to immers e Th e Memori al wa s design ed dow n to the Si r John Mona sh visitors in the stories of Australian by arc hitec t Sir Edwi n Lutyen s Cent re, a li ttl e lik e descendi ng int o soldiers at the epic battles of Villers- an d buil t in th e 1 930 s bu t tou gh a tr enc h on th e W ester n Fron t. Th e Bretonn eux and Le Hamel . econo mic ti mes meant that so me side s ar e l ine d wit h b ricks , s ome Rising sun mosaic Yo u leave th e C entr e to wards the Viller s-Bre tonneu x eas t an d hea d int o a beaut iful cou rtyard. F ro m the top of the terr ace, yo u can se e Le Ham el, sit e of Si r John Mona sh’s signat ure vi cto ry, jus t a f ew k ilo metres away .

You can move at your own pace through the Centre but allow at least one and a half hours. The visi t is entirely self guided. Download the free Centre App and use your own mobile device and ear phones . There’s free WiFi on site so t hat you can stream content without having to chew up your mobile data. The re’ s also a gi ft shop and a ca fé.

Ope n every day, cl osed mi d Dece mber to mi d Janu ary .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Central Region 26

The Central Region

By 19 17, th e Bri tis h an d F renc h general s on th e Wes ter n Fron t though t they ha d learne d t he lesson s of t he Somme . Artiller y bar rage s ha d to be mo re c on centra ted ; th e terribl e c asualt y figu res of 191 6 c oul d not be r ep eat ed . Th e casualtie s ha d politica l c onsequen ces : th e Britis h pr ime minis ter resign ed in De cembe r 19 16, f ollowed by th e Fr enc h pr ime minis ter in Ma rc h 19 17. Th e Allie d general s st ill believe d they coul d b rea k the stal ema te w it h a Spring Offfffen sive . Mea nwhil e th e Ger man s had buil t th e Hindenbur g L ine, a s yste m of defence s so str ong it wa s supp ose d to m ake any bre akt hrough imp os sibl e. Th ey meant to stay p ut – at least until they coul d defea t th e Ru ssian s on the Eas ter n Fron t. View of Arras from the belfr y

Arra s was in th e middl e of th ese MU gran d p lan s – aga in. In 1914 , SEEST th e F renc h an d Germa n a rmi es 5 MILI TARY SITES IN THE REGION batter ed ea ch o the r and th e ci ty in th e Firs t Battl e of A rras . F or the 1. Fromelles, site of the first major Australian action on th e Wes tern Front (p29) ne xt fou r y ears , Arra s w as ne ver mor e tha n 10k m fro m the Fron t; 2. Bullecourt, site of two costly Australian battles in 1917 (p 30) mo re tha n 80% of the cit y was dest roy ed . The ci ty’s misfortun e, 3. Wellington Tunnels, wh ere the New Zealand tunnellers created lik e that of Amiens , ha s been it s an und erground barracks b efore the S econd Battle of A rras i n st rat eg ic imp ortan ce over ma ny May 1917 (p27) cent uri es. 4. Ring of Remembrance and Notre-Dame-de-Lor ette (p 28) In Apr il 191 7, th e Briti sh lau nch ed th e Seco nd Ba ttl e of Arra s, to 5. Vi my Ridge Canadian Memorial (p28 ) coi ncid e wit h a Frenc h offfffen siv e fu rther sou th. Th e Canad ian s woul d attac k north of Ar ras Au stral ian Rem embra nce Trail site s no rth of Arras had al ready been to ward s Vim y, Britis h and Ne w at Fromelle s and Bulle cou rt ar e app allin g befor e th e Canad ian s Zealan d troop s in th e middl e, clo se by, an d this is a good pl ace too k Vim y Ridge . The Fr enc h an d A ustral ian an d Briti sh troop s to exper ienc e th e wi der conte xt cem eter y at Notr e-Dam e-de - to th e sout h to ward s Bul leco urt . of th e war , an d th e contr ibuti on of Lorette , besi de th e new Rin g of Th e battl e was successfu l in othe r count ries . Frenc h casua lti es Reme mbran ce, is a soberin g pl ace . pus hing ba ck Ger man li nes, bu t stal emat e ret urne d by May. Th e DON Canadi ans cover ed th emselve s MI 'T in gl ory on Vi my Ridg e; th e New 5 NON MILI TARY EXPERIENC ES SS Zealan d tunnel lers w ere super b in conve rtin g the ol d chal k min es 1. The Saturday ma rket at A rras, fantastic of th e ci ty into an und erground 2.The Boves tunnels, and the view from the belfry at A rras hi ghw ay; an d at Bull ecour t, the Au stral ian s ha d a vi ctor y that left 3.The Louvre-Lens, a magnificent new art galle ry, n ear Lill e a bitte r taste . Som e less ons ha d bee n learn ed, just no t en ough . 4.The St-V aast Abbey and Cathedral, a l arge 1 8th ce nt ury religious complex built in and around the remains of a 7th century Arr as is still strat egica lly imp ortan t Benedictine Abbe y for visito rs, mi dway bet wee n the Bel gian battl efiel ds arou nd Ypre s, 5.The Citadel, a World Heritage-listed fort built by Vauban, now a 70k m no rth , an d the Somm e li vely com munal s pace ba ttl efields , 80k m south . The

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Central Region - A rras 27

Arra s

Ar ras is o ne of th e jew el s of no rther n Fran ce, a c ul tured cit y of 120,000 peop le, wit h 2,000 ye ars of his tor y, a ric h tradi tion of archi tec ture, fin e dini ng, p ai nting an d c omme rce.

It is also li ke t wo cities – one ab ov e when the city was famous for it s ground, the other below. Th e tapestries, wool and l ace. Th e Town Hall sits on top of a series of houses were damaged and rebuil t caves dating from the 1 0th centur y, after the Great War. They are known as Les Boves. The restaurants specta cularly lit at nigh t, when th e around the two great squares have bars and restaurants t hrong wit h ancient cellars, wh ere you can try bons vi vants. regional specialties, such as c œur Ar ras offfffers a great ran ge of activi ties d’Arras (a smelly soft chee se) or a wh en yo u nee d a br eak fro m war . chocolate rat. During the Great Th e cit y ha s a beautif ul Mu seum of War, New Zealand tunnelle rs li nke d Fi ne Ar ts, an d th e ne w Louv re-Lens is up the old chalk mines east of th e 20 minu tes to th e nor th. Th e Sca rpe ci ty so that thousands of soldier s Ri ver pr ovides 10km of wal king could live 20m und erground. Th e tr acks in th e cen tre of Ar ras an d Wellington Tunnels are a must visit. th e tour ist offfffic e has maps fo r more View from the Town Hall tower serious hiki ng ou tside town . Th e cit y The two main squares, th e Arras boa st s a go lf resort, a water sports Grand'Pl ace and Pl ace des H éros, centre, som e beau tiful gar dens an d choi ce of guide s who special ise in are architecturally unique. In th e a fabul ous Sat urday ma rket that ha s th e Au stralia n bat tlefield s. 16 th cent ury, King Philip II for bade been running fo r 1, 000 year s. building h ere except in stone an d Pari s is 50 minut es by fas t tr ain , or bric k. This was partly to ens ure If y ou w ant to visi t all of the si tes two hou rs by ro ad . The E uro sta r against fire but the result was a on th e Austra lia n Re memb ranc e run s throug h Lille , 50 mi nute s to uniform façade of 155 houses i n Trail but do n’t w ant to chang e th e no rth , c onnec tin g to Bru ssels Flemish Baroque style. The narrow- hotels , Arra s is th e plac e to an d L ondon . The cha nne l ports of fronted houses were occupie d sta y. Th ere is a vari ety of Calai s and Bou logn e ar e an hou r by traders in the Middle Ages , accommo dati on an d f ood and a to th e north-wes t.

Don ’t Mi ss

TH E SATUR DAY MARK ET: on e of the LES BOVES: a serie s of tunnel s old est in France , a ric h ba zaa r of bene ath th e town hal l, whi ch have food , wine , beer, ch eese , clot hing, bee n used f or protectio n and loca l produ ce an d crafts . storage f or 1,000 years . Take a gui ded tour , then cli mb th e belf ry.

WELL INGTO N TUN NELS : Th e chal k mine s of Arra s go bac k centur ies . In lat e 1916 , wit h th e West ern Fron t in stal emate , Ne w Zeal and tunnel ler s conn ecte d vari ous chamb ers, crea tin g a networ k tha t coul d hou se up to 24,000 soldier s fo r sev eral day s at a time . Here’ s you r chanc e to wea r a ti n ha t – they’r e comp ulsor y on the tour . Th e tou r take s an hou r - brin g a swea ter . Ru e Delet oille , a shor t wal k fro m th e cit y centr e. Ope n ever y day . Clo sed on Chri stma s Da y an d fro m 1 to 27 Januar y.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Central Region - A rras 28

Arra s conti nued

NEAR BY

VIM Y RIDG E

On 9 April 1917, the four Canadia n divisions on the We stern Front foug ht together for the fir st tim e in a battle t hat has b ecome to Canadians what Gallipoli is to Australians. The di ffffference is tha t Vimy Ridge was a vi ctory but at terrible cost. Canada lost over 10,000 men killed or wounde d on the 7km ridge. The Canadia n Mo nume nt is on the highest point and commemorates both the battle and the 11, 285 Canadian soldier s who were killed in all Great War battles in France and who have no The Ring of Remembrance Notre-Da me-de-Lor ette known grave. Vimy Ridge Memorial is on the D55, 10km north of Arras. al phabetical ly wi thout rank or co unt ry LOUVRE-LE NS on 500 sheet s of bronze d stai nle ss TH E RING OF REMEMBRANC E Th e L ouv re Mu seum ha s open ed steel 3m high, mounted inside a a spect ac ula r new ga llery in a Thi s compel lin g ne w me morial , 345m ring of concret e. The site i s conte mpora ry bu ildin g on th e sit e open ed in 2 014 , ga the rs togeth er next to Not re-Dam e-d e-Loret te, of a f orme r m in e h ead . T hi s ne w th e name s of 57 9,606 soldier s fro m the l argest French war cem etery i n gall ery , 20 m inut es no rth of A rra s, 40 na tiona liti es, wh o die d in the the world and resting pl ace of more dis play s 205 work s in ch rono logi cal Grea t Wa r in thi s norther n are a of than 42,000 French soldiers. Jus t ord er, from th e b irt h of w riti ng Fran ce. Th e name s ar e inscr ibed north of Ab lain- St-Na zaire. mor e tha n 3, 000 year s ag o, to the Moonrise over the Ca nadian Memorial mi d 19th century . 99 ru e P aul-B ert, Vi my Ridg e 623 00 Lens . Ope n dail y e xcept Tues day, clos ed 25 Decemb er, 1 Janua ry, 1 May.

LILL E

If y ou y ea rn f or some city life, take a break in Li lle, one of Franc e's larges t ci ties. Lille has a fasc inati ng hi story. Since th e Middl e Ag es, it ha s been an impo rta nt indu str ial an d ec ono mic cen tr e, it s wea lth cove te d by its neighbo urs . Tha t’s wh y, at difffffe ren t times, Lil le has been part of Fl anders , Burg undy, th e Sp ani sh Netherl ands, Fra nce, th e Neth erlands ag ain an d fi nally Fr an ce. Si nce the openin g of the Eurosta r sta ti on (a useful ga teway fo r visit or s to th e Great Wa r sites), Li lle has shed some of it s indust rial pas t and emerged as a hu b f or new t ech nol ogy, educ ati on an d tour ism.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Central Region - Fromelles 29

Fromelle s

On the ni ght of 19- 20 July 19 16, newly arrived Australian an d Australian bodies lay on th e British divisions attac ked a German st rong poi nt kn own as th e battlefield for two years without Sugarloaf across open ground near the village of Fromelle s. It was bu rial. Th e Aust ralia n mi lit ary hi storian the first major a ttack by Australian troops on the Western Front Charles Bean visited in November 1918 and wrote in his diary t hat th e and it remains the most cat ast rophi c, with 5 ,500 casualties i n former no ma n’ s lan d was ‘ simply one ni ght (and a f urther 1,500 British casualti es). The a ttack was full of our dead ’. Most of them were conceived as a feint, to stop the Germans moving more troops bu ried in a po st- war Co mmon wealt h south to the Somme, and historians are still debating whether i t War Graves Commission cem ete ry achieved t hat. All agree the at tack gained no significant ground. known as VC Corner, but none of the remains could be id entified, s o Australian 2nd Division tro ops in the trenches nea r Fromelles no head stones were laid. AWM EZ00 07 Jus t afte r th e batt le, th e German s buri ed 25 0 Australi an an d Briti sh bodi es in a mas s grav e at near by Phea san t Wood . In 2009 , afte r a lon g camp aig n by retire d Aust rali an scho oltea che r Lambi s Eng lezo s, thos e gra ves wer e foun d an d exhu med . Afte r taki ng DN A sample s, th e bodie s wer e rei nterr ed wit h ful l hono urs in a ne w Commo nweal th Wa r Grave s Co mmissi on Cemeter y – th e first in 50 yea rs. Th at new cem eter y stand s be side Musé e de la Bata ill e de Fromell es, a ne w museu m, open ed in 20 14 an d funde d in part by th e Austral ian Gover nment .

WH AT TO SE E

MUSÉE DE LA BATAILLE DE TH E AUS TRALI AN ME MORIA L PAR K: FROMELL ES: this tells the story of ri ght nex t to VC Cor ner, this small the battle of Fromelles and th e memorial, op ened in 1998, is bu ilt recent work to id entify some of on top of a Germa n bl ockhou se. the men who died h ere. Rue de l a It supp orts Peter Corl ett’s famo us Basse Ville. Open most days except st atue ‘Cob bers’, dep icti ng an Tues days, closed for t hree weeks i n Au stral ian sol die r car rying hi s ma te in Ja nua ry/Februa ry. fr om the batt lefiel d. Corl ett mod ell ed th e sta nding sol dier on Vi ctorian FROM ELL ES (PHE ASAN T WOO D) farmer Si mon Fra ser, wh o went MILI TARY CEMETE RY: next to t he ou t th e day after th e massa cre at ne w mu seum, this op ene d in 201 0 Fr omell es to hel p brin g in wo und ed. to acc ommoda te th e 250 A ustrali an an d Britis h me n e xhu med fr om a milita ry ce met ery and the onl y Ger man mas s g rav e near by. By late CWGC cem ete ry in France t hat 201 7, DN A testin g ha d id entified contains only Australians – 410 of 150 of th ese me n eac h n ow named them. Because none of the bodie s on a head sto ne. On e hu ndre d ar e could be id enti fied, t hey have n o grave stones. In stead, their name s yet to be id entifie d bu t testi ng are inscribed on the walls, in a lis t conti nues. of 1,178 Australians missing after th e VC CORNER MILITARY CEMETER Y: battle. 2km northwest of the t own this is the original Fromelle s on the D22C.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Central Region - Bull ecourt 30

Bullecour t

Although Bull ecourt is l ess well-known than some pl aces where comm unit y her e mai ntain s clos e ti es Australian soldiers fought, those who survived the t wo battle s wit h Aust rali a an d Anza c Da y is wel l for Bull ecourt in April and May 1917 never forgot their s hattering att ende d eac h year . A larg e bann er experience. This is where Australian soldiers learned to hate in tow n procl aims ‘Anzac s – we wil l tanks, which failed miserably to protect them or even make it on rem embe r the m’. It is opposit e a small pu b know n as Le Canberr a. time to the ba ttlefield. I t’s also whe re ma ny of the Diggers l ost Th e Australi an Go vernm ent ha s whatever faith t hey still had in their British commanders . recen tly cont ribu ted to an upgrad e to the sma ll bu t super b mu seu m, Bulle cou rt was a disas ter, f rom sta rt Bullecou rt is 18k m sout heast of buil t aro und th e collect ion of t he to fini sh. Th e atta cks were pl anned Arra s. It wa s oblit erate d by shell ing in lat e m ayo r J ea n Le taill e an d his in hast e, without artille ry suppo rt , 1917 , the n reb uilt . Th e small far ming wif e Denise. but carried out with extraordinary valou r. Th e a ppall ing cas ualti es The Bullecourt Digger s tatue at the Australian Memorial deci mate d th e Austr alia n divi sion s an d are sai d to ha ve influence d the vot e at hom e agains t con scri ption . Au stral ia sufffffered 3,300 casualti es in th e firs t battl e, whi ch lasted on e day. Th e secon d la sted a fort nigh t an d wa s on e of th e mos t brut al of the war. ‘We kil led till we gre w sic k of the sigh t of blood an d dea d men, ’ wrot e Will iam Willi s of th e 4th Batta lion . Aust ralia n ca sualti es at th e Secon d Batt le of Bull ecour t amo unte d to 7,40 0. Th e Australi ans too k mos t of their obj ect ives so Bu lleco urt cou nts as a vi ctory, but for little strategi c value, and at hideous cost.

ITINE RARY

LE MUSÉE JEAN & DENISE LETAILLE of which 995 are Australian. Of 3 May 1917, were reburied h ere. Hi s – BULLE COURT 1917 is down a these, only 299 are known by name. body was not found until 1994. Hi s side street offfff the main road int o In 1 995, the remains of Sergeant daughter Myrle, who was a baby Bullecourt, at 1 bis rue d’Arras. Ope n Jack Whit e, killed at Bull ecourt o n when he died, attended the fun eral. Tues day to Sunday. Closed from mi d De cember to mid Ja nua ry.

THE BULLE COURT DIGGER: Two frien ds the Melbourne sculptor Peter Good friends b efore the war, Pte Corlett’s statue of an Australian Francis Harrup Northey and Pte soldier stands s entinel over th e Arthur William Woodward enli ste d Australian Memorial on the ru e together in D ecember 1915, joinin g des Australiens, on the outski rts the 22 nd Battalion. On 3 May 191 7, of Bulle cou rt. He modelled th e aged 25, Northey was killed i n face on his own f ather who ha d action during the Second Battle fought at Bull ecourt. Corlett would of Bull ecourt. Woodward was later sculpt the ‘ Cobber s’ stat ue at wounded in the same action and Fromelles. The si te is bet ween t wo died just t hree weeks later, aged 28. German t renches f rom 191 7.

QUÉANT ROAD CE METERY in near by Pte N orth ey and Pte Woodward in Egypt Bui ssy contains 2,3 37 military gr aves , May 1 916 AWM P07641.002

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Northern Region - around Ypres 31

THE NORTHERN REGION

Th e norther n regio n of th e Austral ian Remembranc e Trail is the city. More came for the Battle of centre d on Ypres , a beautifu l medieva l tow n that , in th e Firs t Messines in June, the precursor to Worl d War , ha d th e grea t misfortun e to be directl y in th e pat h the Battle of Passchendaele, a nam e of th e opposing armies . Whil e it wa s neve r occupie d by Germa n now synonymous with bloodshe d and s ufffffering, shelling, mud an d forces , it was alway s in th e firing lin e be caus e it wa s alway s on the madness. Australian soldi ers fron t lin e – constantl y shelle d an d almost obl iterated . The land s endured some of the worst fighting aroun d Ypre s wer e hotl y conteste d fo r fou r year s an d som e of the of the war in the battles for Meni n most bruta l an d costl y battle s of th e Grea t Wa r wer e fough t in the Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, village s and field s cl ose to th e ci ty Poelcapelle and Passchendael e. All fi ve Aust ralian divisions foug ht here in the worst yea r of the war Invasion and conquest were not salien t, pushing the f ront line out for Aust ralia – mo re than 76,000 new to the region - for hundred s on t hree sides in a bulge around casualties, nearly double the toll of of years, other nations had covete d the ea stern end of the city; and tha t 1916. October 1917 remains the worst its wealth and strategic position. enabled German artillery to poun d month in Australia’s hi story for The British laid siege to the ci ty i n the city from all t hree sides . military casualties . 1383, the French conquered Ypres i n 1678 b efore giving it to the Spanish; Fro m the n on , Ypre s wa s th e gat ewa y Th e A ustrali an Re membra nce the Hapsburgs took over in 171 3 to th e Flan der s battl efields . Betw een Trail mark s se vera l of th e mos t and made it part of the Austrian 191 4 an d 191 8 hundr eds of thousand s sign ifican t si tes f or Austr alian s in Netherlands until the Frenc h of Allie d sol dier s passe d thr oug h the Bel gium – from th e Meni n Gat e, returned in 1 794. The Du tch rule d cit y an d alon g th e Meni n Roa d to throug h whic h nearl y eve ry sol dier the region after 1815 until Belgiu m figh t on th e fron t line . mar che d on hi s w ay to battl e, to Tyn e Cot Ce metery , th e 5th Di visi on seceded from the Netherlands i n When the fi rst Aust ralian t roo ps 18 30. N o wonder the ci ty ram parts Memo ria l at Pol ygo n Wood and arri ved in 191 6, the ci ty was al read y were never taken down. th e beautif ul, Australi ans-onl y smal l in ruins. While ma ny Aust ralian ce mete ry at T oron to Avenu e. The British soldiers called it Wiper s soldiers sp ent the s econd half of when t hey took it back from th e 1916 fighting in the Somme, by MU inv ading German ar my in 1914. January 1917 some had returned to SEEST That established the famous Ypre s Ypres to help hold the line north of 5 MILI TARY Australian tro ops passing the ruins of Ypres on the way to the fr ont lin e EXPERIENC ES 25 Oc tober 1 917 AWM E04612 AROUND YPR ES 1. Th e Men in Ga te – Memoria l to th e Mis sing an d sit e of th e Las t Pos t Ceremon y, ev ery ni ght at 8p m (p33 ) 2. The ne w Aus tra lia n ga llery at th e Memorial Mus eum Pa sschendael e 191 7 at Zo nnebeke (p36 ) 3. In Fland ers Fiel ds Mus eum, in the rebuil t Clot h Hall (p3 5) 4. Tyne Co t Cemet ery – the wo rld’s lar gest CWG C Cemeter y (p3 7) 5. Toron to Av enue Cemetery – th e onl y all -Au stral ian cemeter y in Belgi um (p41)

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Northern Region - Ypres 32

Ypre s

No ci ty on the Western Front su fffffered more da mage t han Ypres duri ng th e Fir st Worl d War . No cit y is mor e sacre d to Briti sh memor y as Winston Churchill obse rved in 1919 when he suggested t hat the city should be acquired and preserved as a ruin. The Belgi ans di sagreed an d rebuilt their city brick by bri ck. Si nce then, visitors hav e com e in thei r thou sand s to pa y homag e at th e battl efiel ds N an d cem et erie s, to hear th e buglers pl ay th e Last Post at th e Meni n LUTIO Gate, to stroll the streets and en joy some fine Belgian hospitality. O RES In th e Midd le Ages , Ypre s was a thei r cl oth on t he second floo r LOW ric h t extil e t radin g town . Clo th wh ere hund red s of ca ts pr otect ed wo ven from Bri tis h w oo l w as th e t extile s f ro m mic e and r at s an d trade d througho ut Eu rop e, eve n wh ere th e f abul ous In F land ers as far as Russia . In 12 00 AD, the Mu seu m is no w inst alled . Trade rs popu latio n of th e c ity was 40, 00 0 sol d c loth on the gr oun d floo r an d – 5,000 mo re than it is to day shi pped it on th e riv er Y pre slee an d that we alt h b uil t t he Cl oth whic h run s b en eat h th e h all . T he Reading the name s of the missing Hall , on e of th e larges t an d mos t 70 m hi gh bel fry w as a t rea sure Menin Gate, Ypres fa mous co mmerc ial bu ildi ngs of hou se, a l ookou t an d a pl ace of Th e moder n city ref le cts the medie val E uro pe. Trader s st ore d refug e in tim e of war . inc redi ble re sili ence of the In Flanders Fields m useu m popu la tion . It to ok more than 40 Cloth Hall, Ypr es year s af te r t he Firs t Worl d W ar to finis h r ebui ldin g t he Cl oth H all . Now her e els e in th e worl d is there a li ving tr ibut e to t he dead lik e the Las t P ost cere mony at the Men in Gat e. It h as been performe d ever y ni ght s ince 1928 , exce pt dur ing Ger man occupat ion in th e Seco nd Worl d War .

Ypre s is a grea t walkin g tow n wit h char min g cobbl ed street s tha t loo k lik e the y hav e neve r hea rd a sho t fired. All the ba rs and re staurants are within a few minutes of eac h othe r in th e centre . Wal kin g the ramp art s at dus k give s yo u a sen se DON of th e city’ s ric h hist ory. Austra lian MI 'T Gen eral John Monas h ha d hi s 5 GR EAT EXPERIENCES AROUND YPRES SS head qua rters in th e rampa rts nea r th e Meni n Gat e in 191 7 an d wound ed 1. Join a group to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate (you’ll need to me n shelt ere d in th e galleri es. apply for this well b efore you start your tri p) You can r ent a boat a nd r ow on the 2.Climb the belfry at the Cl oth Hall for specta cular vi ews lake, onc e part of a moa t ar oun d 3.Starting at the new City Museum, take the Ypres Heritage Walk th e town . Th e majo r landmark s for an overview of the t own’s medieval history incl ude th e reb uil t St Martin ’s 4.Rent a bike and choose one of the many cycle trails into th e Ca thed ral a nd Cit y Hal l, both countryside around Ypres besi de th e Clot h Hall . Th e City Ha ll, datin g fro m 161 9, wa s restor ed in 5.Visit the Old Cheese Factory at Passchendaele for a n 1862 the n fla tten ed in Nove mber introduction to cheese making and some fine tastings 1914 . A ne w mu seu m of Y pr es wil l ope n in 20 18.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Northern Region - Ypre s 33

N LUTIO O RES LOW

The Last Post Ce remony One of the Menin Gate Lions Menin Ga te AWM P057 77.001 th e MENI N GATE TH E LION S OF MENI N G ATE

Th e Ypres Memo ria l co mmemor at es mor e than Whe n B riti sh sol dier s arri ved in 1 91 4, t he Meens eport 54,500 Brit ish and C ommonw eal th sol diers who died was a ga p in the 17th centu ry F ren ch ra mparts; the before 16 Aug ust 1917 and have no known grav e. It’s ori gina l ga te ha d been t or n down in 1862. T wo lion s on e of fou r Memori als to the Missin g in F lander s – ca rve d f ro m b lue stone st ood sentine l on pl inth s, th e na mes of soldier s mi ssi ng later in th e wa r ar e eit her sid e of th e ga p and sol dier s goin g up to the recorded across the other three, mo st of them at Fron t passe d be twee n t hem . So me local s are s ai d Tyn e Co t (p37). M en in Gate has b ecome one of the to have t ie d str aw in the mo uth s of t he lion s in 1914 , most famo us wa r memor ial s in the world, partl y vo win g that th e Ger mans woul d not en ter th e ci ty becau se of th e Las t Po st Ceremon y perfor med here until the li ons had eat en th e hay . every nigh t at 8pm. Usua lly three bu gler s perfor m In fact , a Germa n c aval ry uni t pa sse d int o t he ci ty on th e Las t Po st, followe d by a laying of wreath s an d 7 Octo ber 1914 – but onl y for a da y. Th e B riti sh reto ok a minute’ s si len ce . Bug ler s play Reveil le to en d the th e city in t he Firs t Battl e of Y pr es in O ctobe r an d ce remon y. Mos t ni ght s the ceremony attrac ts at least No vemb er. Th e lion s surviv ed that a nd the S econ d a thou sand vi sitor s – get there earl y to secure a good Battl e of Y pre s in 1915 bu t h ad disappea red by the posit ion. Thi rd B attl e of Y pr es in 1917. No on e kne w w here The buglers are members of the Last Post Association, they w en t. Muc h dama ged , they reapp eare d in 191 9 a group of Ypres citizens who started the ceremony an d were d on ated to th e Aust rali an War Memori al in 1928, after hearing buglers of the Som ers et in 1936 . The Me moria l was inaug urate d in 1939 bu t Light I nfantry band p erform at the opening of th e th e Lion s r emai ned in storag e. R esto red by scul pto r memorial th e year b efore. Th e current presid ent Luc as Zywu szko in 1 98 7-88, they have guar ded the of the association is the great-grandson of one of entranc e to the Memoria l si nce t hen . In 20 17, th e l ion s the founders. Th ere are normally bet ween six an d returne d to Y pr es on lo an, to stan d g uar d at Menin ei ght buglers, all volunteer firemen. They take turns Gat e a gai n f ro m Anzac Da y (25 Ap ril ) to Ar mistic e to p erform and, except for the four- year Germa n Da y (11 Nov emb er) . In Septe mbe r 2 01 7, th e Australi an occupation during the Second World War, t hey have Go vern ment ann ounce d t ha t A ustrali a wou ld gi ve not missed a ni ght si nce the Association began. In all rep lica s of th e L ion s to th e ci ty of Y pre s in r ecogn iti on that time, th ere have been only 16 or 17 buglers. One of of th e 100 th anni versar y of th e s acri fic e of Austra lian s their members p erformed the ceremony for 60 years . duri ng th e Grea t War .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Northern Region - Taste of Belgiu m 34

Taste of Belgiu m

Wh at’s Be lgia n for beer ? Beer is to Belgium what wine is to alcohol level was much lower than i t France. It’s not just t hat Belgian s is now; some modern Belgian be ers love it and make some of the bes t are seriously strong. The variety i s brews on ea rth, i t’s part of thei r staggering and covered by complex identity. UNESCO even recognise d rules . Trappist beers can only b e that formally in 2016, placin g made in Trappist mona steries wit h Belgian beer cul ture on the list of direct involvem ent of monks. Abbey the i ntangible cul tural heritage of beers can be made by other orde rs humanity, alongside such things a s but Certified Abbey beers mus t the tango and Chinese calligrap hy. be bre wed under licence from a n Belgium makes at least 1,600 existing or abandoned abbey. Th ere di ffffferent beers. Their his tory i s are hundred s of brands and style s entwined with the Catholic Church, to explor e, and lots of bars an d going back to the 1 2th cent ury, cafés that specialise in serving onl y when mona steries were grante d Belgian be er. the ri ght to brew and sell be er. Visi t th e cit y bre wery in Yeper . Beer was consid ered cleaner an d Brou werij De Kazema tte n brew s two healthier than drinking water, s o di ffffferent beer s, Wi pers Ti mes 14 and it was drunk in vast quantities. Th e Grot tenbi er. Reserv atio n is advis ed.

Ch ocolat e Bel gian ch ocolat e is legend ary . ov er 2,000 chocolat ier s in the Th e indust ry goe s bac k to th e 17th cou ntry, produc ing a mas si ve centu ry whe n th e Sp anis h r uler s 172,000 tonne s of choco lat e each bro ugh t th e ing redi ent s bac k from yea r, m uc h of it for expo rt. Me soa meri ca. Choc olat e b eca me Th ere ar e dozen s of s peci ali ty popu lar wi th th e wea lth y in t he choco lat e shop s in an d aroun d 20th centur y, it b ecam e a maj or Ypre s an d lots of r estau rant s indust ry. Th e Belgi ans invent ed wh ere choc olat e d ess erts ar e a th e pr alin e and perfec ted an te mptat ion . Pu t th e d iet on ho ld ex oti c arra y of hand mad e trufffffles, an d tr y ev erythi ng – a h ike or a choco lat e animal s, bi rds , figu rin es bik e ride aroun d the ba ttl efiel ds an d Easte r eggs . Th ere are no w will hel p to bur n offfff a f ew cal orie s!

LOCA L DELI CACIE S

MO ULES – Belgians eat mussels by TAPJESVLE ES – vea l or por k stuffed the tonne, mostly imported from wit h baco n an d braise d in a po t of Du tch farms in the No rth Sea. vegetables . Moules frites ( mussels and chip s) KATTENKL AUW – Thi s Dani sh seems to be the national dish, past ry shape d li ke a cat’s cl aw is washed down with an excell ent stuffe d wit h cream , appl e an d Belgian be er, of which th ere are raisins . many. Best time to eat mussels – any month ending in ‘er’ (ie September MACAROON S – Crunc hy on to D ecemb er). Don’t eat the one s th e outside , gooe y on the that di dn’t open during cooking. inside . Th ere’ s onl y an ‘o’ in it bu t th e Belgia n macaroo n is EE LS – eit her cooke d fre sh or quit e differen t fro m th e Amien s pre serve d in a terri ne. maca ron .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Northern Region - Ypre s 35

Ypre s

IN FLANDER S FIEL DS MUSEU M

Thi s stat e-of- the-a rt museum , on the firs t f loo r of th e Clot h Hall , is on e of tw o grea t museum s in Fland ers – th e othe r bein g at Zonnebek e. Th e museum offfffer s a thou ghtful , imm ersiv e exp erienc e wit h hi gh qual ity displ ays – docu ments , map s, phot ograp hs, an d movin g image s – an d a compreh ensiv e coll ectio n of art efacts . It place s th e visi tor withi n th e period in a stunn ing wi de-scre en fil m wi th act ors rec reati ng th e w or ds of soldi er s, do ctors , nurses , arti sts an d poet s exp erienc ing th e wa r in Bel gium . Visitors receive a popp y bracelet containing a mi crochip that activates their chose n eve r sinc e. Ther e ar e ne w exhibiti ons th e belfr y – fro m th e top , there’ s a language and introduces them to eac h yea r an d ther e’s a ne w resear ch magn if icen t v ie w of th e town an d four personal stories as t hey move cent re, hom e to th e Name s Li st th e surr oundin g lan dscap e. through the museum. Proj ect – an attemp t to compi le a lis t of all thos e wh o die d in the Op en ev ery day Ap ril to Th e permanent exh ibiti on tel ls the West hoe k regio n as a resul t of the Nov emb er . Cl ose d Mond ays in sto ry of Belgi um duri ng the First Firs t Wor ld War . Fo r a small ext ra low season an d 25 Decemb er, 1 Wor ld War and the remembran ce char ge, visit ors ca n gai n acces s to January and 9 to 23 January.

JOHN MCCRAE, A CANADIA N DOC TOR’S LEGACY Th e mu seu m was refur bishe d in gre w ever yw here aro und in the 'I N FLA NDER S FIEL DS' 1998 an d rename d after the f amou s devast at ed ground of F land ers’ In Flande rs fields the poppies bl ow poe m “In Fl ander s F iel ds” by battl efield s an d ce meter ies . Between the crosses, row on row, Li eutena nt Colone l John McCr ae, a McCra e d ie d of pneu moni a in Th at mark our pl ace; and in the sky Canadia n po et, phy sici an, aut hor , lat e J anu ary 191 8 an d w as buri ed The larks, still bravely singing, fl y arti st an d s oldi er du rin g the Fir st wit h f ull militar y ho nour s in the Scarce hea rd amid the guns bel ow. Worl d W ar . He was a fiel d s urg eon Commonwea lth War Graves duri ng th e Second Battl e of Ypre s Co mmissio n sectio n of Wi mereux We are the dead. Short days ag o wh ere on e of hi s c los e friend s, Lt. Ce metery nea r Bol ogne. We lived, felt dawn, saw suns et gl ow, Ale xis Helme r was ki lled . It is widel y Si nce 1 921 , the pop py ha s beco me Loved and were loved, and now we li e belie ved that Hel mer’ s bu rial a s ymbo l of rememb rance for ins pire d the po em. In Flanders fiel ds. mili tar y per sonne l w ho have d ied It w as wri tte n on 3 Ma y, 191 5 – in w ar . Initi ally ad op te d by the Take up our quarrel with the foe: th e day after Helme r’s fun eral Amer ica n L egi on, th e p op py is To you from failing hands we t hrow - as McCra e s at on the b ac k of a no w m ostl y worn in th e Unite d The torch; be you rs to hold it high. medi cal fiel d a mbul anc e near an King dom , C ana da, Ne w Zeal and If ye break faith with us who di e ad van ce dr essing post at Essex an d Australi a in the lea d up to 11 We shall not sleep , though po ppies grow Farm , jus t no rth of Y pre s. Poppi es No vemb er, Ar mistic e Day. In Flanders fiel ds.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Northern Region – Polygon Wood 36

Polygon Wood

Th e wa r wa s ver y di ffffferen t in Belgiu m in 1917 . Bot h side s brough t up mor e artiller y tha n the y ha d use d in th e Somm e a yea r earlier . Th e bombardments destroye d centurie s ol d drainag e channel s in th e low- lying fields , crea ting bog s that just go t wors e as me n fough t acros s them . August rain s turne d th e are a east of Ypre s int o a treacherou s quagmir e in whic h me n an d horse s coul d drow n if the y fell offfff th e networ k of duckboa rds an d timb er log roads .

Polygon Wood Ceme tery

Australian and British troops ha d fought their way to Zonneb eke by late Septemb er, when t hey were ordered to take Polygon Wood, a s part of the Third Battle of Ypres . There was no wood l eft – ju st a field of c raters and the stum ps of trees. The attack was a s uccess but with significant l osses. Britis h casualties totalled more tha n 15,000, more than a third of whic h were Australian. The Australian 4th Division su fffffered 1,700 casualties ; the 5th Division, more than 4,000.

That is why the 5th Division Memorial Australian Pioneers construct a pl ant road at Cha teau Wood is h ere at the ea stern end of near Pol ygon Wood, Se pt ember 1 917 AWM E 00800 Polygon Wood, o n top of a former German strongpoint known as Th e Butte. The Memorial was designe d MEMORIA L MUS EUM PASS CHEN DAEL E 191 7 by Lieutenant Gen eral Sir Talbot Th e w ar here w as pa rtl y tre nche s a nd du gouts . T here’s Hobbs, who commanded th e und ergrou nd. Th is wo nderful a ne w gall ery dedicat ed to the division a t Pol ygon Wood. He die d mu seu m offfffer s a ch anc e to Aust ralia n exper ien ce and seven while en rou te to Fran ce in 1 938 exp erienc e that terri ble ba ttl e, new re memb ra nce ga rdens , e ac h for the opening of the Villers - both ab ove and below ground . buil t by a di ffffferen t count ry. Th e Bretonn eux Memorial . Th e co llectio n is e xten sive and mu seu m’s resea rch departm ent The near by Pol ygon Wood War th e display s ar e inno vati ve - you ca n help you fin d ou t abou t a Cem etery was a frontline burial ca n e xper ienc e the smell s of t he rela tiv e w ho f ough t here. Op en ground. That is why the grave stone s poi sonou s gase s in on e dis play an d eve ry da y of th e y ear . At Berte n are irregularly pl aced. A path lead s walk throug h a f ull- size re creat ion Pil str aat, jus t o fffff th e main r oad into Polygon Wood, now regr own, of a bu nker , exten sive r ecr eate d throug h Zonneb eke. past the 5th Division obelisk to the Buttes New British Cem etery, where 2,000 graves were brought in after the war. Al most 1,700 of these are unid entified, including a few Australians. One known grave belongs to Australian Leslie Clegg McMurdo, who was 17 years an d 5 months old when he died at Pol ygon Wood.

Ph oto displ ay Memorial Mu seum Pa ss chendaele 1 917

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Northern Region – Tyne C ot 37

Tyne Cot

Tyn e Co t is bot h a forme r battl efiel d an d a cemetery . In 1915 , the Towar ds th e e nd of t he b attl e, Northumbe rlan d Fusiliers ha d name d a bar n tha t stoo d her e Tyn e Tas mania n troop s of th e 40 th Cottage . Fiv e Germa n pillboxe s surrounde d it , occupying th e hi gh Battali on attacke d th e fiv e Ger man ground . On 4 Oc tobe r 191 7, as part of th e Battl e of Broodseind e, pill box es . Th ey f aced m urder ou s fir e from Germa n machin e gun s on e Ne w Zealan d an d three Australia n division s attacke d sid e by on top of the pil lboxes . The la st sid e to wards thi s poi nt, tog ethe r wit h eig ht othe r Britis h division s. pill box to be tak en is b en eat h the Th e Austra lia n troop s wer e brimmi ng wit h confidence , aft er Grea t Cros s at th e cen tre of t he victorie s at Meni n Roa d an d Polygon Wood . Thi s was th e first ti me Tyn e Cot ce metery . Th e Austra lian tha t fou r Anzac division s ha d fough t together , in a line . hi sto ria n Charle s Bea n calle d thi s vict ory ‘an ove rwhel ming bl ow’ that drov e t he German s ‘fro m o ne of the mos t i mpo rtan t po siti ons on th e W ester n Front ’. Aust rali an un its sufffffere d near ly 6, 500 ca sua ltie s in thi s ba ttl e – an othe r costl y vi ctory.

Afte r the war , thi s b ecam e the larges t Commo nweal th War Grave s C ommi ssion Cemeter y in th e world , wit h mor e tha n 11, 900 Co mmonwea lth gr aves . Th ere ar e 1, 369 Austr alia n s oldi ers buri ed here, 7 91 of t he m unkno wn. Thi s make s Tyn e Cot th e largest Austra lia n ce me te ry of th e Fir st Worl d War . The wall s of the Memo ria l con tai n the na mes of 35 ,000 men wit h no kn own grave. Tyn e Cot als o incorpora tes a N ew Zeal and Memoria l wit h 1 ,20 0 name s of me n wh o died in t he battle s of Octob er 191 7.

Th e visit or cent re on t he ea ster n sid e of th e Memor ial is ope n dail y, 1 F ebr uary to 30 No vemb er.

Tyne C ot Ceme tery at dawn

A SOLDI ER’ S STORY : LEWI S MCGEE

Sergean t L ewi s M cG ee, a 2 9-ye ar- cre w wit h hi s revolver ’. McG ee ol d membe r of th e 4 0th Ba ttali on, was fr om C ampb ell T ow n in wo n a posthumo us Vi ctori a Cros s Tas mania , w here he had bee n a for hi s v al our at Brood seind e. In rail way eng ine dr ive r. He e nli sted th e 4 0th Battalio n hi sto ry, C aptai n in Ma rch 191 6 an d t oo k part in Fran k Gr ee n wrote a bou t t he th e ba ttl e of Messi nes . He was ev ent: ‘Serg ean t McGe e rush ed kill ed at Passch endael e ei ght day s strai ght at th e pil lbox in the f ace after th e act ion that wo n hi m the of what se eme d l ike c ertai n deat h Vi cto ria Cros s. He w as one of 11 bu t he go t acro ss that 50 yard s chil dr en a nd left beh ind a wife an d of open gro und and shot t he daug hter. AWM A02623

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e No rthern Region - Messines 38

Messine s

By Jun e 191 7, th e front lin e aroun d Ypres ha d ha rdl y change d in Tunnelling Company d etonate d tw o ye ar s. Ypres was in Britis h hand s bu t Germa n forc es hel d the two huge und erground mines , high groun d sout h of th e cit y along Messine s Ridge , thei r defence s the no rthern most of a string of running fro m Ploegsteer t Woo d to Mt Sorrel . Th e Germa n 19 mines d etonated in series over about 20 s econds. This was th e commanders ordere d “tha t th e salien t be hel d at all costs” ; for beginning of the Battle of M essines . th e Allie s, Me ssine s Ridg e was th e ke y to th e planne d ad van ce on The event ranks as the largest an d rd Passc hendael e Ridg e furthe r no rth (th e 3 Battl e of Ypres) . loudest non- nuclea r expl osion of all time, and deva stated the Germa n Drawing on their recent fought side by side. After t hre e lines along Messines Ridge. Around experiences around Arras, the Allie s years of mining by British, Canadia n 10,000 German t roo ps were kille d loo ked to sophisti cat ed artille ry and Australian companies t hrough when the mines were d etonate d plans, better coordination wit h clay, sand and silt, the ridge was a and German commanders later planes and tanks and tunnelling to honeycomb of tunnels, gallerie s described it as one of the worst break t hrough. It would be the firs t and caverns . German tragedies of the war. battle for the AIF in Belgium an d At Hill 60, just after 3am o n The site is now one of the most the first time sin ce Gallipoli t hat 7 June 191 7, Captain Oli ver visited in the Ypres sali ent, and Australian and New Zealand troops Wood ward of the 1 st Aust ralian one of the most untouched. Many miners of both sides were Shells b ursting over mes sage runners at Messines killed und erground in the work to July 1 917 AWM E 005 99 prepare these mines, and remai n buried h ere. The site is considere d a mass grave and is tended by the Commonwealth War Grave s Commission. Th ere is a memorial to the 1 st Aust ralian Tunnellin g Company near the entrance. Hill 6 0 was man-made f rom spoil dug out in the 1 9th century for the railway cutting that runs beside i t. Th e Caterpillar crater, on the other sid e of the railway, is even l arger. Th e Australian film - Ben eath Hill 60 - dramatises the extreme tension of this period of the war. Hill 60 is on Zwarteleenstraat, sout h of the village of Zilleb eke, abou t 7km s sout h of Ypr es.

Langemar k Germa n Wa r Ce mete ry In Octobe r 191 4, durin g th e Fir st th e Belgi an govern ment of th e ti me Batt le of Ypr es, youthfu l Ger man wa s reluc tan t to gran t lan d fo r oth er unit s wer e dec imate d her e in a futil e enem y ce meteri es. Lange mark no w fron tal attac k on Britis h an d Fren ch cont ain s 44,000 bur ials , maki ng it lin es. As man y as 3,000 Germa n on e of th e larges t cemet erie s on hig h scho ol student s die d in wha t th e West ern Front . Almos t 25, 000 th e Nazi s woul d lat er glorif y as the Ger mans ar e burie d in th e ma ss Kind ermor d, or Mas sacr e of the grav e nea r th e entr ance . Inno cents . Th e sit e beca me a smal l Ger man graveya rd in 1915 , bu t it Th e cemet ery is on Klerk enstr aat , on wa s great ly enlarge d aft er th e wa r th e no rth ern ou tski rts of th e villag e wit h th e cons olidat ion of mor e of Lange mark-P oelka pelle , abo ut Ger man wa r dea d – part ly becau se 10km s nor th of Ypr es.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e The ‘Mad Photographe rs’ 39

The ‘mad photographers ’

Th e First Worl d Wa r wa s not th e first to be photographe d bu t it sol dier s calle d the m the ma d wa s th e first wher e photograp hy playe d a crucia l role , bot h as ph otogr apher s becaus e of th e risk s a weapon – in aeria l rec onnaissanc e an d propag and a - an d as a they t oo k. Hurle y’s job was to tak e powerfu l recor d of Australia n history . Th e Australia n Wa r Memori al actio n a nd propaga nda pictures for imm ediat e us e in new spaper s hold s almost 305,000 photograph s fro m th e Grea t War , stil l in bac k home. Wil kins w orke d m or e high deman d fro m researc hers , media , historian s an d famili es. clos ely wit h Bea n to docum ent eve ry pl ace wh ere Australia n force s fough t. He w as the ph oto graph er of rec ord , s ervin g h isto ry.

In pract ice, both me n t oo k super b imag es on the W ester n Fron t. Afte r cla shin g with Bean over his de sire to make compo site s – co mbini ng separa te nega tive s in the dar kroo m - Hur ley left Fran ce to wo rk wi th th e A ustrali an f orce s in P alesti ne. Wil kins stay ed on t hro ugh muc h of 1918 . He wa s w ound ed sev era l ti mes an d dec orat ed for bravery. Th e Image imag es mad e by both me n ar e n ow Ancillary informatio n an importa nt p art of the e xte nsi ve collect ion of pho tograp hs held by th e A ust rali an War Memori al. Both me n s urviv ed th e war, to contin ue thei r adv enture s as expl orer - ph otogr apher s.

Capt Frank Hurley beside a n unexploded German shell Capt Wilkins, Sta ffff f Sgt Joyce rec ording an Australian troop advance on th e near Pozi ère s, September 1917 AWM E01059 Hindenberg line , Oc tober 1 918 AWM E03915 Brit ish soldier s w ere forbi dden Bea n a rgue d st rongl y t ha t A ustrali a to carry cam eras on t he W ester n need ed it s own ph otograph ers – Fron t. Thi s was a shock f or man y an d in 191 7, he got the m. Austra lia n soldiers , wh o had used Fran k H urle y a nd Hu bert Wi lki ns thei r ow n K oda k Pocket cam eras we re both toug h a nd resourc eful fai rly op enl y at Gall ipoli . The y men . Bo th ha d r ecent ly retur ned we re to ld to throw their ca mera s fro m pola r exp editi ons – H urle y in away wh en they r eache d France ; Anta rctica , W ilki ns in t he Arcti c. if a soldie r wa s ca ptu red wi th a Both we re excell ent ph oto graphi c cam era, th e image s mi ght pr ove tec hnici ans an d they h ad become usefu l to th e en emy. fir m fri ends , d espi te wi ldl y di ffffferen t te mperam ents . Wil kins Th e A ustrali an w ar co rre spond ent was qui et, unassumi ng an d mode st; an d o ffffficia l h is torian , C harl es Bea n, no on e eve r attribu ted thos e tra its too k mo re tha n 700 ph ot ogr aph s to Hurle y. Th eir ima ges are among on Ga llipo li, bu t he too was th e mos t o utstandi ng of the war , forbi dden to us e his ca mer a onc e fro m any coun try. he ar rive d in F ranc e. Th e W ar Offfffice loa ne d him Bri tis h press The y arriv ed in l at e A ugus t 1917, ph otogr apher s instead , bu t he an d soon ea rne d r es pect amon g rep eated ly cl ashe d with them over th e troop s f or thei r w illi ngn ess thei r ten denc y to fak e p icture s. to w or k in th e fron t l ines . Th e

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e No rthern Region - Ploegs tee rt 40

Ploegsteer t

Th e soldiers calle d it Pl ug S treet. By late 19 16, th e f armi ng villag e of Ploegs teer t ha d alread y su fffffered fo r two y ears , sandwiche d bet wee n Y pre s to th e nort h an d Ar menti ères to th e s outh . In lat e 19 16, the 1st Aust ralia n Tunnelling Comp any got to w or k at Hill 63, no rth of Ploeg st ee rt, digging what becam e k nown as th e Ca taco mbs of Hyd e Par k C orne r – a tun nel s yste m large enough to ac commodat e 1,200 me n in 19 st reets line d wit h bunks . A li fe-size car ved kanga roo st oo d over th e entran ce (now on pri va te land) .

In Jun e 1917 , th e Germa n tren ches det ermine d to prov e the mselv es. ra n eas t of th e Ploegst eert Wood , The y wer e hi t by a Germa n ga s up ont o th e Messine s Ri dge. barr age whil e cros sing th e wood , Australian Engineers at the entrance to rd Gen eral Monas h’s 3 Divi sion arriv ed eve n bef ore arrivin g at thei r star t the Catacombs, the tunnels at Hill 63, fres h fro m tra inin g in Englan d, posi tion s fo r th e Battl e of Messi nes. Me ssine s, Ja nua ry 1 918 AWM E04486

Th e Chri stm as truc e A DAY OU T

By Dece mber 1914, a fte r m onth s of tobacco, newspapers and al cohol, If you ’re stay ing in Ypre s, tak e a da y fighti ng, t he wa r was in sta lemat e some swapped souvenirs, som e to visi t the area aroun d M essi nes an d troop s on bo th si des ha d played football, while others hel d an d Ploeg stee rt, taki ng in t he New begu n digg ing trench es – o ften joint burial services. So, as som e Zeal and Memoria l at Mess ine s, so clo se that Ger man an d B riti sh units were still fighting, other s th e P eac e P oo l (s ite of t he large st sol dier s coul d shou t to eac h oth er shook hands and shared cigarette s min e b low n up on 7 Jun e 1917 ) a nd ac ross no ma n’ s lan d. with their enemies . th e Islan d of Ir elan d P eac e P ar k, whic h comm emorate s all Irish- bor n As Christ mas app roached , Pope Captai n Ro ber t Mi les wrot e: ‘We sol dier s wh o fough t in th e war. All Ben edic t XV call ed fo r an o fffffici al ar e havin g the mos t extraord ina ry of th ese pl aces are ea sily acces sibl e tr uce, f or “th e gun s to fall sil ent Chris tma s D ay ima ginab le … the by bi cycl e from Ypres , alon g upo n t he ni ght th e ang els sang ” thin g sta rte d last ni ght … the marke d bi cycl e tr ails . Contin ue to bu t this was refu sed. Ger mans st ar ted shouti ng Merr y Plu g S treet 14 – 18 Exp erienc e, a nd Then on Christmas Eve an d Chris tma s Engli shme n to us. Of pic k up a w alkin g trail ma p f or the Christmas Day 1914, around 1 00,000 cours e our fe llows sho ute d bac k Plo egste ert W ood , whic h i ncl udes German and British soldier s an d pr esentl y larg e nu mbers of th e T or ont o A venu e Ce me ter y an d un offffficially s topped fig hting alon g both side s h ad left their tre nch es, on e site of th e Christma s Tr uce. the We stern Front. Both sides san g unar med , and me t in debat abl e, The Pool of Pea ce carols, the Germans put candle s shot riddle d no man’ s lan d on the trees, soldiers went into n o be twee n th e li nes … n ot a shot wa s ma n’ s lan d to exchange gi fts of fire d all ni ght.'

PLUGSTREE T 14 – 18 EXPERIENC E

Th is is a small but enga ging Ch ristma s Truce of 191 4 occ urred mu seum, docu men tin g the nearb y at St-Yv on . The Austra lian war in this ar ea . P art of it is Gov er nment cont ribu ted to the belo w grou nd, inspir ed by de velop men t of the museu m. th e Cata combs. The museum reflect s bot h mi litary and civi lian Th e mu seu m is at ru e de Mess ines exp erienc e, cov er ing the wa y 156. A La st Pos t ce re mony take s soldier s and civil ians int erac ted – pl ace on the firs t Fri day of eac h their enterta inmen ts , di ver sions month , at 7p m. an d trag edies. Part of th e famous

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e No rthern Region - Ploegs tee rt 41

TORON TO AVENU E CE METE RY

Thi s is on e of th e m ost tran qui l an d bea utif ul war cemet erie s in Bel gium , althou gh rar ely visit ed. It’s a ls o one of t he smalle st, wi th 78 bur ials . T hi s and VC Cor ner Ce metery at F ro melle s ar e t he on ly exclu sivel y Austra lia n cemeteri es on th e We ste rn F ron t. All bu t tw o of th e m en bu rie d here are kno wn by na me; th e grave stones arran ged in con joine d li nes si gnif y a co mmu nal bu rial . Mos t of these me n w er e f ro m Gen eral Mon ash’ s 3rd Divi sion , n ewl y arriv ed in F ranc e fro m trai ning in E ngland . Mos t die d be twee n 7 an d 10 Jun e 1917 . Th ere ar e f iv e teenag ers nam ed amon g the m.

Th e ce me te ry is ab out 2km sou th of Mess ines , be fore you get to Plo egsteert . Dr iv e south from Messi nes on the N365 , tur n left at Ch emin du Mon t de la Hu tte, an d pa rk at the Pr ows e P oin t foo tball Associa tio n (U EFA ) becau se Cor ner Ce met ery the n fo ll ow the Mili tar y Cemete ry, wh ere there is th e Britis h an d G erma n sol dier s sign s on th e left int o th e wood – a me moria l to th e C hrist mas T ruce play ed fo otball durin g th e truc e. abou t an othe r 250 me tres . You are of 1914 , spon sore d by th e Eur opea n Wal k down the hill pas t th e Mu d not all owe d to par k on thi s road .

A YOUN G SOLDI ER’ S STORY : CECI L SHAR P WI SE

Cecil Sharp Wise is the younges t young boy”. Pri vat e Conver y, writin g soldier buried in the ce metery. A from a milita ry hospital in Randwic k labourer from Tamworth, he was in D ecember of t hat year, said: “ I 17 when he enlisted in Armidal e knew him well. He was a good lad, New South Wales in April 1916. H e only a boy. He was killed at Messine s was short and stout, according to at Grey Farm a few days after th e one of his comrades , weighing i n big stunt… A shell killed him at onc e at 68kg. He arrived at the Front about 10pm. I was wounded at th e in Belgium at the beginning of same time. ” One hundred year s February 1917 as a rei nforcem ent later, a relative, Christine Anderson, rd for the 33 Ba ttalion, and was found his photo in a Tamworth soon s erving in a machine gu n news paper – the only kn own pho to company. He made it t hrough th e – and had it pl aced at the grave bombardment on the way up to by a Belgian man who volunte ere d Messines only to be killed t hre e to help. While Commonwealt h days later, when a pi ece of a high graves in Belgium are cared for by expl osi ve shell hit him in the head. the Commonwealth War Grave s Private A H Darcy wrote afterwards Commission, many are also adop ted that he was ri ght beside Private and tended by local individuals an d Gr av e mar ker of Pte Cecil Sharp Wi se Wise when he was hit – “ such a nic e families .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e The Silent Cities 42

The silent citie s

At war’ s en d in 19 18, the Wester n Fron t had man y mor e ce meterie s than it doe s now. Me n we re burie d where they di ed on th e b attl ef ield , or in small tempora ry ce meteri es just be hind th e line s. Others we re left unburie d in th e f iel d, so metime s fo r year s, as at Fromell es. Thos e who die d of woun ds woul d be burie d near whe re they w ere treat ed . Th at’s why som e of the hospita l c emete rie s li ke Li jsse nthoe k near Ypres , are h ug e. Ea ch sid e wo uld bur y th e ene my’ s dead , afte r removi ng identi ty tag s to sen d b ac k as proof of dea th. Cros s of Sacrifice VC Corne r, Fr omelles Th e tas k of counti ng, identif ying VC Corner nea r Fromelles contains cam e l ooki ng fo r thei r sons ’ gr ave s. an d rebu ry in g th e dea d after the 410 Australian graves but n o All but th e smal les t ce mete ries war too k years . Ma ny of th e bi g headstones. None of the bodie s hav e a r egi ste r, gi vin g s om e histo ry cem eterie s ar e con solida tion s of could be id entified, so their name s an d the na mes an d locat ion smal ler cemet eries , as at Villers - are inscribed on the walls instead. of th e g ra ves . Th e ce meter ies Bret onneu x. Th e smalle r the Grave stones pl aced hard u p nea r hospit als have the hi ghe st cemeter y, th e mor e li kely it is ori gina l. against each other in a line, as at pro portio n of id ent ifie d gr ave s Aust ralia n fa milie s wer e init iall y Toronto Avenue, means t hat th e bec ause a wo unde d sol dier’s na me sen t phot ograp hs of grav e sit es, if men were buried si de-by-side at was usuall y reco rded . know n. Man y parent s cam e to visi t the same time, not in individual thos e gra ves ; other s cam e loo king graves. Grave stones arranged i n Mos t ce mete rie s have a Cros s of fo r clue s an d answ ers, or to se e the a circle as at Hedge Row Trenc h Sacrific e, in recogn itio n of the plac e wh ere a so n wen t missi ng. Cem etery in Belgium tell us t hat th e Chri stia n f ait h of th e maj ority cem etery was destroyed by shell fire, of th e dead . Large r one s also Eac h count ry ha d difffffer ent making it impo ssible to pinpoint hav e a S tone of R emembr anc e, poli cies . T he Br itis h deci ded that individual graves. Graves arrange d whic h look s more l ik e an a lta r, bodi es w ere not to be r epat ri ate d in no di scernible order, as at rep res entin g thos e of o ther fa iths an d that all grave s s houl d loo k Polygon Wood, indi cate a front-line or no f aith . T he f amou s wo rds : ‘A th e s ame. It was, sai d W in sto n cem etery wh ere men were burie d Soldie r of the Great War Known Chur chill , a fell owshi p of th e dea d quickly. Occasionally a grave stand s unto G od ’ are by Rud yar d Kipli ng, that a voi ded all boun darie s of apa rt – sometimes a lone Germa n th e C ommis sion’s firs t litera ry rac e, cre ed or w eal th. Th e newl y soldier, buried during fi ghting. advi ser . K ipli ng los t his onl y son fo rme d Commo nweal th War in th e war. He als o desc ribe d t he Grave s Commiss ion (CWGC ) tri ed Th e origi nal ce mete ry de sign ce meter ies as ‘th e sil ent citi es’. to sta ndar dis e the desig n of t he emula tes an Eng lis h walle d gar den . ce meter ies , and yet each on e tel ls Thi s w as an atte mpt to gi ve The Commi ssion empl oys 400 a di ffffferen t stor y that ca n be rea d. co mfort to th e m an y famili es wh o full-time gardeners on the We ster n Front alone. Any grave stone t hat is damaged or illegible is repl aced; CWGC headquarters for Wester n Europe near Arras produces up to 22,000 new grave stones per year, which t hey ship to cem eterie s around the world. Every year alon g the We stern Front, the remain s of soldiers are found in fields an d excavations. CWGC sta fffff will usuall y attend on the same day to collect and protect the remains. Some are identified, some remain unknown. All are reburied with full honours .

Thistle Dump Military Ceme tery the Somme

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e PlanInfor Yourmation Visi t 43

INFORMATION

Thi s section provi des travell ers wit h information abou t touris m of grou p tour s an d priva te guide s on offff fi ces, pl ac es to stay or to ea t, loca l m ar ke ts, t ours an d th e mai n touri sm informa tio n sit es guides . It does n’t pro vid e a definiti ve list of s ervi ces, just some fo r eac h regi on. suggesti ons that tr avellers coul d fi nd helpful . Mos t majo r ca r rent al compani es oper ate in Amiens , Arra s an d Ypre s, ofte n loc ate d clos e to th e mai n Her e we’v e li sted jus t a smal l Open ing ho urs for an y of the stat ions . Thei r web site s will hel p yo u sel ectio n of hotels , ca fés, bar s an d mu seum s or ba ttl efiel d si tes al so to fin d the mo st con veni ent fo r you . rest auran ts, chose n fo r vari ety, vary so chec k be fore y ou go, some qual ity an d valu e – bu t ther e ar e ope n a ll da y, some clo se fo r lunch , Ther e ar e man y tour ism infor mati on hund red s in th e area . Mos t of som e clos e in win ter or o perat e offfffice s acros s the regions ; we’ ve th e touris t offfffice websi tes offfffer restr icte d hours , some clo se fo r prov ide d detai ls fo r eac h regiona l reco mmend ation s too . Ch eck on e da y a week an d on local cent re’ s touris t offfffic e – thei r th e lates t rev iew s befor e yo u go festiva l day s as well as nati onal web site s shoul d pr ovid e detai ls publ ic hol idays . an d chec k web site s fo r hour s of abou t offfffices in smal ler towns . oper atio n - som e restaur ant s hav e If yo u ar e travelli ng in hig h sea son, Lik e th e Guide , th e inf ormati on is fair ly stric t hour s fo r lunc h an d thin k abo ut bookin g tour s or guid es orga nise d by regio n – South , Centr e, dinn er in Fran ce. well in adv ance . You ca n f in d detail s No rth.

IN TH E SOUT H

Touris m Infor matio n Off ice s Albe rt – Saturday morning and first Le Pri euré Wednes day of the month 17-6 rue Porion, 80000 Amien s Amiens – Somme Tourisme +33 ( 0) 322 711 671 Corbie – Friday morni ng, Pl ace de l a 21 Pl ace Notre-Dame, 80000 www.hotel-prieure-amien s.com Amien s Républiqu e Me rc ure +33 ( 0) 322 7122 71 Fouill oy (nr Villers-Bretonneu x) – 21-23 rue Flatters, 80000 Amien s acc ueil@somm e-t ourisme .com Sunday morning Pl ace de l’Eglise +33 ( 0) 322 806060 www .visit-somme .c om Le Crot oy – Friday morni ng, Pl ace h7076@acc or.c om Amiens – Offfffice de Tourisme Jeanne d’Arc all yea r round, Tues day www .me rc ure.com /gb/ho tel -7076- d'Amiens Métropole (ci ty tourism morning, rue de la République i n mercure-amiens-cathedrale-hotel / inf orm atio n) Jul y/August La chambre d’Amiens 23 Plac e Notr e-Dame , 800 00 Amien s Sai nt-Valer y-sur-Somme – Sund ay 1 Avenue de l'Hippod rome, 80000 +33 ( 0) 322 71 6050 morning, Pl ace des Pil otes ; Amiens +33 ( 0) 322 225050 www.amien s-tourisme.com/accueil Wednes day morni ng, Pl ace du Jeu contact@lachambredamien s.com de Battoi www.lachambredamien s.com Péronne – Saturday morni ng, MARK ETS OU TSIDE AMIENS centre of t own Amiens – Wednes day and Saturday, ALBE RT Pl ace du Be fffffroi; Tues day mornin g Villers-B ret onneux – Wednes day and Friday afternoon, Pl ace d e morning, Pl ace Charles de Gaulle Hôtel de La Paix Gorlitz; s econd Wednes day of 43 rue Victor Hugo, 80300 Alb ert the month, Pl ace de Bourgogne) ; +33 ( 0) 322 754417 Saturday morning, Pl ace Parmentier PLACE S TO ST AY www.hoteldel apaixalbert. com and Ave de Pica rdie Ch ez Louis e, AMIENS Amiens – La Grande Réderi e 4 rue Pierre Curie, 80300 Alb ert d’Amiens, twice a year in April an d Hôtel Mar otte +33 ( 0) 658 986419 October (check website for dates) 3 rue Marotte, 80000 Amien s ch ezlouisechamb resdho tes@gmail . held acro ss 51 streets in the centre +33 ( 0) 360 125000 co m of Amiens www.grade-rederie- contact@hotel-mar otte.com www. ch ezlouis e-chamb resdho tes . amien s.com www.hotel-mar otte.com co m

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Infor mation 44 information

BALZIEUX (near Alb ert) POZIÈRES OU TSIDE AMIENS

Chambres d’ hôtes au Château de s But terworth Farm ALBE RT Mar ronniers Route de Baze ntin-Chemin George Hôtel-Restaurant de la Basiliqu e 17 rue du Château, 80300 Balzieux Butterworth, 80300 Pozière s 3-5 rue Gambetta, 80300 Alb ert +33 ( 0) 322 405533 +33 ( 0) 322 740447 +33 ( 0) 322 750471 castrique .olivier80@gmail .com bernard.delattre80 @wanadoo.fr contact@hoteldel abasilique.fr www. chamb res-ho tes-cha teau- www .but terworth- cottage .com www .ho telbasiliquesomm e.fr mar ronnier s-baizi eux-somme .com VILLER S-BRE TONNE UX Hygge Café BA PAUME 29 Pl ace d’Armes, 80300 Alb ert Le Relais de l ’Aube Hôtel de la Paix +33 ( 0) 322 754712 18 rue d’H erville, 80800 Villers - 11 Avenue Abel Guid et, 52450 hyggeca fe@orang e.fr Bretonn eux Ba pa ume +33 ( 0) 322 539175 +33 ( 0) 321 222828 BAIE DE SOMME - ST -VALE RY-SU R- contact@ relaisdel aube .com contact@hoteldel apaix-bapaume.fr SOMME chamb redho tesomm e.com www. hotel -de-l a-pai x-bap aume. com Hôt el- Rest aurant les Pil ot es 62 rue de la Ferté, 80230 St-Valery- BAIE DE SOMME – ST-VALERY-SUR- PLACES TO E AT sur -Somme SOMME +33 ( 0) 322 608039 AMIENS Hôt el- Rest aurant les Pil ot es www.lespil ote s.fr 62 rue de la Ferté, 80230 Saint- Br asserie Jules , CORBIE Vale ry- sur -Somme 18 Boulevard d'Alsa ce Lorraine, +33 ( 0) 322 608039 80000 Amien s La Table d’Agathe www.lespil ote s.fr +33 ( 0) 337 11840 6 rue Marcellin Truquin, 80800 www.brasserie-jule s.fr Corbie BAIE DE SOMME – LE CROTOY +33 ( 0) 322 969627 Le Quai latabledagathe@fre e.fr Les Tou relles 13-15 Quai Belu, 8000 Amien s www .l atabledag athe .wixsi te.com/ 2-4 rue Pierre Guerlain, 80550, l e +33 ( 0) 322 721080 latabledag athe Cr otoy +33 ( 0) 322 271633 Big Be n Hôt el Rest aurant La Ca roline info@le stourelle s.com 12 rue Cormont, 80000 Amien s 6 Pl ace Roger Salengro, 80800 www.le stourelle s.com +33 (0) 322 529849 Corbie www .rest aurant-bigben .fr +33 ( 0) 322 480151 CORBIE La Coupol e LE CROTOY Le Macassa r Place Longueville, 80000 Amien s 8 Place de la République, 80800 +33 ( 0) 322 455010 Hôtel-Restaurant le s Aviat eurs Corbie rest aurant-lacoupole@o range .fr 18 rue Vi ctor Petit, 80550 Le Crotoy +33 ( 0) 322 484004 +33 ( 0) 322 279074 bookings@lemaca ssar.com hotelrestaurantlesaviat eurs80@ www .lemaca ssar.com CAFÉ/BA R gmail .com www.aviat eurs-baiedesomm e.com PÉ RONNE AMIENS PÉ RONNE Le St Cl aude Le R étr oviseur Bistr ot d’Antoine 42 Pl ace du Commandant Louis 16 rue des Bondés, 80000 Amien s 8 Pl ace André Audinot, 80200 Daudre, 80200 Péronne +33 ( 0) 322 919270 Péronne +33 ( 0) 322 794949 www .le ret rovis eur.fr +33 ( 0) 322 858446 www .ho telsai nt cl aude .com Atelier d’Alex contact@bist rot -ant oine .fr Noir Lion 12 rue des Orfèvres, 80000 Amien s www .bist rot -ant oine .fr 16 rue Noir Lion, 80200 Péronne +33 ( 0) 698 876764 +33 ( 0) 687 221833 sophie.legr os@yahoo .fr www .noirlionpe ronne8 0.fr

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e PlanInfor Yourmation Visi t 45

POZIÈR ES (near by, at Aut huill e) information about hiring a bi cycle TOU R GUI DES for longer rides along the Somm e L'Auberge Val d’Ancre Ther e ar e plen ty of Engl ish speaki ng Canal or to the Baie de Somme. 6 rue du Moulin, 80300 Authuille gui des an d guide d tour s in Englis h, +33 ( 0) 322 751518 AMIENS base d ou t of Amien s an d som e of contact @a ube rge-anc re.fr th e othe r town s in th e region . Pi ck Vélo St ation, www .aube rge-anc re.fr up a cop y of Th e Somm e Gui de 26 rue Sire Fermin Leroux, 80000 fro m one of the touris m offfffice s – it VILLER S-BRE TONNE UX Amien s incl ude s an extensi ve lis t of Engl ish - +33 (0) 322 483514 Auberge de Fouilloy spea kin g guide s inc ludin g so me 80amiens @velo station .com (near the Australian Memorial an d tha t spec ialis e in site s of inter est for www .vel ost ation .com/ -amien s- the Sir John Monash Centr e) Aust rali ans. Or go to th e websit e – 79 ru e Ar ist ide Bri and , 808 00 Fo uilloy Vélo S ervi ce www. visit -somm e.com . Und er the +33 ( 0) 322 69523 0 47 Place Alphonse Fiqu et, 80000 menu ta b – Explor e – an d th e listi ng Le Victori a Amien s - Th e Grea t Wa r – ther e’s a lin k to 1 rue d’Amiens, 80380 Villers - +33 ( 0) 980 824400 Somm e Battlefiel ds’ Partn ers – a Bretonn eux contact@busc yclet te.fr net wor k of 21 5 partn ers incl uding +33 ( 0) 322 481507 www .busc yclet te.fr tou r oper ator s an d guide s tha t hav e bee n ce rti fied by the SB P (www. BAIE DE SOMME somm e-bat tlefiel ds-par tner. com ). BI CYCL E HIR E Vélo en Baie de Somm e If yo u prefe r to guid e yours elf, Like most French cities, th ere Gare de Noyelles-sur-M er, 19 route down loa d on e of th e mobi le app s – are bi cycles for hire around th e de Crotoy, 80860 Noyelles-sur-Mer Somm e 14- 18 or Vict ori a Cros s. town. Ask at the tourist o fffffice how +33 ( 0) 322 290751 this works. They will also have www .velo- bai e-somme .com

IN TH E CENTR E TOURIS M INFOR MATIO N OFF ICE S MARK ETS PLACE S TO ST AY

AR RA S AR RA S AR RA S

Offfffice de Tourisme d’Arras Place des H éros L’H ôt el Parti culier Hôtel de Ville – Pl ace des H éros, every Wednes day and Saturday 8 rue du Péage, 62 000 Ar ras 62 000 Ar ras morning +33 ( 0) 966 817927 +33 ( 0) 321 512695 ho tel parti culie rar ras@gmail .c om LILLE contact@ explo rear ras .com www . ho tel parti culie rar ras .com www. explo rear ras .com Wazemmes Ma rket Hôt el le s Trois Lup pars La Pl ace du Concert (Vieux-Lille) LILLE 49 Grande'Pl ace, 62000 Arras indoor mark et dail y, ou tdoor +33 ( 0) 321 600203 Offfffice de Tourisme et de s Congrès market Tues day, Thursday an d contac t.3lup pars@ wanado o. fr de Lill e Sunday morning s www .ho tel-les3lup pars .com Pa lais Ri hou r, Pl ace Ri hou r, 59000 Li lle La Braderie de Lill e +33 ( 0) 891 562004 Les Clés des Place s (biggest flea market in Europe wit h www .lille tourism .com 7 rue du Puits Saint-Jo sse, 62000 10,000 sellers) 3 days 1 st we ekend i n Arras Sep tember on Boul evard Louis XI V, +33 ( 0) 614 172313 Boulevarde de la Lib erté, rue de l a lesclesdesplaces@o range .fr Porte de Roubaix www.lesclesdesplace s.fr www.b raderi e-de-lille.fr La Corne d’Or 1 Pl ace Guy Moll et, 62000 Arras +33 ( 0) 321 588594 contact@lamaisondhote s.com www.lamaisondhote s.com/ bie nv enue-a-la- corn e-do r/

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Infor mation 46

Information

OUTSIDE ARRAS, NEAR FROMELLE S Mezz aluna (v eg etaria n) in-fra nce/ bike-hir e-i n-nor d-pas - 10 rue Gambetta, 62 000 Ar ras de-cal ais.htm l for muc h of wha t Holid ay Inn +33 ( 0) 321 228963 you n ee d to kn ow ab out hi rin g a Impasse de la B ertha, 593 20 Englos, mezzaluna.ar ras@gmail .com bik e and cy clin g in this ar ea. We Lille Wes t www .m ezzalunaar ras .com hav e liste d a coupl e of pl aces in +33 ( 0) 32 105858 Arra s a nd Li lle. res ervations@hilill e.com Le Petit Rat Port eur 11 rue de la Taillerie, 62000 Arras L’Escapade Violainois e Arras à vélo +33 ( 0) 321 512970 28 rue Louis Bauchet, 62138 Pl ace du Th éâtre, 62000 Arras Violaine s OU TSIDE AR RA S +33 ( 0) 629 716191 +33 ( 0) 605 432817 rv2k 69@gmail .com FROMELLES escapad e.violainoise@gmail .com www .ar ras av el o. com l-escapade-violainoise.webnod e.fr Le Bistr ot Dit-Vin MCF Lill e 24 rue Neuve, 59249 Fromelle s Le Cou vent des Minime s 4 rue du Pr ofesseur Langevin, +33 (0) 320 506077 Chemin des Jeux de Mai, 04300 59000 Lille (online bookings only) Mane (near Lill e) Near FROMELLES +33 ( 0) 982 263044 +33 ( 0) 492 747777 contact@ ecole mcflill e.com Le Maisnil Mon Temps res ervations@couventdesminimes - www. ecolemc flille .com 50 rue du Haut Ques noy, 59134 Le hotel spa.com Maisnil Loc auto www.couventdesminimes-hotel spa. +33 (0) 320 308517 114 rue du Molinel, 59160 Lill e co m contact@ rest aurant- +33 (0) 320 575899 L’Hermitage Ga ntois lemaisnilmonte mps.fr www .locau to. fr 224 rue de Paris, 59000 Lill e ww w.restaura nt-lemaisnilmon temps.fr +33 (0) 320 8530 30 HERLIES res [email protected] CA R HI RE www .ho telhermitagega nt ois .com L’Aube rge Fl eurie All the major car r ental agencie s 29 route d’Aubers , 59134 Herlie s operate in Arras and the o fffffi ces are +33 (0) 320 293838 mostly near Ar ras station. PLACES TO E AT www.la-fer me- fleurie.fr If you are coming into Lille on th e FOURN ES-EN -WEPP ES AR RA S Eur ostar, you can collect your ca r at the Eur ostar station so t hat you La Bulle d’O L'Aube rge des Vieille s Pout res don’t have to head into the centre 1 Boulevard de Strasbour g, 62000 1270 rue Faidherbe, 59134 Fournes- of t own. Arras en-Weppe s +33 ( 0) 321 161947 +33 (0) 320 502313 contact@labulled o. com le s-vielle s-pout [email protected] www .labulled o. com TOU R GUI DES Whil e th e maj orit y of visitor s to L’oeuf ou la poul e BI CYCL E HIR E th e West ern Fron t ten d to ba se 13 rue des Balan ces , 62 000 Ar ras the mselve s in th e Somm e regio n or +33 ( 0) 321 246981 Chec k ou t this w ebsi te fo r in Ypres , Arra s is a good alternat ive – contact@l oeufoulapoule.fr service s in th e Arra s r egi on: ww w. onl y 80k m or so from th e no rther n www .loeu foulapoule .fr freewheel ingf rance.co m/bi ke-hi re- an d sout hern Grea t Wa r sites . Th e main touris m offfffice in Arras has inf ormati on abou t loca l Engli sh- spea kin g guid es, includi ng so me wh o speci alis e in th e Austral ian Firs t Wor ld Wa r sites . Ther e ar e al so a numbe r of organi sed tour s an d pri vate guide s list ed on th e web fo r examp le www.tou rhq. com/ fran ce/ar ras-t ours- guid e or www . batt lefiel d-gui des.co m.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e PlanInfor Yourmation Visi t 47

IN TH E NORTH , AROUN D Ypr es

TOURIS M INFOR MATIO N OFF ICE S B&B Afrodi te BAR/CAF É Wolvestraat 11, BE- 8980 Zonneb eke Ypres Tourist Offfffice +32 ( 0) 496 507054 De Hopperi e (in the Cloth Hall ) info@bbafrodit e.com Diksmuidestraat 33, BE-8900 Ypre s Grote Mark t 34, BE-8900 Ypre s www.bbafrodit e.com +32 ( 0) 57 377003 +32 ( 0) 57 239220 [email protected] e toerism [email protected] e POPERINGE Les Halle s www.visit-ypre s.com Talbot Hous e Grote Mark t 35, BE-8900 Ypre s Gast huis straa t 43 , BE-8 970 Pop ering e +32 ( 0) 57 365563 MARK ETS +32 ( 0) 57 333228 info@markt cafe-leshalles.b e [email protected] e www.marktcafe-leshalles.b e Ypres - every Satu rday in the Gro te ww w. talbothous e.be Markt (main squar e) OU TSIDE YPRE S PLOEGSTEE RT De Volksbond, La Ferme du Rozenberg PLACE S TO ST AY Ypresstraat 26, BE-8 980 Zonneb eke Nachtegaalstraat 14, BE-7782 +32 ( 0) 51 779838 Ploegste ert YPRE S in fo@ volksbond.be +32 ( 0) 57 3 64149 ww w. volksbond.be Ariane Ho tel rozenb [email protected] Slachthuisstraat 58, BE- 8900 Ypre s www.rozenb erghoeve.b e De Kokli koo +32 ( 0) 57 218 21 8 Ypresstraat 7, BE-8 980 Zonneb eke [email protected] e +32 ( 0) 51 727413 www.ariane.b e PLACES TO E AT www .kokli koo. com Talbot Hous e Albion Hô tel YPRE S Sint-Jacob sstraat 28, BE-8900 Ypre s Gast huis straa t 43 , BE-8 970 Pop ering e +32 ( 0) 57 200 220 À l’ Envers +32 ( 0) 57 333228 [email protected] e Patersstraat 2, BE-8 900 Ypre s [email protected] e ww w.albionhobe +32 ( 0) 489 026 081 ww w. talbothous e.be info@al envers.b e L'Aube rge de Ploegs tee rt Hotel Kasteelhof ’t Hoogh e www.alenvers.b e Meen seweg 481, BE-8902 Ypres - rue de M essines 159, BE-7782 Zillebek e In ’t Klein Stad huis Ploegste ert +32 ( 0) 57 468 787 Grote Mark t 32, BE-8900 Ypre s +32 ( 0) 56 588441 info@thoogh e.com +32 ( 0) 57 215542 restaurant@auberge-ploeg ste ert.be [email protected] e www.hotelka steel hofthooghe.b e Au Fond de l ’eau www.inhetkleinstadhuis.b e Amb rosia rue de M essines 50, BE-7782 De Fonderie D’Hondtstraat 54, BE- 8900 Ypre s Ploegste ert Polenlaan 3, BE-8900 Ypre s +32 ( 0) 57 366 36 6 +32 ( 0) 56 587759 +32 ( 0) 57 3 64580 info@ambr osiahotel.b e info@d efonderie.b e www.iambr osiahotel.b e www.defonderie.b e CA R HI RE OU TSIDE YPRE S Het Mom ent Mos t of th e majo r c ar hi re Zonnebe ke Boterstraat 42, BE-8900 Ypre s co mpan ies op erat e in th e m aj or +32 ( 0) 57 364 304 citi es, ai rpo rts, f err y t ermina ls B&B De Klap roo flo ren ce. roegiers@hotmail .com an d ra ilway s stati ons in Bel gium. Ypresste enweg 17 A, B-86 50 Merke m www.hetmom entYpres.b e Tr aveller s to Fl ander s ofte n pi ck (West -Vlaande ren) up a r enta l ca r in Antw erp , Br ussel s +32 ( 0) 51 545 151 or Ch arl eroi befor e dri ving on to [email protected] e Ypre s. Y pre s h as a numbe r of loca l www.deklaproosmerkem.b e ca r hire agenci es - search on the we b or contac t Ypre s T ouri sm.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Infor mation 48

Information

BI CYCL E HIR E Chez Mari e a good list and can help you to Neermark t 6, BE- 8900 Ypre s choose something to suit your As cycl ing is a Bel gia n p as sion , +32 ( 0) 57 200206 needs - an organised tour or a th ere ar e pl enty of pl aces in Y pre s info@chezmari e-Ypres.b e private guide who can design a tour that r en t bik es to tou rists , both f or www.chezmarie-Ypre s.weebly.com specific to your interests . ci ty cyc lin g a nd for c ou nt ry an d cobbl ed roa ds. Som e a ls o o fffffer Amb rosia If you want to book in ad van ce, go gui des or GPS fo r self-gu ided D’Hondtstraat 54, BE- 8900 Ypre s to the website – www.toerismeiep er. tours . A fe w are li sted bel ow bu t +32 ( 0) 57 366 36 6 be/en. Go to the m enu tab – Ypre s chec k wit h t he Y pre s tou ris m f or a info@ambr osiahotel.b e and the Great War – and the listing s full lis t an d chec k ou t websi tes to www.ambr osiahotel.b e under - Expl ore WW1; th ere’s useful se e what ’s on offfffer . information about battle fiel d TOU R GUI DES tours and guides and advice about Biking Box Cycle Tours cycling t hrough the Great War site s There are many English-speaking Meensestraat 12, BE-8900 Ypre s in Flanders . guides and guided tours in English, +32 ( 0) 477 592382 based in Ypres. The Tourism in fo@bikingb ox.be Information O fffffice in Ypres ha s www .bikingb ox.be

BE FOR E YOU LEAVE HOM E Fran ce Tourism www. fran cetourism .com/ Whe n yo u ar e planni ng you r tri p to Fran ce and/ or Bel gium an d th e Wester n Front , th ere ar e som e usef ul Belgium Tourism web site s to consult ; the y will hel p yo u to wor k ou t wher e ww w.belgium- tourism.be / yo u wan t to go an d wha t yo u wan t to se e an d do . Yo u migh t als o lik e to do a bi t of backgrou nd readin g so tha t yo u kno w a bi t mor e abou t th e Aust ralia n exp erien ce on USE FUL A PP S th e West ern Fron t befor e yo u arri ve. Three First World War apps via Somme Tourisme The lists below suggest some websites, books and a few www.somme-battle field s.com /circuit-du-souvenir - Apps you can download b efore you start your trip. li eux-memoi re-visi ter-ci rc uit-du-sou veni r/th ree-first- world-war-theme d

USEFU L WEBSITES CWGC app

Department of Veterans' A ffff fairs websites: www.cwgc.org/lear n/our-ap ps/war-grave s-app • An zac Portal The Great War UK site has link s to 13 di ffffferent apps www .an zacpo rtal .dva.go v.au/ • A guide to the Australian Remembrance Trail www.greatwar.co.uk/trip-inf o/battlefiel d-app.htm www.anzacportal.dva.gov.au/history/con flic ts/ australians- wester n-front-19141918/australian- rememb ran ce-trail BACKGRO UND READIN G Les Carlyon – The Great War The Sir John Monash Centre www .sjmc .go v.au Peter Pedersen – Anzacs on the Western Front Mat McLachlan – Walking with the Anzacs – A Guide to The Aust ralian War Memorial Australian Battlefields on the Western Front www .awm .gov.au Ge offfffre y Serle - John Monash A Biog rap hy Commonwealth War Graves Commission Peter FitzSimons – Victory at Ville rs-Bretonneux www. cwgc .org Peter Barton – The Lost Legions of Fromelles National Archives of Australia - First World War records www .naa .gov.au/collection /explo re/de fen ce/se rvi ce- Ro ss Coulthart - The Lost Digger s records/ar my- wwi.as px Paul Ham - Passchendaele Requiem for Doomed Youth

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Travelle r’s Guid e Itineraries 49

A walk in the Somme

Th e Somm e an d A ncr e ri vers ar e sur rounde d by gentl y r olli ng farmland s, small town s an d village s, hill s an d w oods ; it’s great walking cou ntr y. For m uc h of th e Fir st Worl d War, t own s li ke Albe rt, Der nan cou rt an d Vil ler s-Bret onn eux were behin d t he lines ; soldiers too k a bre ak from ba ttl e he re, som e A ust ralian s even helpe d co mmunit ies wit h th e autum n ha rves t. B ut duri ng 191 7 an d 1918, thi s peac efu l landscap e s aw som e of the f ierce st fighting an d Australia n troop s wer e in th e thic k of it .

Thi s wal k take s yo u fro m Alb ert sout h to Dernancou rt, past the vill age s an d pond s along sid e the rive r Anc re to Meri cour t l’Ab bé, the n sout h acr oss th e famou s riv er Somm e to le Hamel . Fro m ther e, it’s a sho rt wal k alon g th e hill to th e Austr alia n Nati ona l Memor ial an d th e Si r John Monas h Centr e. If you’ re still feelin g en ergeti c, yo u ca n cont inu e on to Vill ers- Breton neux , th e Frenc h tow n tha t ha s on e of th e clos est an d mos t enduri ng rel ation ship s wit h Austr alia . Th e wal k is fairl y easy , app rox . 22 km s an d dep endin g ho w lon g yo u spen d at eac h site , mi ght tak e aroun d 5 hours . Vall ey to th e Austr alia n Nati ona l Down loa d th e App : Aust ralian s in Memo rial . th e Somm e 16 & 18 fo r an audi o guid e to part s of thi s wal k aroun d Fro m le Ha mel tur n left at th e si gn Pozi ère s an d Dernan court . to La Po ste an d Vill ers-Bret onn eux , follo w thi s roa d over th e ridg e to Don’ t for get to chec k th e touri st a T-juncti on. Th en ri ght onto D122, offfffice in Ami ens or Alb ert for map s after 1.5k ms tur n left until you to loca l walki ng an d cyclin g track s. rea ch th e D 23 . T ur n righ t to the Cem eter y an d Exten sion an d loo k ❺ Aust ra lia n Na tion al Me morial . ou t fo r ru e d’Austr ali e an d the Th e name s on th e memor ial Itinerary Pavi llo n Adel aide . wall s co mmemora te som e 1 1,00 0 Austra lia n soldier s of th e G rea t W ar Star t you r wal k fro m th e pret ty mai n Hea d sout h wes t al ongsid e the wh o have no kn own grave. squa re in ❶ Alb ert (ma ybe fortif y Ancr e to Meri cour t l’Abb é an d at the your sel f with a cofffffe e an d croi ssan t Caf é de la Plac e tur n left alon g the Tak e on e of tw o path s fro m the at on e of Alb ert’ s cafe s bef ore yo u ru e de Vaux , tha t will tak e yo u all the Memo ria l to discove r th e ne w ❻ Si r star t out ). Follo w th e sign s to the wa y to ❸ Vau x su r Somm e wh ere John Monas h Cent re burr owe d int o D5 2/D 64 th e road to Der nancourt, yo u cros s th e famou s ri ver. th e slop e of th e hill . Th e beautif ul just 4km s south . Aust ralia n de signe d buil ding On th e othe r side , hea d sout h we st incl ude s sever al innovat ive Ap p At Dernancou rt, Austral ian troop s alon g th e D7 1 to le Ham el, sit e of ❷ ❹ dri ven exhibit ions , good visi tor stop ped th e Germa n advan ce in th e Austr alia n Corp s Me moria l tha t faci litie s an d a lovel y café . Ma rch 191 8 bu t at great co st. The re ’s comm emora tes a shor t bu t bloo dy a ne w walkin g trac k wit h mark ers batt le in Jul y 2018 . In les s tha n 100 Fro m her e yo u ca n wal k on to tha t tell thi s stor y. Afte r th e war , minu tes th e allie s over- ran Germa n ❼ Vill ers- Breton neu x to se e the Der nancou rt wa s ‘adopted ’ an d def ence s an d cleare d th e ene my famo us Victori a sch ool an d the hel ped by th e peopl e of Sout h fro m th e hill . Fro m th e top of th e hill , Fran co-Au stral ian Museu m an d ge t a Aust ralia . Don ’t mis s th e Communa l yo u ca n se e righ t acros s th e Somm e trai n or bu s bac k to Al bert.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Itineraries 50

A bike ride through Flanders Fields

Belgiu m is one of th e best countrie s in th e w orl d to go fo r a ri de. Cycli ng is a nati ona l p assion , t he r egi on ha s som e great bi ke pa ths , an d mot ori sts are ver y c onsciou s an d respec tfu l of cycli sts.

In Flanders , you can tour ma ny Itine rary of the impo rta nt si tes on th e Hea d nort h east ou t of Ypre s Aust ralian Rememb ran ce Trail by throug h the Men in Gate. In t he bike. Use Ypres as your base as th ere ❶ Grea t War , hundr eds of thou sand s are pl enty of pl aces to hire a bike, of sol dier s ma rche d pas t thi s spot several op erators o ffff fer cu stomise d to the Fl ander s ba ttl efields . cycling tours and the Tourist O fffffi ce in the Cloth Hall has ma ps of bi ke Foll ow th e sign s to th e N33 2 an d paths and sugge sted cycling routes . hea d nort h eas t tow ard s Potij ze to Menin Ga te Ask for Vredes Fiet sroute maps – visi t th e ❷ Chat eau Wood Cemet ery . Ypr es they use country lanes, minor r oads Fro m Potij ze, th e N33 2 take s you 5,700 Australia n sol dier s die d in and dedi cated cycling paths to dir ectl y to Zonneb ek e. Visi t the th e ba ttl e at Polygo n Wood in guide you t hrough the battlefields . ❸ Memo ria l Museu m P assch enda ele Septembe r 1917 . This itin erary takes you on an eas y 191 7 a nd it s o pe n air tr ench es, Foll ow th e sam e r oa d throug h circuit east out of Ypres to th e loca ted in t he groun ds of the to V and erwall e wher e y ou hav e Passchendaele battlefields and Tyne Zonn ebek e Cha tea u on Ieperstra at. to take a maj or ro ad (A1 9) for a Cot cem etery, south to Polygon Tak e the cy cle pat h fro m hund red metres or so bu t q ui te Wood and then back to Ypres past Zonn ebek e to Tyn e Cot , t he qui ckly you ca n tur n w es t on to the Hooghe Crater. The route i s ❹ larges t Commo nweal th War Graves th e N8 to war ds F ron t Line Hoogh e. plotted along r oads t hat aren’t very Ce metery in the worl d and ju st In th e gro und s of th e Chatea u busy but i t’s worth checking at th e a fe w km s no rth of th e to wn. Hoog he, yo u can se e tre nch Tourist O fffffi ce for any dedi cate d Man y of t hos e b urie d here die d in lin es, ent er a bunke r and se e the bike paths t hat follow par ts of thi s autum n 1 91 7, in the infa mou s B attl e Hoog he Crate r – th e sit e of te rribl e itinerary. The ride is approx. 27 k m of P ass chen dael e. fightin g f or mo re tha n t hre e year s. long, acro ss easy terrain. You ca n ride it in an hour or two or spen d Fro m Tyn e Co t, hea d sout h to t he Aro und 4k m pas t th e mu seum , the a leis urely day cycling around th e N30 3 toward s M olen aare ist an d on N8 rejoin s th e N3 32 an d y ou ar e points of i ntere st. to ❺ Pol ygo n Wood . Mo re tha n bac k at t he Meni n Ga te.

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Itineraries 51

Pozière s an d the 1916 front line

On 1 July 19 16, the Allied Forces launched the summer offfffensive, Wa r Hi storia n Char les Bean. O ve r a coordi nated attack along 40 km of the Western Front in th e seve n week s in 1916, th e A ust rali an Somme Vall ey. The ba ttle began just after 7am with a serie s of Imp eria l Forc e s ufffffe red 23, 00 0 cas ualtie s nea r thi s spo t. massive mine explosions, the l argest created the Lochnaga r Crater at La Boiselle. Three weeks later, Australian troops went Retrace your steps into Pozières an d into ba ttle for the first time on the Western Front to ta ke th e turn west along the D73 t owards Thie pval (just ov er 3k ms), passing strategic high point at Pozi ères, then on to the heavily fortifie d through the valley wh ere Australians Mouquet Farm. In the attempt to get to Thi epval Ridge fro m foug ht at ❺ Mouqu et Farm. behind, these actions pro ved to be among the most important and most costly for Australian For ces in France. You can see the ❻ Thi epval Memorial ahead of you. You’ll want to spend at least an hour visitin g This walk takes you t hrough t hose At this we ster n e nd of the vi llag e the Memorial and the new museum. key battle sites of July 1916. You you’ll als o se e an ob elis k, t he Don’t miss the new mural by Jo e sta rt at La Boisell e, head no rth f rom st Aust ralia n 1 Divi sio n Memori al Sacco; and maybe take a break i n the Lochnagar Crat er to Poziè res , als o comme moratin g s oldi ers the mu seum café. You can go on west wards to Mouquet Farm an d los t betwe en Jul y an d Septemb er from h ere to the Ul ster Tower an d the Thi epval Memorial and return 1916 . A lmos t 70% of the m wer e the N ewfoundland Memorial. Or alongside the river Ancre, t hrough wou nde d or kill ed in j us t fou r day s turn south east and walk either o n Authuille to La Boiselle. The t otal – 23 -26 Jul y 1916 . the D151 or along the canal t hat run s walk is around 16 km, about 4 to 5 beside the ri ver Anc re. hours. If you are feeling en ergetic, Wal k abou t 1 km throug h the you could add in a visit to the Ul ster vill age an d beyo nd in the di recti on Stop at the vi llag e of ❼ Authui lle. Tower and the Newfoundland of B apaum e to th e ❹ Wind mill . If you ’re f eeli ng hung ry, th ere are Memorial just a f ew kilometre s Th e Windmi ll si te is on “a ri dge som e good restauran ts h ere. Th en beyond Thi epval. mor e den sely sown with Australi an continu e sout h until you meet up sacri fic e than an y o ther pl ace wit h t he D 20. Tur n r ight and you’ re Download the Ap p: Aust rali ans in on ea rth” acc ordin g to Offfffici al bac k at La Bo isell e. th e Somm e 16 & 18 for an audi o guid e to w alk s aroun d P ozi ères, fo ll ow in g the mar ke rs .

An d don’ t for get to chec k th e tour ist offfffice in Ami ens or Alb ert for map s to loca l walki ng an d cyclin g track s.

Itine rary Sta rt from t he villag e of ❶ La Bois ell e an d f oll ow th e sign s to the ❷ Loch naga r Cra ter, less tha n a kil ome tr e to th e sout h east.

Retrace your steps to the D929, the old Roman r oad from Alb ert to Ba pa ume. Head no rth west, about 4 kms until you reach the outski rts of ❸ Poziè res and the Pozière s Memorial and British Cem etery. The Memorial commemorate s more than 14,000 British and Sout h African t roo ps who died bet wee n March and September 1918 an d have no known grave. The cem eter y mostly contains Australian graves .

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Itineraries 52

The Australian Remembrance Rid e

Trac e th e step s of Aus tralia n sol diers along 200 km of the Wes ter n Front – from Ypres to Amien s – an d to many of the impo rta nt si tes along the A ust ralia n R ememb ran ce Trail .

Yo u ca n als o visi t beautifu l memori als Peace – M essines – Toronto Avenue dedi cate d to soldi ers fro m oth er – Ploeg ste ert – Arm entieres – nati ons wh o fough t her e betw een Fromelles for VC Corner cem ete ry 191 4 an d 191 8 – British , Iri sh, German , Cobbers statue; Battle of Fromelle s Ne w Zeal ander , Indi an, Canadi an Museum and Pheasant Wood. an d Frenc h. Recomm ended Overni ght Fromelles or nearby i n over nigh t stop s at Ypres , Arr as, Aubers or le Maisnil. Alb ert an d Ami ens ens ure you ca n Da y : Fromelles to A rras (52 kms , enjo y som e good foo d, win e an d ❸ mostly flat, avoiding major r oads beer , li vely market s, histori c squ are s, around Lens). Fromelles – Neuve café s an d bar s. Chapelle Indian Memorial – Len s Th e ride is plan ned fo r a 5 da y trip , 14–18 War Mu seum – Necropole avoi ding th e bi g c itie s an d maj or Nationale Notre Dame de Lorette road s. Ar oun d Y pr es an d in the and Ann eau de Memoire (Ring of Somm e V alle y y ou’ll fin d ne w bike Remembranc e) – add Vimy Ridg e path s and cy cle ways . C hec k at the Canadian Memorial) – or st raig ht to tou ris t offfffic e f or up date d m aps . Arras. Overni ght Arras. A reg ula r cyclis t will find th e ride Da y❹ : Ar ras to Alb ert (60 k ms) . rel ativel y ea sy. Yo u ca n spli t an y Arras – Wellington Tunnels – stag e by stopp ing at on e of man y Bulle cou rt Memorial and Bull ecou rt small hot els an d B&B s alon g th e way . Digger statue – Thi epval – Mouqu et Farm – Pozières, the Windmill, th e Before you leave, ch eck ou t the 1st Division Memorial and Gibral ter Anzac Porta l (anzacpo rtal .dva.gov. blockhouse, Lochnagar Crater – au ) fo r mo re hi sto rica l infor mati on Albe rt. Overnight Alb ert . abou t th e rout e an d down loa d a cop y of this T ravell er’ s Guid e to the Da y❺ : Al bert to Amiens (4 9 kms). Austra lia n R eme mbranc e T rail an d Al bert – Derna ncou rt, Aust ral ian 3rd th e A udi o G uid e App : A ustrali ans in Di visio n Mo nument – Va ux su r So mme th e So mme 16 & 18 . – Le Ha mel – Vill ers-Breton neux, th e Vi ctoria Scho ol an d th e Fran co- A detail ed iti nera ry ca n be foun d Au stral ian Mu seu m – Au stral ian at: anzacpo rtal .dva.gov.au Na tiona l Memor ial and th e Si r John Mo nash Centr e – Fo uil loy – Amien s. Itine rary Ov ernight Amiens (o r Co rbi e). Th e da y befor e yo u star t you r rid e, Da y❻ option: Cor bie to Sa int spen d th e aft ernoo n in Ypres : Clot h Qu entin (71 kms) Corbie – Sailly l e Hall , In Fland ers Museum , an earl y Sec – Bray sur Somme – Cappy – dinn er in orde r to ge t a good spo t Péronne 2nd Division Memorial at th e Meni n Gat e fo r th e 8p m La st –Bellenglise – Saint Pos t Cer emony . Over nigh t Ypr es. Quentin (Saint Qu entin to Amiens by train) . Day ❶ : Fl ander s Fiel ds (25 kms wit h lot s of bik e paths) . Men in Gat e – Chat eau Wood – Zonn ebek e –Tyn e Co t – Polygo n Wood – Hoogh e Crat er – Ypres . Ov ernigh t Ypr es. Da y❷ : Ypres to Fromelles (40km s). Early sta rt. Lille Gat e – Pool of

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Credit s 53

CREDIT S

Co ver : Amiens Cathe dra l Tyl er Farr elle y 15 Regi ona l spe cialit ies Somm e Tou rism 42 31 Pt e Art hur Wi ll ia m Woo dward , bot h of the 22 nd Insid e Cove r: AWM E02 8441 Austr alia n soldi ers in 16 2nd Divisi on Me mor ial Pau l Byrnes Batt ali on. While serv ing in Fra nce, Pt e Nor the y was tre nche s in fron t of the village of Le Ha mel afte r the 16 Aus trali an sol diers aft er th e batt le of Per onne ki ll ed in acti on dur ing the Second Battl e of Bul lecou rt bat tle on 4 July 20 18 AWM E031 83 A mac hine gun po sit ion est abl ished by on 3 May 1917 , aged 25 . Dur ing the sam e ba ttl e Pte Woodwar d was wou nded in the uppe r leg on 5 May 1 Aus tr alian recr uiting po st er AWM po st er ARTV 000 39 the 54th Batt ali on dur ing the mor ning of the att ack 19 17, and died at the 5th Ge nera l Hos pital at Rou en A sol dier sou nds hi s bug le for assi sta nce on the front thr ough Per onne . The photogr aph was taken the 18 day s lat er, aged 28. line whi le ci vili ans li st en in the back gr ound . Des igne d follo wing da y, afte r the captur e of the town , when by Nor man Linds ay (187 9-196 9), pai nt er, drau ghts man, po sit ions cl ose to it ha d bee n tak en. 31 Aus trali an troop s passing the ruins of Ypre s AWM Ypre s Sect or, Bel gium. 25 Octobe r 191 7. illus tr ator, car tooni st, pri ntmak er, wri ter and sc ulptor. 17 Be lleng lise AWM E032 60 Troop s of D Comp any, 45 th – E04 612 Aus trali ans on the way to tak e up a fron t line positi on 1 Cycling along th e Somm e Somm e Tou rism Batt ali on, at the ir newl y captur ed objective betwee n Be ll englise and Le Vergu ier, overl ooki ng Ascension in the Ypre s Se ctor. The ruins of Ypres , includi ng 2 Ba ie de So mme at dusk Somm e Tour ism the Clot h Hal l, can be se en in the bac kgr ound . Gu ll y, in fron t of the Hi nde nburg Out pos t Line . The y 3 Chr oma li ght sho w on Ami ens Cat hedra l So mme (p hotograp her Fran k Hur ley ) ar e se en sni ping the retreating e nemy, who a t the Tou rism ti me wer e sca mpe ring up the oppo sit e hi ll slope , in 32 Read ing t he na mes on th e wa lls , Men in Gat e 4 Bo ati ng arou nd th e horti ll on age s Somm e Tour ism an eff ort to esca pe the gun and rifl e fire . Ident ified , Vi sit Flan der s 4 Th e Clot h Hal l, Ieper Visi t Flan ders firs t fro m the righ t is Privat e J. O' Hehir. 32 Iep er, Clot h Hall Vi sit Flan der s 5 Sa turda y marke t, Arra s Nel son La i 17 Wi nes in a sh op in Bo ulogne Vil le Ha ute Fra nc e 33 Th e Las t Pos t Cere mony, Men in Gat e Visi t Flan ders 6 Lt Fran k Watt s Dav is AWM PAF U20 13/1 85.01 Stud io Ma rk Bassett / Alam y Stoc k Phot o 33 Li ons of Men in Gat e AWM P057 77.01 An uni dentifi ed phot ograp h of Lt Fran k Watt s Da vis , 50 th Batt alion, 18 Marke t, Cor bie So mme Tou rism ma n st and s be side one of the two carved lion s at the ki ll ed in acti on on 2 Feb rua ry 19 17 18 Abbe y Ch urc h of St Pierr e AWM H15 599 Cor bie, Me nin Gat e entrance . 1920 7 So mme 1916 AWM E20 122 Memb ers of the 6th Fra nce. 191 8. A rui ned churc h photograp hed lat e in 34 Bel gian bee r Visit Fl ande rs Br iga de ha lted in a congested part of a su nken roa d the yea r. (Do nor Br iga dier Ge nera l H. E. Elli ott) 34 Bel gian chocol ate Ne lson La i du ring the ir marc h to Fricourt in a rear are a of the 19 Cas ual ty cl eari ng st ation AWM E006 72 Unide ntifi ed 34 Mou les and othe r she ll fis h Visit Fl and ers So mme ba ttl efiel d wou nded soldier s being treated at an ad vanced fiel d 35 In Fl and ers Fiel ds mu seu m Visit Fl ande rs 8 Rest aurant s at St Leu Dale Star r dressi ng stat ion , 2nd Aus trali an Di vis ion . Ma ny of the 35 Pop py tri bute s Visit Fl and ers 8 Sa nd ba gs protec ting Amien s cat hedra l Amiens wou nded of the 2nd Di vis ion pass ed thr ough this 36 Métr opol e stat ion afte r the adva nce on 31 July 19 17. Polygon Wood Ceme try Lisa Mich ele Bu rns 33 AWM E00800 Members of the 2nd 9 Insid e the Th iepva l Me mori al to th e Missing Pa ul 20 le Ha mel - Aus tral ian Cor ps Me mor ial Pol ygon Wood Aust ralian Pioneer Battalion making a wagon t rac k By rnes So mme Tour ism from pla nks of wood at Cha teau Wood, in the Yp res 20 Le Ha mel – quot ation on th e wa ll Somm e Tou rism 9 Det ail fro m th e Joe Sa cc o mura l Pau l Byrnes Sec tor, to allow the pa ssage of t raf fi c deeper int o 9 Rob ert War ner AWM P05 301 .244 St udi o por trai t of 21 Portrai t of Si r john Mona sh Na tional Por trai t Gal lery the f reshly capt ured ground, and to facilit ate a 49 27 Pr ivat e Rob ert War ner, 13 th (late r 4th Pi onee r 21 Mon ash escort s Aus trali an PM Wi lli am Hug hes AWM further ad vance . Batt ali on) Batt ali on, of Ki ama, NS W. He di ed on 16 E0 3851 The Pr ime Mi niste r of Austral ia, the Ri ght 36 Mus eum Passc hen dae le Vi sit Fl and ers Sept embe r 1916 at the 44th Casu alt y Clear ing St ation, Ho nour able W. M. Hu ghes , with Li eut enan t Genera l 37 Tyn e Co t Milit ary Cemet ery Visi t Flande rs Fra nce, of wou nds received in act ion , on 15 Aug ust Si r John Mona sh, Br iga dier Ge nera l (Brig Ge n) E. 19 16, ag ed 18 . Tive y, and pa rty, dur ing a vi sit to the Austral ian fr ont. 37 Sg t Lewi s Mc Gee AW M A02623 Port rait of Sgt Le wi s McGee VC 40t h Battalion Aust ralian I nfantr y, killed i n 10 Art il lery at Poziere s AWM E201 41 Gu nne rs of an Ident ified , lef t to ri ght, in the for egrou nd: Bri g Gen action on 23 No vember 1917 Aus trali an batt ery us e an 18 pounder Brit ish fiel d gu n Tive y (for egrou nd); the Right Ho nourabl e W. Hug hes ; to rai n 'barrage fire ' on the ene my tre nches . Not e the Si r John Mona sh and Mr Marlowe , Edit or, Dail y Ma il . 38 She lls bu rst ing ove r messa ge runne rs, Messi nes pi le of empt y she ll case s on t he right. 22 Vi llers-Bret onneu x M il itar y Cemetar y AWM E005 99 Two mes sage runne rs pr oceed ing towar d Hi ll 63 , in Bel gium , d ur ing the bat tle of 11 Fir st Di vis ion Memo rial So mme Tour ism Li sa Mi che le Bu rns Messi nes on 7 Jul y 1917. Whi lst thi s phot o was be ing 22 Ecol e Victor ia Ne lson La i 11 Albe rt Jacka AWM A03 408 St udi o portrai t of La nce taken three shel ls burs t one on top of the hi ll on the Corpora l (L Cpl ) (late r Capt ain) Albert J ack a (late r VC 23 Aus trali an Nat ion al Me mor ial Somme Tour ism lef t; one on the extrem e right of the pict ure , near th MC and ba r) of the 14 Bat tal ion . L Cpl Jacka wa s 23 Hea dst one fro m Ade lai de Cemet ery VB Pau l By rne s Pl oegst eert Woo d; and one uncomf ortably clos e to awarded the Vict oria Cross fo r 'cons picu ous braver y 24 Vie w of th e grassed roo f of th e Sir John Mo nas h the camera . on the night of 19 and 20 May, 1915 at Cour tney 's Centr e Lisa Mi chele Bu rns 38 Lange mark Ger man War cemet ery Vi sit Fl ander s Pos t, Ga llipoli Pe nins ula.'. He wa s the firs t Aus trali an 24 Entranc e to Si r John Mo nas h Centr e reci pient of the Victor ia Cross in the Firs t Wor ld War. 39 Wi lkins and Joy ce on a tan k AWM E03 915 Austral ian Li sa Mi che le Bu rns Offici al Phot ograp her, Capt ain Ge orge Hub ert Wil ki ns, 11 Ulst er Me mor ial Somm e Tour ism 25 Th e Sir John Mon ash Centr e vi ewed fro m the MC, (ri ght) wit h Staff Sergean t Wil li am Joy ce (lef t), 11 Newfoun dland Pau l Byrnes west ern cou rtyar d Tyle r Fa rrelle y st andi ng wit h tripod and camera on a Brit ish Mark 11 Lochn agar Crate r Pau l Byrnes 25 Inter ior, Si r John Mona sh Centr e Li sa Mi chel e Burns V ta nk, as the pair recor d the ad vance of Aust rali an troo ps thr ough the Hindenbur g Li ne. 4 Octob er 19 18 12 Th e Lea ning Vi rgi n, Albert AWM C032 60 The Basili ca 25 Ri sing sun mos aic Lisa Mi chele Bu rns of No tr e Dam e de Brebi eres at Albert pho togr ap hed 39 Fr ank Hurl ey with un exploded shell AW M E01059 26 Vie w fro m th e belf ry, Arra s Explor e Arr as to wards the end of 191 6, af ter hea vy art iller y shelli ng. Informal port rait of Captain Jame s Fr ancis ( Fr ank ) 27 Vie w fro m Town Hall Towe r, Arra s Nel son La i 12 Rue d’Au stral ie Pau l By rne s Hurl ey, Aust ralian Of fi cial Pho tog raphe r, standing 27 Arra s Satur day Ma rke t Ne lson La i beside a bi g Germa n she ll whic h ha d failed to explo de 12 Mus ee So mme Somm e Tou rism 27 Welli ngton Tun nel s Pa ul By rnes when it fell on the Pozi ere s Roa d in Fra nce , duri ng the 12 M Betrancourt Pa ul By rnes 28 Th e Ring of Reme mbr ance Pau l Byr nes fighti ng so me tim e ear lier. 29 Sept ember 191 7 13 Tunne ls at Na ours Jér ôme Hal atr e 28 Can adi an Nat ion al Me mor ial at Vimy Ridge Pa ul 40 Ent ry to Hi ll 63 AWM E044 86) An outdo ors inf ormal 13 Nao urs gr affit i Jér ôme Hal atr e th By rnes group por trai t of unide ntified memb ers of 7 Fiel d 14 Vi gnacourt AWM P10 330 .006 Group portr ait of ei ght Compa ny of Austr alia n Eng ine ers st anding outside the 29 Fromel le s AWM E200 07 Me mbe rs of the 2nd unide ntified memb ers of the 2nd Divi sio n hol ding a entra nce to the Ca tacomb s in Hill 63 . The Ca tacomb s Aus trali an Di vis ion, and possi bly the 17 th Batt alion, si gn tha t reads 'We want ou r Mu mie ' [si c]. Severa l of wer e a syste m of tun nels of co nsiderabl e length, in the trenc hes in the Bois Gr enie r sect or. The so ldier the soldiers wea r ide ntit y bracel ets in the sha pe of fitted to accomm odat e ove r 1,000 men . A woo den in the for eground is l oo king throu gh a peri scop e; Aus trali a. Fro m the Thuill ie r co llecti on of glass plat e si lhoue tte of a ka ngar oo is att ached to the tunne l the man to hi s lef t is hol ding a Lewi s gu n. The 17 th ne gat ives . Tak en by Loui s and Antoi nett e Thuilli er in entra nce whi ch is si gnpo sted 'Plumer Roa d'. 22 Batt ali on entered the Bo is Gre nier secto r on 3 June Vi gnacou rt, France during the peri od 19 16 to 1918 . Janua ry 19 18 19 16, and Char les Bea n's di ary record s this ima ge as 15 Bert Mou at AWM H061 13 Portr ait of 4671 Privat e be ing st aged by Br ooks . 41 Poo l of Peac e Pau l By rne s (Pte ) Her bert Alexa nde r Moua t, 6th Batt ali on. He wa s 29 Ne w muse um and cemet ery at Frome ll es Pau l 41 Toront o Avenue Cemet ery Li sa Mi chele Bur ns wou nded in acti on, recei ving a guns hot wound to the By rnes (capt ion withi n text ) 41 Grav e ston e of Cecil Sha rp Wi se Pau l By rne s sp ine , on 28 Oct ober 19 17 and tra nsferred to ho spi tal 42 Cross of Sacr ifice, VC Corner Frome lle s Pau l By rnes in England where he late r di ed, on 28 Sept ember 29 Cob ber s stat ue Pau l By rnes (c apti on wit hin text ) 19 18. An insc ript ion on the bac k of the postcar d 30 Th e Bul lecourt Digger Pau l Byrnes 42 Thi stl e Dump Mil itar y Cemet ery, So mme Pau l By rnes reads : "4 671 Pt e Herbert Alexa nder Mo uat, 6th 30 Two Fri end s AWM P07 641 .002 Stud io por trai t of 45 Marke t Rooft ops, Arra s Lis a Michel e Burn s Batt ali on, ho ldi ng the 'Xma s Dinner'. Tak en in Fra nce. " 41 78 Pr ivat e (Pte ) Franc is Ha rrup Nort hey (lef t) and 46 Ho rse s on Bea ch, Somm e Tou rism

Aust ralian Remembran ce Trail A Trav elle r’s Guid e Ostend

LONDO N ENGLAN D r Dunkir k B E L G I U M Dove f o Ieper / t BRUSSELS ai Ypres r t S BELGIU M River Lill e

Somme Yser Langemar k RiveCalaisr Tyne Cot Cemeter y Amiens Péronn e Ypr es Passchendael e F R A N C E Polygon Wood Brussels Hill 6 0 0 80kilometres PARI S 0 40miles Ploegsteer t Toronto Avenu e N

Lys River Lille Fromelles

Lens Not re Dame De Loret te Vimy

F R A N C E Arra s

Saint Valerie sur Somme Bullecour t

Somme Beaumont-Hamel Ulster Tower Naour s Thiepva l Pozières River Lochnagar crater Alber t Dernancour t Mont St -Quenti n Corbie Péronn e Bellenglise Amiens Le Hame l Villers-Bretonneu x

sir john monash centr e Australian National Memoria l

Aus trali an Rememb ran ce Trai l 0 50kilometres

The Western Fro nt 0 20miles (early 1917 ) Paris