For many the enduring image of Australia’s First World War experience was Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915, but this was only a prelude to the wholesale slaughter of the Western Front. Australian losses at Gallipoli were 8,141 dead and over 18,000 wounded. Australia contributed a disproportionately large number of troops (300,000 from a population of 5 million). The total cost in Australian lives was around 60,000 dead and thousands more badly wounded. The northwest of France and southern Belgium is where Australia paid dearest. The War quickly reached a stalemate between German forces and the defending French and British Empire troops (including the Australian Imperial Force). The Western Front ran from the North Sea coast in Belgium through France all the way to the Swiss border. The scale and horror of this war eclipsed all previous ones as it was the first war fought on an industrial scale.

The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19 July 1916 and was the first action on the Western Front for the First Australian Imperial Force. Intended as a diversion from the main battle of the Somme it ended as a victory for the Germans and cost thousands of Australian casualties. Adolf Hitler was thought to be in action in this sector with the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment.Fromelles (59249) is south of the city of Lille and is the site of VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial.
The Battle of Pozières lasted from 23 July to 7 August 1916. The village of Pozières lies on the Albert-Bapaume road and was where the Germans had dug in.The task of capturing Pozières fell to the three Australian Divisions of I Anzac Corps.
The midnight attack on Pozières was a success, due to careful planning (a rare commodity in those days) and a devastating artillery barrage. The Germans, recognising the importance of the village to their defensive network, made several counter-attacks with the final assault coming before dawn on the 7 August. The Germans overran Australian position resulting in vicious hand to hand combat in which the Australians emerged victorious.In the fighting at Pozières and Mouquet Farm, the three Australian divisions suffered over 23,000 casualties. Pozières (80300) is northeast of Amiens (80000) and home to the Windmill Memorial Site.
Bullecourt (62128) south of Arras is home to the Australian 'slouch hat memorial'. The hat sitting atop the memorial is an actual slouch hat that was bronzed. The Battle of Menin Road was part of the Passchendaele - Messines Ridge offensive some times referred to as the Third Battle of Ypres.
The objective was to gain control of the Menin Road (main east-west axis for Belgium). The Australian 1st and 2nd Divisions were tasked to take Spur Zonnebeke (soon dubbed Anzac Ridge). The battle started on 20 September 1917 and concluded on 6 November 1917 when the Canadians took Passchendaele at a terrible cost. This was one of the early battles featuring tanks who performed poorly in the liquid mud. The ground was so churned up and poisoned by shellfire and waterlogged by rain the area turned into a horrific bog where unknown hundreds of soldiers drowned in the mud.
The village of Passchendaele now forms part of the municipality of Zonnebeke. The Australian 5th Division memorial sits atop the Polygon Wood Butte on the Ieper (Ypres) to Zonnebeke road in Belgium.The memorial remembes the Australian 5th Division's 5,471 dead and wounded.
The Menin Gate Memorial is located in the Belgian town of Ieper (Ypres) and is dedicated to British, Anzac and Canadian sacrificed in the battles of Ypres.
The Battle of Amiens is remembered by Australians because it involved the action at Villers-Bretonneux. The battle commenced on 4 April 1918 when 15 German divisions (more than 100,000 troops) advanced on the strategic city of Amiens. The 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division and British 18th Division made a stand on the outskirts of Villers-Bretonneux, 16 km east of Amiens and halted the German advance.
Villers-Bretonneux (80800) is a small village near Amiens where around 10,000 Australians were killed or wounded defending it. There are two war cemeteries in Villers-Bretonneux containing hundreds of Australian dead. The Village includes many memorials to Australian sacrifices such as the Franco-Australian Museum. Perhaps the most poignant is the large sign in Villers-Bretonneux school yard that says ‘Never forget Australia’
The Battle of Hamel was the site of the Battle of Hamel on 4 July 1918 was a planned offensive against the Germans holding the town of Hamel. It was a brilliant success and a breakthrough in warfare terms as it did not needlessly throw away lives. Australian commander Lieutenant General John Monash was in command and dispensed with the traditional massed frontal assaults. The battle was over in under two hours with all objectives met and relatively light casualties. Coordinated infantry, artillery and the new weapon tanks brilliantly. He even introduced the concept of aerial resupply of food and medicine via parachute drops. Monash, sickened by the conduct of the war and the attitude of his British General Staff was adamant that he would not sacrifice his troops needlessly. Monahs’s tactics served as a practical demonstration of how to break a deadlock through skill not brute force. His tactics were adopted on a grander scale at the battle of Amiens with great success.
Le Hamel is not to be confused with the town of Hamel (59151) due south of the city of Douai.It is close to Villers-Bretonneux near a town called Corbie (80800).

Amiens or Albert are ideal bases to explore the various battlfields and memorials. Use ViaMichelin.com to plan your route.

Australians on the Western Front new site

Tours of the Somme Battlefields

Department of Veterans Affairs site about War Memorials in France and Belgium.

Australian War Memorial Official History of the Western Front.

Get Les Carlyon’s excellent book ‘The Great War’ at Angus & Robertson

British Imperial War Museum Site relating to the Somme

Getting to the battlefields is fairly straight forward.
From Paris take the train to Amiens and hire a car
From London take the Eurostar to Lille and hire a car
From all over UK or Ireland take a low cost airline into Paris Charles de Gaulle or Paris Beavais airports and hire a car
From Normandy (Caen), Amiens is an easy 250km drive

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