The AIF Project

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Embarked from Brisbane on board H.T 'Kyarra', 16 April 1915. Taken on strength 9th Bn, at Gallipoli, 22 June 1915. Admitted to 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance, 12 October 1915 (pyrexia); moved to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, 13 October 1915. Embarked aboard H.T 'Valdivia', 18 October 1915; disembarked at Alexandria. Admitted to 1st Australian Hospital 18 November 1915; discharged to duty at Tel-el-Kebir, 7 January 1916. Taken on strength, 49th Bn, at Habeita, 25 February 1916.

Found Guilty, 3 June 1916, of being absent without leave from 9.00 am, 13 May 1916, to 7.15 pm, 13 May 1916: forfeited 3 day's pay.

Found guilty, 24 June 1916, of (1) drunkenness, and (2) using insubordinate language to his superior officer, 19 May 1916: awarded 60 days' Field Punishment No 1.

Embarked Alexandria, 5 June 1916; disembarked, Marseilles, 12 June 1916. Proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Force.

Found Guilty, 3 August 1916, of Disobeying in such a manner as to show willful defiance of authority, a lawful command given personally by his superior officer in the execution of his duty, 22 July 1916: awarded 3 years' penal servitude. Sentence suspended, 6 August 1916.

Killed in action, 13 August 1916.