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: Western Front

Embarked, 12 August 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 30 September 1916.

Found guilty, 9 November 1916, of being absent with leave from 2000 hours, 6 November, until midday, 8 November 1916: awarded 144 hours' detention, and total forfeiture of 9 days' pay.

Proceeded overseas to France, 17 December 1916; marched into Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 18 December 1916.

Proceeded to unit, 22 December 1916; taken on strength of 10th Bn, in the field, 25 December 1916.

Admitted to No 3 Australian Field Ambulance, 15 October 1917 (metacarpal, left hand); transferred to No 10 Casualty Clearing Station, 16 October 1917; to No 15 Ambulance Train, 16 October 1917; to No 30 General Hospital, Calais, 16 October 1917; to England, 18 October 1917; to Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, 19 October 1917; to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, 26 November 1917; discharged to furlough, 28 November 1917; marched into No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, 12 December 1917.

Marched into Overseas Training Bde, Longbridge Deverill, 19 December 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 23 January 1918; marched into Australian Intermediate Base Depot, Le Havre; 24 January 1918.

Found guilty, 26 January 1918, of being in town without a pass, and being absent from Tattoo, 24 January, until apprehended by Military Police, 25 January 1918: awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No 2, and total forfeiture of 7 days' pay.

Admitted to No 2 General Hospital, Le Havre, 30 January 1918; discharged, 7 February 1918, and marched into Australian Divisional Base Depot, Le Havre, the same day.

Proceeded to unit, 14 February 1918; rejoined 10th Bn, 17 February 1918.

Killed in action, 11 August 1918.