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 Sydney, 22 August 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 13 October 1916, and marched into No 3 Command Depot, the same day.

Marched into 5th Training Bn, 4 November 1916.

Proceeded overseas to France, 28 December 1916; marched into 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 29 December 1916.

Taken on strength of 17th Bn, in the field, 6 February 1917.

Wounded in action, 3 May 1917, and admitted to No 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station the same day (gunshot wound, right eye); transferred to No 11 Stationary Hospital, Rouen, 4 May 1917; marched into 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 11 May 1917.

Rejoined unit, 30 May 1917.

Wounded in action, 6 November 1917 (2nd occasion); admitted to No 3 Australian Field Ambulance, 6 November 1917 (gunshot wound, face); transferred to No 24 General Hospital, Etaples, 8 November 1917; discharged, 27 December 1917; marched into Australian Intermediate Base Depot, Le Havre, 29 December 1917.

Proceeded to unit, 5 January 1918; rejoined 17th Bn, 9 January 1918.

On leave in United Kingdom, 16 June 1918; admitted to No 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, 29 June 1918 (influenza); discharged, 5 July 1918; rejoined unit, 8 July 1918.

Killed in action, 8 August 1918.

Buried 62d, 350 yards west of Lamotte Santeue, P 36 D 1 8 by 5th Division Burial Officer.