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.

Statement, Red Cross File No 0010906G, 2394 Driver H.G. MARSHALL, 27th Bn (patient, 3rd Southern General Hospital, The Base, Oxford, England), 27 April 1917: 'I was going up with rations about Nov. 5th at Flers when I was told by the C. Coy. Trench Mortar quarter Master (whose name I forget) that George Adam (27., C) had been killed by a shell in the lines that morning. He was buried behind the line. I have not actually seen his grave ...'

Second statement, 4775 Pte S.V. WADEY, 27th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 4 May 1917: 'In front of Bapaume he was shot in the Head. I was next to him at the time[;] it was in a German trench held for a day and evacuated in the morning [of] 6th Nov.'

Third statement, 2nd Lt J. JURY, D Company, 27th Bn, 7 June 1917: On November 5th I was cpl. with him and though I did not actually see him killed I know he was shot through the head at Bayonet trench Flers ... I know nothing as to burial.'

Fourth statement, 486 Pte H.J. WORK, 27th Bn, 3 January 1919: 'He was killed at Flers Nov. 5th, 9 a.m. sniped through the head. I saw his dead body. It was put out of the trench. Moved on night of 6th. No details of burial'.