The AIF Project

Bar to MM

Military Medal

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.

Military Medal

Bar to Military Medal

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (Gallipoli Campaign), 2 March 1915.

Wounded in action, 15-17 May 1915 (gun shot wound, left cheek: severe), and admitted to 1st Casualty Clearing Station; transferred to Alexandria, and admitted to 17th General Hospital, 19 May 1915, and transferred same day to 15th General Hospital.

Embarked for Gallipoli, 21 June 1915; rejoined 10th Bn, 25 June 1915.

Wounded in action (2nd occasion), 6 August 1915 (gun shot wound, left ear), and admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station; transferred to HS 'Ascania', 7 August 1915; disembarked Alexandria, 11 August 1915, and admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital, Cairo; transferred to 2nd Australian General Hospital, 11 August 1915; discharged to duty, 29 August 1915.

Rejoined Bn, Gallipoli, 25 October 1915.

Appointed Lance Corporal, Mudros, 6 December 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria, 29 December 1915 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Reduced to ranks, 6 January 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 27 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 3 April 1916.

Admitted to 8th Casualty Clearing Station, 18 April 1916 (pneumonia); transferred to Australian General Hospital, Wimereux, 18 April 1916; to No 5 Convalescent Camp, 24 April 1916; to Base Depot, Etaples, 4 May 1915; rejoined Bn, in the field, 17 May 1916.

Appointed Lance Sergeant, 1 August 1916.

Promoted Sergeant, 19 October 1916.

Posted to 3rd Training Bn, Durrington, England, 21 March 1917.

On Command, School of Instruction, Chelsea Barracks, London, 21 April 1917.

Proceeded ovetrseas to France, 25 September 1917; rejoined 10th Bn, in the field, 5 October 1917.

Detached to 2nd Army School of Instruction, 8 February 1918; rejoined Bn from detachment, 17 March 1918.

Proceeded to Paris as member of Representative Platoon, 8 July 1918; rejoined Bn from Paris Guard, 20 July 1918.

Killed in action, 11 August 1918.

Statement, Red Cross File No 1030609J, 3509 Pte C.N. HALL, B Company, 10th Bn, 27 November 1918: 'He was of B. Company, V Platoon. About 9 o'clock in morning of 10th August near Lihons working through a wood. Was killed outright by machine gun bullets. Hit in head and body. I was 15/20 yards away at the time and saw him afterwards. Was buried near old German C.C.S. at Lihons, cross erected. I saw his cross ready, but did not see his grave. He had won the "M.M." and was recognised as one of the finest soldiers in the Battalion. I think he came from Mt Gambier District, South Australia.'

Second statement, 5998Pte L.C.KEMP, B company, 10th Bn (patient, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, England), 29 November 1918: 'He was in B. Coy. I did not see Casualty, but saw him a few minutes after then dead, near Harbonnieres at Creepy Wood. He had been hit in groin and other parts of body and lived about half an hour. Casualty happened in the early morning of August 11th 1918, and he was hit just after hop-over. I knew him well, and he came from Hindmarsh, South Australia, where he worked on railways.'

Third statement, 4877 Pte J. SPIBEY, A company, 10th Bn, 12 December 1918: 'All these boys [355 W. FAINT, 2576 J.P. AHERN, 5370 P.G. GUY, 2381 W. HANSEN, 2800 A. SUTCLIFFE, 2700 C.A. WILLIAMS] except Sergeant Faint, were in A. Company and were killed at Creepy Wood on August 11th 1918, and were buried in a large grave just on the border of the Wood. There was a large photo taken of the grave with the cross on it. Captain McCann, D.S.O., M.C., and bar of the 10th Battalion, A Company, has the negative, and has promised a copy to all those who took part in the action. There were 25 boys buried in the grave, all killed at the same time.'

Fourth statement, 7368 Pte C. RICHMOND, 10th Bn (patient, Fulham Military Hospital, London, England), 13 February 1919: 'I knew Sgt. Faint very well - he had a Military Medal, and he won the bar to it in this stunt where he got killed. 50 of our Battalion got killed at Creepy Wood on Aug. 11th. I helped to bury him. A big hole was dug and they were all buried together and a big cross was put up with all their names on.'