*Battle of Hamel

Battle of Hamel
4^th July 1918

Photo: A new generation of French children acknowledge the service and sacrifice of the First AIF at the Battle of Hamel [Yves Fohlen]

The 4^thJuly is the 91^st anniversary of the Battle of Hamel. The Australian 4^th Division under the command of Lieutenant General (later Sir) John Monash  executed a decisive battle plan which had reached its objectives within 93 minutes of the commencement of the battle. Charles Bean, in his book ANZACS to Amiens stated: The main result of Hamel was that Monash’s careful arrangements furnished the model for almost every attack afterwards made by British infantry with tanks during the remainder of that war.

Interesting facts about the Battle of Hamel:

• This was the first time that American troops were engaged in fighting on the Western Front with the AIF;
• The first time the 5 Australian divisions fought under the command of an Australian officer, Lieutenant General John Monash;
• Tanks were successfully used in the battle to supply the troops and provide creeping protection from enemy machine gunners;
• 1600 German prisoners were taken during the battle; and
• Ammunition was dropped to AIF troops by parachute from planes.

Photo: Original Australian Corps Memorial at Le Hamel [Laffin Collection]

FFFAIF founder and Australian military historian John Laffin  conceptualised and campaigned for the construction of the Australian Corps Memorial Park at Le Hamel . The original memorial was opened on July 4 1998.

Photo: Australian Corps Memorial July 2008 [www.gg.gov.au]

As a result of the original memorial not being suited to the extreme weather conditions of the Western Front, it was replaced in 2008 by a new memorial. The new memorial was dedicated by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and FFFAIF patron, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC. See NEWS Item Le Hamel Re-dedicated  for photos and details of the service.

*****

The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French governments for affording Australian and British soldiers buried in mass graves at Pheasant Wood by German soldiers following the Battle of Fromelles on 19/20 July 1916 dignified individual reburials in a new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds the joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.