Families and Friends of the First AIF member and ‘Froggie Cobber’ Yves Fohlen shares his 2010 Anzac Day experiences in the following report. The photos in the report were provided by Yves and fellow French member Carole Laignel.
On 25 April I awoke at 2 am…. left home at 2.30 am and reached, by motorway, Villers Bretonneux at 3.30 am. As in past years I parked in Fouilloy village and walked up to the VB Memorial. To march the 2 kms to the Australian VB memorial is my very private way to “enter that Holy ground”….a way to really GO OVER THE TOP.
Photo: View across the fields to the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux [Yves Fohlen]
At the memorial I met good old Australian friends Major General Paul Stevens AO Director of Australian Office of War Graves & Mr Rodney Muir from Australian Embassy in France. Both are deeply involved in the Bullecourt Museum project and are true Friends of France. Rodney obliged me to take a sit among the officials !!!! So for the first time I attended VB “among the Missings”. Weather was especially warm. (Last year the wind was very cold and we almost froze).
Photo: Australian NAtional Memorial at Villers Bretonneux [Yves Fohlen]
Ceremony went on with perfect timing. Crowd was quite big even if many could not come due to the volcano cloud.
I took this photo when the catafalque party left (Note that they had no weapons because of new strict rules & regulation about the transport and storing of weapons !!).
Photo: Catafalque Party, Australian National Memorial [Yves Fohlen]
The soldier passing by me is from Dubbo…and I had been given by Greame Hosken the mission to meet him. Imagine his surprise to speak with a Froggy about Dubbo. I told him that he is now a star in Dubbo… ahahha.
I also spoke in German with German attaché de défense who had laid a wreath. I told him that it is of importance to see Germans laying a wreath at VB I do think that this German officer appreciated my words.
Many have noted that trees had been removed at VB because tree roots could damage the headstones.
Photo: Villers Bretonneux Cemetery [Carole Laignel]
Then I left around 7.30 am to drive north to Bullecourt. On my way I stopped at Warlencourt British cemetery to visit the graves of Pte Thomas Kitchen 3rd Inf Bn & Pte Reg Benson 3rd Inf Bn…
At Bullecourt after a strong breakfast Jean and I welcomed at the Museum an Australian high school class from Perth.
At 12, as every year, I enjoyed a lunch with the French flag bearers most of them are Franco Algerian War Veterans. Then I went with President of Souvenir Français association d’Arras to the Little Cross Memorial to the Missing.
At 1.30 pm arrived our Australian VIPs. The ceremony at the Little Cross is never on the Official Program but the Australian authorities and French Locals are meeting there to remember the Australian missing of the Bullecourt tragedy.
Among the VIPs at the Little Cross were Senator John Hogg , President of Australian Senate, Lieut Gen Ken Gillepsie AO DSC CSM and several others you may be able to recognised.
The airman is the Australian Attaché militaire in France Colonel Green. Major General Paul Stevens and Mr Rodney Muir were also there.
Photo: Colonel Green, Australian Military Attache, France [Yves Fohlen]
Claude Durrand AM gave an account of the Memorial’s creation.
Photo: Claude Durrand [Yves Fohlen]
Peter Norton [FFFAIF member] told the moving story of Private King.
Photo: FFFAIF member Peter Norton [Yves Fohlen]
After the speeches wreaths were laid at the Little Cross for the Missing:
Photo: Senator John Hogg , President of Australian Senate, laying a wreath at the ‘Little Cross’, Bullecourt [Yves Fohlen]
Photo: Lieut Gen Ken Gillepsie AO DSC CSM laying a wreath at the ‘Little Cross’, Bullecourt [Yves Fohlen]
Then we went to the village for the official ceremony.
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Read more about Anzac Day at Bullecourt in ANZAC Day in France Pt 2