A chapter of History

1916

Battle of the Somme

On the 1st July 1916, at precisely 7.30am, a few moments after the simultaneous explosion of several huge mines ('Hawthorn' in Beaumont-Hamel, 'Lochnagar' at La Boiselle...), the British and French infantry advanced from their trenches. In the British sector, the situation was disastrous : new and inexperience troops were shattered on the slopes of Beaumont-Hamel and Thiepval.

Next day, the number of casualties suffered on the 1st July proved to have been appalling : 58 000 men fell, including 20 000 killed. Thirty-two battalions had lost more than 500 men; the Newfoundlanders lost 700 men in thirty minutes.

Never before had Britain and her Empire faced a conflict of such proportions, never before had they suffered a military catastrophe on so great a scale.

1918

A pivotal year

The German army was reinforced by the arrival of divisions transferred from the east : this was the year of the final German offensive on the 21 March.

On the 26th March, Presidents and Generals met in Doullens Town Hall, and decided to create a unified command.The British, French and American governments have conferred on General Foch the strategic control of military operations of the Allied forces.

Over the 24th, 25th and 26th April, the German breakthrough and advance towards Amiens was halted by Australian forces at Villers-Bretonneux.

The intervention of American troops in May 1918 at Cantigny helped to contain the German offensives of spring 1918 and raised Allied moral.

On the 4th July 1918 at Le Hamel, General Monash successfully led his Australian troops into a tactical battle that lasted only 93 minutes.

The Allied counter-offensive, which began with the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918, led to the Armistice being signed on the 11 November.