THE BATTLE OF FROMELLES
Date: July 19th, 1916
Australia's Involvement: The battle of Fromelles was a dreadful and bloody fight for the Australian soldiers who fought for warfare on the Western Front. Soldiers of the newly arrived 5th Australian Division, together with the British 61st Division, were ordered to attack strongly fortified German front line positions near the Aubers Ridge in French Flanders.
Significance to Australia:
Australia's Involvement: The battle of Fromelles was a dreadful and bloody fight for the Australian soldiers who fought for warfare on the Western Front. Soldiers of the newly arrived 5th Australian Division, together with the British 61st Division, were ordered to attack strongly fortified German front line positions near the Aubers Ridge in French Flanders.
Significance to Australia:
- By some, the battle of Fromelles is considered to be not only the most tragic event in WW1 but the most tragic event in Australia's entire history
- Over 5 and a half thousand Australian Soldiers died. More than 2,000 were killed in action or died from their battle wounds and many more were captured
- Some believe that this significant battle could have been the greatest loss in just 24 hours during the First World War
- Over 1 and a half thousand Australian soldiers still remain missing from the battle of Fromelles today
- The attack was intended to hold German reserves from moving south to the Somme where a large Allied offensive had begun on 1 July