By RON LANE
SOMETHING of which I am sure most Australians are unaware is that for veterans returning home after WWI, a land grant known as Soldiers Settlements was available to help the diggers re-establish themselves after years on the Western Front.
Situated in Queensland in the Granite Belt, just five kilometres west of the New England Highway and 15km north of Stanthorpe, a village was established that was suitable for growing primary products. It was named – Pozieres.
Before the commencement of hostilities in 1914, Pozieres was a small French country village of 300 souls. They tended their cattle and their vineyards. The houses were small, dowdy and close together. Poet John Masefield described it as “poor and without glory except for its lovely trees”.
However it had the misfortune of being what the military termed, on high ground. It was in fact the highest point of the Somme area, therefore of great strategic importance.
Preceded by a seven-day artillery bombardment, the Battle of the Somme commenced in 1916 on 1 July and continued through until 18 November. It was intended to break the stalemate of the trench warfare that had existed on the Western Front since 1914.
Unfortunately the village of Pozieres in the Somme area was a major objective.
Situated as it was, the area surrounding Pozieres was interwoven with German trenches with good fields of fire in all directions.
Early on the morning of 15 July and again at 6pm on the same day, the British had attempted to take the village. They failed. They tried again on 17 July and confronted by a defense system of 10 machine gun nests, the attacking British were annihilated.
It was as a result of these disasters that General Haig, in conference with senior officers decided that the Australian 1st Division would be used.
At 12.30am on 23 July 23, 1916, 22 days after the commencement of the Battle of the Somme, the Diggers moved into position under the cover of darkness. Little did they realise that their objective, Pozieres, was about to become their hell on earth.
Charles Bean, Australia’s Official Military Historian, was to describe Pozieres as being “the one place on earth most densely sown in Australian sacrifice”.
According to one witness, Sgt E.J. Rule, when on 27 July the survivors of the 1st Division were relieved: “They looked like men who had been in Hell … drawn haggard and so dazed that they appeared to be walking in a dream and their eyes looked glassy and starey”.
For the first three days of the battle, the 1st Division suffered over 5300 casualties. However, this was just the start for, until the final withdrawal of Australians Divisions 1, 2 and 4, which had served in the battle on a rotation system, they suffered an estimated 7000 killed and 16,000 wounded. Of those killed, 4112 were never found or identified, due to what can only be described as the most intense artillery barrage of the entire war.
When we compare the casualties of the Gallipoli campaign – 8700 killed and 17,000 wounded over a period of eight months – to Pozieres – 7000 killed and 16,000 wounded in only six weeks – we begin to understand the intensity and the suffering that was Pozieres.
It is interesting to note that during the eight-month Gallipoli campaign, nine Victoria Crosses were awarded, as against five in just six weeks at Pozieres. These figures, according to They Dared Mightily, the history of our V.C. Recipients, again tend to emphasise the brutality of the fighting for this small French Village.
It is estimated that the British alone fired thousands of rounds around the village. These plus the German shells coming in from three sides meant the village of Pozieres ceased to exist as such.
After those first three days what was left of the 1st Division had to be withdrawn and replaced by the 2nd. This was to be the start of what can only be described, as the rotation of death.
Twelve days of defending the village, plus taking high ground known as the Windmill, they too had to be withdrawn and replaced by the 4th Division.
They continued to consolidate and finally took Mouquet Farm, one kilometre to the north. However German counter-attacks finally retook the Farm.
Then on the 3 September, 1916, all Australian Forces were withdrawn from the area.
There were not enough left to continue the fight. Canadian Units replaced the Australians.
Lieutenant Arnold Brown, of the 25th Battalion, which was virtually annihilated at Pozieres said: “The Pozieres battlefield will become a sacred place for all Australians. It will attract pilgrims, perhaps more so than any other place.”
However Brown had not envisioned the allure of Gallipoli or the “brightness of its myth”.
However that small Queensland town of Pozieres will always be there.
Lest We Forget.
