A COMPETITION FOR YEAR 9 AND 10 STUDENTS

SimpsonPRIZE

THE

Riley Smithers

2017 WinnerQueensland

Pimlico State High School

The Significance of the Western Front on Australian Accounts of the First World War.

rom start to finish the Australians distinguished themselves by their endurance and boldness. By their initiative, their fighting spirit, their magnificent ardour, they proved themselves to be shock troops of the first order.”

Supreme Allied Commander, Marshall Ferdinand Foch’s acknowledgement of Australia’s service in 1918

(Australian War Memorial, 2016) Australia’s involvement in the First World War is of great significance in the nation’s history and identity. The ANZAC spirit is an integral component of Australian culture, established on courage and mateship displayed by soldiers during the Great War. Although experiences of Diggers at Gallipoli are most commonly associated with ANZAC spirit, the bravery and gallantry of Australian soldiers on Western Front - where far greater casualties occurred – was equal to their comrades in Turkey. The Battles of Fromelles and Pozières were significant conflicts for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), being maiden battles in which they directly engaged the main enemy (Germany), with substantial forces, in the main war theatre (Australian War Memorial, 2016). Despite the AIF First Division initially capturing Pozières, both battles were military failures, with staggering fatalities. Accounts of ferocity in these battles are among the most confronting of the First World War, and document qualities defining the ANZAC spirit in measures as deserving of recognition to those reported from the Battle of Gallipoli. The First World War, ‘the war to end wars’, was an important event in Australian history being the first major conflict in which the AIF engaged. The Battle of Gallipoli was the first campaign involving infantry of the newly established Australian nation. Anzac Day (April 25th) commemorates the anniversary of the Anzac Cove landing at Gallipoli. As former Principal Historian of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Peter Stanley stated, “Gallipoli has become a symbol of Australia’s national identity, achievement and existence” (Stanley, 2008) explaining the significance of its commemoration. This outlook reflects the then unprecedented estimated 8, 709 AIF fatalities in eight-months at Gallipoli. However, despite this tragic loss of life, it is important to recognise the ANZAC spirit stems from experiences of Australian soldiers active at both Gallipoli and the Western Front, where 46, 000 Australian fatalities were recorded (Butler, 1938-40)1. The fatality rate on both fronts is horrific considering approximately 20, 000 Australian troops were involved at Anzac Cove and 295, 000 at France and Flanders (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2015). Astonishingly given such losses, the public perceived the Gallipoli campaign as triumphant through British

1 See Table 1. and Table 2. in APPENDIX for extended casualties statistics.

“F

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Government propaganda of the failed battle, with inflated legends such as ‘Simpson and his Donkey’. In contrast, terrifying accounts of the successful Western Front survivors were too ghastly for even the Australian Government to manipulate, resulting in strong public opposition to soldier’s engagement there. ‘Returned’ soldiers attempted to reintegrate into society, however thousands remained permanently damaged with little support and acknowledgement from authorities and general public. Twenty years after the war, Australia had 77, 315 'war disability' pensioners, with war-related problems ranging from 'war neurosis' to physical injuries (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2006). These less comfortable truths are commonly swept aside by perceptions of our national ‘coming of age’ at Gallipoli, and rarely feature in remembrance of the Great War. Contrasting uninhabited Gallipoli, combat on the Western Front obliterated French and Flemish townships, resulting in the deaths of approximately 300,000 citizens (Prost, 2015), who also deserve to be remembered. The widely commemorated Gallipoli campaign was the primary focus of ANZAC ceremonies until 2008, when emphasis shifted towards the Western Front, particularly Villers-Bretonneux, finally providing recognition of those 295, 000 Australian soldiers who battled on French and Flemish soil. Australia’s history has, and will continue to, always focus on Gallipoli, however other battles of World War One deserve recognition. This year (2016) is the 100th Anniversary of Australian involvement in France and Flanders and is the perfect occasion to acknowledge examples of such battles.

The ‘bloody feint’, referred to as the Battle of Fromelles (formerly Battle of Fleurbaix) occurred on 19th -20th July 1916, and was intended to divert German forces away from Somme offensive located further south in France. The Battle of Fromelles was the first major battle in which the AIF participated in France. It is regarded as the greatest loss by a single division within 24 hours in the First World War (Australian War Memorial, 2008). Casualties in the Australian Fifth Division totalled 178 officers and 5,355 enlisted men. Despite lasting just one dreadful night, the casualty toll was equivalent to that of the Boer War, Korean War and Vietnam War combined and is recognised as the most infamous military tragedy in Australia’s history. Lieutenant Dave Doyle, who miraculously survived his only venture through No Man’s Land of Fromelles, described the battle as the “[m]ost awful scene of slaughter imaginable” (McMullin, 2002: 223). The appalling conditions of trench warfare mentioned by Lt. Doyle are depicted in Charles Wheeler’s painting ‘Battle of Fromelles’ 2. The oil canvas portrays the Fifth Division conducting the suicidal advance across No-Man’s Land towards the German defence lines at Sugar-Loaf Salient under extreme artillery bombardment. These actions reflecting the soldiers’ experiences of Fromelles are observed in the ANZAC spirit as heroic and brave. Although these characteristics were previously unacknowledged due to horrendous casualty tolls, there is now no logical reason the sacrifices and gallantry of Australian soldiers at Fromelles and Pozières, should not feature prominently in current commemorations.

2 See Figure 1. in APPENDIX for ‘Battle of Fromelles’

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The Battle of Pozières was a traumatic but essential victory. Pozières Ridge encompassed an important observation post, with excellent vision of surrounding countryside, providing clear warning of enemy advances (Duffy, 2009). Australian involvement commenced at 12:30a.m on 23rd July 2016, with the intention to capture the village on the initial day. The AIF First Division seized German lines and reached Pozières by 1:30a.m (Australian War Memorial, London, 2016). The Division maintained position despite multiple German counter-attacks in ensuing hours. Consequently, the Second Division relieved the First, immediately attempting to capture Pozières Ridge as per orders. Due to alert Germans, the attack failed, resulting in 3, 500 Australian casualties, reducing the strength of the Second Division in following advancements. The Division continued its prolonged, intense assault of Pozières Ridge until its capture on 4th August with official victory of the Battle of Pozières declared on 7th August. Due to casualties totalling 6,848, the Fourth Division replaced the Second in preventing German counter-attacks to seize Pozières (Australian War Memorial, 2016). C.E.W. Bean, official Australian war correspondent recorded in Anzac to Amiens the tragic attempt to capture Pozières caused Australian Divisions to lose “23,000 officers and men in less than seven weeks.” (Bean, 1983: 264). Sergeant E.J. Rule of the 14th Battalion described the effects of the Battle on surviving soldiers’ psychological wellbeing. He noted, these men “had been in hell. In all [his] experience [he has] never seen men quite so shaken up as these.” (Bean, 1935: 599). Sgt Rule’s ghastly description records the disturbing impacts of Pozières on surviving Australian soldiers.

‘The Charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at the Nek, 7 August 1915’3, by George Lambert (1924) portrays Turkish landscape with Australian Infantry suicidally progressing towards heavily protected trenches. Similarly, another First World War illustration, ‘Bombardment of Pozières, July 1916’4 by Frank Crozier, depicts trench warfare at Pozières under heavy shellfire. Crozier’s painting illustrates extremely ferocious German bombardment on AIF defences, which Australians had never experienced before (Australian War Memorial, 2016). Despite depicting the most severe shelling on the Western Front in France, Crozier’s painting shows many Australian soldiers out of trenches, bravely exposed to heavy enemy artillery fire. Both paintings represent historical events, and together demonstrate the ANZAC spirit was present and evolved from our soldier’s actions and experiences on the Western Front as much as during the Gallipoli campaign. Both paintings represent heroism, bravery and courage of Australian soldiers endangering themselves for Australia’s protection, deserved of solemn recognition and commemoration. Although most Australian military participation on the Western Front encountered limited success and large casualty tolls, experiences of Australian soldiers deserve appropriate recognition. Men at Fromelles and Pozières displayed immense courage and gallantry, as they returned to the trenches, continuing towards Germany’s front lines, despite great casualties in their

3 See Figure 2. in APPENDIX for ‘The Charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at the Nek, 7 August 1915’ 4 See Figure 3. in APPENDIX for ‘Bombardment of Pozières, July 1916’

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Divisions. The costly victories and defeats have national significance beyond statistics of strongholds captured and total casualties; the actions and experiences of our soldiers encapsulated core traits that define the ANZAC spirit so central to our national identity. Together with their comrades at Gallipoli, actions and experiences of soldiers who fought in France and Flanders have significantly defined a foundation of Australian culture. They, and their actions in the Great War should be considered the equal of the gallant ANZACs of Gallipoli.

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REFERENCE LIST

AWM (2016). Battle of Pozières. Accessed on 17th May 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/military-event/E72/

AWM (2016). 1918: Australians in France - The cost of war. Accessed on 17th

June 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/1918/victory/costofwar.asp

AWM London (2016). Pozières – The Battle of the Somme, 1916. Accessed on

31st May 2016, from http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/pozieres Bean, C. (1983). Anzac to Amiens, p 264. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. Bean, C. (1938). Official History of Australia I the War of 1914-1918, Vol. III - The

Australian Imperial Force in France, 1916 (1), 599. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

Butler, A.G. (1938). ‘The Gallipoli Campaign’. In A.G Butler (ed.), Official History of

the Australian Medical Services in the Great War Palestine, Vol. I - Gallipoli, and New Guinea (2). Melbourne: Australian War Memorial.

Butler, A.G. (1940). Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War, Vol. II - The Western Front (1), 864. Melbourne: Australian War Memorial.

Crozier, F. (1918). Bombardment of Pozières, July 1916. [Oil on canvas] Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial.

Duffy, M. (2009). Battles – The Battle of Pozières Ridge, 1916. Accessed on 31st May 2016, from http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/pozieres.htm

DVA (2006). Australians on the Western Front. Accessed on 18th June 2016,

from http://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-attachments/p01238.pdf

DVA (2014). The Australian Remembrance Line: Where Australians Fought.

Accessed on 6th June 2016, from http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/australian-remembrance-trail/where-australians-fought.php

Ekins, A. (2016). The Battles of Fromelles. Accessed on 17th May 2016, from

https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/fromelles/ Lambert, G. (1924). The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, 7

August 1915. [Oil on canvas]. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.

Riley SMITHERS – SIMPSON PRIZE 2017 6

McMullin, R. (2002) Pompey Elliot, p 222-23. Melbourne: Scribe.

Prost, A. (2015). War Losses. Accessed on 19th June 2016, from http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/war_losses#cite_note-ftn23-23

Stanley, P. (2008). Why Does Gallipoli Mean So Much? Accessed on 3rd June

2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-04-25/why-does-gallipoli-mean-so-much/2416166

Wheeler, C. (1924). Battle of Fromelles. [Oil on canvas]. Canberra: Australian War

Memorial.

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Annotated Bibliography AWM (2016). Battle of Fromelles. Accessed on 17th May 2016, from

https://www.awm.gov.au/military-event/E159/ The text is a straightforward explanation of the Battle of Fromelles, detailing the time and date, objective in addition to the Divisions and Battalions of the Commonwealth forces involved. The information present on the website is very precise and concise, and is published by the Australian War Memorial whilst supported by other sources, therefore making it a reliable source.

AWM (2016). Battle of Pozières. Accessed on 17th May 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/military-event/E72/ The information gathered in the text, outlines the location of Pozières in the introduction, proceeding into to explanation of each Australian Division’s task in the battle. The text details precise times and date of each event in the battle with a coherent and logical structure, making it easily readable. This source is supported by other historical sources proving its reliability. However, the final date of Pozières is different to that of the date published on the Australian War Memorial London, Pozières – The Battle of the Somme, 1916 source.

AWM (2016). Transcript extracts of the diary and letters of Ronald Alison McInnis, 1915-1919. Accessed on 16th June 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG0000887/?image=22 The diary and letter extracts from Lieutenant Ronald Alison McInnis provide an extremely detailed insight into the soldiers’ experiences at the Western Front and Gallipoli. However, these accounts are the personal experiences of McInnis and cannot be stereotyped or generalised to those of the other soldiers. Additionally, these extracts provide detailed background knowledge, yet the source was not cited or paraphrased in the essay.

AWM (2016). 1918: Australians in France - The cost of war. Accessed on 17th June 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/1918/victory/costofwar.asp The source published by the Australian War Memorial explains the Australian involvement in France during the last year of the war, 1918. The source was cited and paraphrased twice, firstly in the opening quote from Marshall Ferdinand Foch and secondly in the significance of Australia’s involvement about the Western Front, as it was the opposing the main enemy in the main theatre of war.

AWM London (2016). Pozières – The Battle of the Somme, 1916. Accessed on 31st May 2016, from http://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/pozieres Pozières – The Battle of the Somme, 1916, is a brief description of the battle’s events. However, the source provides extensive statistics on the Australian Division involved at Pozières. These include, but are not limited to the times of the attacks, number of casualties per Division and description of the major attacks in the Battle of Pozières.

Bean, C. (1983). Anzac to Amiens, p 264. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.

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Anzac to Amiens, page 264, was a very useful source as it described the significance and importance of the experiences of men who fought at Pozières. The quote detailing that 23, 00 Australian lost their lives at Pozières was utilised in the essay. The book is a reliable source of information since it was published by the Australian War Memorial and authored by the official Australian war historian, C.E.W. Bean.

Bean, C. (1938). Official History of Australia I the War of 1914-1918, Vol. III - The Australian Imperial Force in France, 1916 (1), 599. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. A quote used in the essay by Sergeant E.J. Rule was retrieved from C.E.W. Bean’s book Official History of Australia I the War of 1914-1918, Vol. III - The Australian Imperial Force in France, 1916. The excerpt from page 599 provides the most ghastly accounts of the First World War of all the men returning from the Battle of Pozières. This source has a high reliability due to C.E.W. Bean being the official Australian war correspondent of the First World War and later being the official Australian war historian.

Burness, P. (2016). 1916: Australians in France. Accessed on 16th June 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/ww1/1916/essay/ The essay source authored by Australian War Memorial exhibition curator, Peter Burness, highlights the most significant events in France in the year 1916, in which the Australian Imperial Force was involved. The source contains extensive background knowledge for the essay, however it was not cited or paraphrased.

Butler, A.G. (1938). ‘The Gallipoli Campaign’. In A.G Butler (ed.), Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War Palestine, Vol. I - Gallipoli, and New Guinea (2). Melbourne: Australian War Memorial.

A.G. Butler’s book, Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War Palestine, Vol. I - Gallipoli, and New Guinea (2), provided the data table in Table 1. (See Appendix). The data was straightforward and accurate of the number and types of fatalities at Gallipoli. It has great accuracy as it is the revised edition, published two decades after the end of the Great War.

Butler, A.G. (1940). Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War, Vol. II - The Western Front (1), 864. Melbourne: Australian War Memorial.

Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War, Vol. II - The Western Front, by A.G. Butler provided the data set in Table 2. (See Appendix). The data was easily readable and had very accurate statistics of the fatalities and casualties of AIF soldiers on the Western Front.

Cowley, R. (2009). Ferdinand Foch. Accessed on 18th June 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/ferdinand-foch The source retrieved from History was a biography of Marshall Ferdinand Foch. The intention of the utilisation of the source was to determine Foch’s

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position among the Allied Powers. American military historian, Robert Cowley, providing great credibility, wrote the source.

Crozier, F. (1918). Bombardment of Pozières, July 1916. [Oil on canvas] Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial.

The Bombardment of Pozières by Frank Crozier is a depiction of the trench warfare accompanied by the heavy bombardment at the Battle of Pozières. The depictions in the painting suggest its historical inaccuracy with men positioned out of the trenches, targets for enemy shelling and snipers. Therefore, the reliability of the sources is questionable.

Duffy, M. (2009). Battles – The Battle of Pozières Ridge, 1916. Accessed on 31st May 2016, from http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/pozieres.htm The source was utilised as background knowledge on the Battle of Pozières and was paraphrased for the advantage of Pozières Heights. The reliability of the source written by Michael Duffy is questionable, as the author himself states that it is recommended that it should not be used for academic purposes.

DVA (2006). Australians on the Western Front. Accessed on 18th June 2016, from http://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-attachments/p01238.pdf This source is intended for teaching staff at schools, both primary and secondary. The Department of Veteran Affairs published the source, which was not intended for research purposes. Therefore, it was hard to find information that was useful, although once found, the information was very precise and descriptive.

DVA (2014). The Australian Remembrance Line: Where Australians Fought. Accessed on 6th June 2016, from http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/australian-remembrance-trail/where-australians-fought.php The Department of Veteran Affairs on behalf of the Australian Government published this source, proving its reliability. The source contains statistics on how many men went to the Western Front and how many were killed or injured. These statistics were valuable for the comparison of the significance of fatalities at Gallipoli and the Western Front.

DVA (2015). FAQ: The Gallipoli Campaign. Accessed on 16th June 2016, from http://www.gallipoli.gov.au/frequently-asked-questions/faq-the-gallipoli-campaign.php The source published by the Department of Veteran Affairs briefly answers the frequently asked questions. Its publisher establishes its high reliability. The source was used for background knowledge and not referred to or cited in the essay. The subheadings in the source make information easy to locate and easily readable.

DVA (2015). A walk around 14 battlefield sites: 12. The Nek. Accessed on 27th May 2016, from http://www.gallipoli.gov.au/anzac-battlefield-sites-walk/site-12-the-nek-cemetery.php

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This source was used for background knowledge for the interpretation of warfare in the painting by George Lambert. It was not cited nor referred despite being reliable as it is published by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The site is very detailed and precise on the battle at the Nek.

Ekins, A. (2016). Battles of Fromelles. Accessed on 17th May 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/fromelles/ Ashley Ekins is the publisher of the source ‘Battle of Fromelles’, which was published on the Australian War Memorial site. Ashley Ekins is an experienced Australian military historian, appointed Head of Military History Section at the Australian War Memorial in 2007. The source was used for background knowledge as well as important dates of the Battle of Fromelles.

Ekins, A. (2008). Wartime 44 - The Battle of Fromelles. Accessed on 20th May 2016, from https://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/44/page18_ekins/ Wartime 44 - The Battle of Fromelles was used to gather background information on the construction of the essay. The source was not directly quoted, cited or referred to during the essay. It has a high credibility due to being published by Ashley Ekins, Head of Military History Section, on the Australian War Memorial site.

Lambert, G. (1924). The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, 7 August 1915. [Oil on canvas]. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. Retrieved from: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/ART07965/ George Lambert’s painting ‘The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, 7 August 1915’ was mentioned in two separate comparisons during the essay. The painting again may be historically inaccurate due to the personal representation and time delay after the event of almost 10 years. However, it is a good overview of the style of warfare at Gallipoli compared to the Western Front.

Lelong, G. (Photographer). (c. 1913). Pozières before Bombardment, [Photograph]. Pozières, Picardie: Australian War Memorial.

Pozières before Bombardment is a photograph of the thriving village of Pozières taken by French photographer, Lelong, initially present on a French postcard. However, the photograph is stored in Australian War Memorial archives due to significance of the comparison of the before and after images. When compared to an after shot of the village, Pozières is unrecognisable as diminutive desolate craters left by German bombardments.

McMullin, R. (2002) Pompey Elliot, p 222-23. Melbourne: Scribe.

The quote, “Remarkably, in one night, the AIF’s participation at Fromelles had resulted in a staggering toll—equivalent to the entire Australian casualties of the Boer War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War put together” from Pompey Elliot, was paraphrased and inserted into the essay. The quote is from a reliable source as the book was written by Dr Ross McMullin, an experienced historian focusing on the impact of Australia’s involvement in World War One.

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Pozières after bombardment [Photograph]. (1917). Pozières, Picardie: Australian War Memorial.

The photograph Pozières after bombardment of the village of Pozières after the bombardment displays the extent of the warfare at the battle. However, there is no indication that this source is actually from Pozières, as there are no signs present in the photograph. Additionally, the credibility of the source is questioned a second time as there is no known photographer of Pozières after bombardment.

Prost, A. (2015). War Losses. Accessed on 19th June 2016, from http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/war_losses The article titled ‘War Losses’ is an extensive overview of the total losses of nations involved in World War One. The data from Table 3 of the article was used as an estimate for the number of civilians killed in France during the First World War. The site displays the correct referencing for all sources cited during the text proving its credibility.

ROBVAN (2016). Australians on the Western Front 1916 - 100 years ago. Accessed on 16th June, from https://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2016/05/26/australians-western-front-1916-100-years-ago/ The source, Australians on the Western Front 1916 - 100 years ago, published on the Australian War Memorial ‘Blog’ site was used as background knowledge. No information from this source was consulted or used to create the essay. The author of this site is referred to under the username ROBVAN, and historical background is unknown. However, the sources used to create the post have been hyperlinked back to the original location for further research purposes.

SCHG (2014). 25th April 1915. Accessed on 6th June 2016, from http://www.gallipoli.net.au

The source provided by Splitters Creek Historical Group is a brief explanation of the events of the Gallipoli campaign, particularly the landing on the 25th April 1915. It is noted that the source has limited detail and has not provided any references despite having multiple statistics and a quote present in the text, questioning its credibility.

Stanley, P. (2008). Why Does Gallipoli Mean So Much? Accessed on 3rd June 2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-04-25/why-does-gallipoli-mean-so-much/2416166 Dr Peter Stanley was in 2006, at the time the article was published, the Principal Historian of the Australian War Memorial. This position at the significant museum improves the reliability of the feature. The feature itself answers the question of ‘why does Gallipoli mean so much?’ Dr Stanley provides cohesive detail in his providing an easily readable text.

Wells, K. (2009). Australians on the Western Front. Accessed on 17th June 2016, from http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/australians-on-the-western-front

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The source, Australians on the Western Front, is an extensive provider of background information on Australian involvement on the Western Front. The text provides multiple useful quotes from soldiers and historians and is referenced and cited correctly with a reference list provided. Overall, the source is proved to be reliable and a useful source to use.

Wheeler, C. (1924). Battle of Fromelles. [Oil on canvas]. Canberra: Australian

War Memorial. This painting depicts an aerial view of Australian soldiers advancing towards enemy trenches. It is useful to recognise the style of warfare at Fromelles as well as the soldiers’, who fought at the battle, accounts and trauma that was underwent. The source was not created at the time of the battle; therefore it may be a personal representation.

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APPENDIX

Table 1. A.G Butler. (1938). ‘The Gallipoli Campaign’. In A.G Butler (ed.), Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War Palestine, Vol. I - Gallipoli, and New Guinea (2)

Australian deaths on Gallipoli

Month Killed in action Died of wounds Died of disease Total deaths

April 25-30 643 203 14 860

May 1,805 469 24 2,298

June 265 199 9 473

July 143 113 46 302

August 2,054 532 80 2,666

September 145 163 91 399

October 82 84 115 281

November 295 184 120 599

December 50 46 124 220

January 1916 0 19 42 61

Totals 5,482 2,012 665 8,159*

*A revised estimate, dated January 26, 1919, gives the total number of Australians killed as 8,709.

This larger figure is the accepted official estimate of the total number killed. In all 61,522

Australians lost their lives in the First World War. As well, an estimated total of 664 Australian

officers and 17,260 men were wounded. According to the Official History of Australia in the War

of 1914-18, 70 Australians were captured on Gallipoli. (Source: Australian War Memorial)

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Table 2. A.G Butler. (1940). Official History of the Australian Medical Services in the Great War, Vol. II - The Western Front (1)

A.I.F. Battle and non-battle casualties sustained on the Western Front

Killed

in Action

Died of Wounds

Died of Gas

Poisoning Wounded

Shell shock (wounded)

Gassed Prisoners

of War

Total Battle

casualties

Died of Disease

Died of Other

Causes Sick

Accidentally Injured

Self-Inflicted Wounds

Total Non-

Battle Casualties

Grand Totals

1916-

March 5 1 - 16 - - - 22 - - 38 2 - 40 62

April 59 34 - 187 2 - - 282 14 8 1,690 4 4 1,720 2,002

May 161 73 1 609 7 1 22 874 15 4 1,629 14 5 1,667 2,541

June 193 70 1 913 41 8 2 1,228 22 12 2,080 20 14 2,148 3,376

July 4,094 624 7 10,843 141 83 569 16,361 26 5 3,532 21 19 3,603 19,964

August 2,895 851 3 9,193 245 52 243 13,482 12 10 3,373 56 20 3,471 16,953

September 688 241 - 1,347 52 5 86 2,419 11 7 3,647 51 16 3,732 6,151

October 216 137 1 854 39 14 10 1,271 15 7 4,768 41 16 4,847 6,118

November 1,293 355 4 2,952 75 60 55 4,794 22 6 12,073 39 21 12,161 16,955

December 344 189 1 977 11 7 5 1,534 94 9 12,113 41 11 12,268 13,802

1917-

January 335 163 - 1,164 24 4 16 1,706 51 10 10,261 71 14 10,407 12,113

February 619 295 6 2,285 19 44 60 3,328 64 13 9,546 80 13 9,716 13,044

March 652 350 - 2,370 44 28 101 3,545 37 13 8,058 76 13 8,197 11,742

April 1,890 459 3 4,218 34 69 1,829 8,502 32 7 7,420 107 17 7,583 16,085

May 1,908 531 3 6,744 130 159 61 9,542 12 5 6,280 113 17 6,427 15,969

June 1,449 424 2 5,951 77 526 22 8,451 9 26 6,310 70 18 6,433 14,884

July 535 198 1 2,183 20 292 50 3,279 8 6 7,092 80 20 7,206 10,485

August 335 181 3 1,325 12 97 10 1,963 13 8 6,031 38 6 6,096 8,059

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Figure 1. Wheeler, C. (1924). Battle of Fromelles

Figure 2. Lambert, G. (1924). The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The

Nek, 7 August 1915

Figure 3. Crozier, F. (1918). Bombardment of Pozières, July 1916