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Bullecourt

Looking east towards Riencourt les Cagnicourt
Designed as a diversionary attack whilst the British attacked Srras on 9th April 1917, it was intended to catch assumed German retreat eastwards from Arras.
62/Div W. Riding to attack west of Bullecourt and 4/Aus. Div to attack to east with tanks supporting both attacks. Maj.Gen White of 1/Anzac Corps wanted Queant to the east attacked as well as was concerned about enfilading German artillery fire: was assured that this artillery would be destroyed though attack delayed until 12th to enable this process.
Initial success at Arras encouraged Gough to bring attack forward to 0430 on 10th. PLan was for 12 tanks to advance without artillery barrage with troops behind. In event tanks got lost and attack postponed for 24 hrs. On 11th only three tanks arrived and none reached the objectives being attacked: however Australians advanced nonetheless and by 0700 had taken all their assigned positions.
1000 Germans counter-attacked and thrua

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Thiepval Memorial - Somme Battlefield

Memorial to the Missing.
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944). Largest British war memorial stands almost 50m high.
Also Delhi Viceroy Palace - Serre #2 - Cenotaph.
Many nearby cemeteries were moved so as not to distract from impact
It records 72, 085 names of those UK & SA soldiers who died on Somme and have no-known grave July 1916 - Mar 20 1918. 90% of these come from 1st Somme Jly-Nov 1916.
Empire mssing:
Australians - Villers-Bretonneux New Zealand - Longeuval
Canada - Vimy Ridge
NeWfoundland - Beaumont Hamel
India - Neuve Chapelle
As recognition of the fact that French donated so much land for cemeteries it is joint Anglo-French cemetery with 300 from each nation here interred
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© Mike St. Maur Sheil / westernfrontphotography.com

Hill 60

Pillbox built by Australian engineers atop an older German bunker
Name is based upon its height above sea-level. Largely artificial, being formed from spoil removed from the adjacent railway cutting. It had strategic importance as it overlooked Ypres and so became the scene of fierce fighting after the Germans captured it in Dec 1914.
Despite the terrible nature of the mixed soil, it became the scene of immense mining operations by both sides and was notorious for the terribly wet conditions underground. Five VCs were awarded here including that given to Cpl. Edward Dwyer in April 1915 when he was only 19 and hence the youngest man to have been awarded a VC at that time.
The hill is regarded as a war grave site as many bodies were never recovered from the tunnels

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