First Battle of Bullecourt and the Australians who fought it
The Battles of Bullecourt, fought in April and May 1917, were two brutal and costly engagements on the Western Front. They were part of broader Allied efforts to breach the Germans’ formidable Hindenburg Line, consisting of deep trenches, dugouts, and pillboxes, protected by 140 kilometres of cleverly sited machine-guns and wide belts of barbed wire.
The Germans had withdrawn to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917, in an attempt to straighten their front line and make their position easier to defend. Bullecourt was one of several villages that had been incorporated into the enemy’s new heavily fortified front line.
The First Battle of Bullecourt began 108 years ago today, with the 4th Australian Division leading the assault on the village, supported by the British 62nd division. The attack was planned by British general Sir Hubert Gough. Rather than using artillery to cover the infantry’s advance, Gough decided to rely on a dozen tanks to clear the way. Tanks at that stage in the war were still primitive, and largely untested in an attack. When the tanks went into battle, many broke down or were destroyed, leaving the attacking force exposed to deadly machinegun and artillery fire. Despite these difficulties, the men fought on, some even reaching the German trenches, where fierce counterattacks eventually forced them to withdraw under heavy fire.
Less than ten hours after it began, the assault had ended in failure. With more than 3,000 Australian casualties, and 1,170 taken prisoner, it was the largest number of Australians captured in a single action during the war. The futility of such carnage left the Australian, and no doubt the British, troops deeply embittered. Sir John Monash described the attack as ‘hare-brained’.
The British ordered another attack a month later. The Second Battle of Bullecourt, fought between 3 and 17 May 1917, was successful but even more costly in terms of casualties.
War memorials recalling the Australian presence can now be seen in Bullecourt village and in the adjoining fields. The most prominent is the bronze sculpture, The digger, by Melbourne artist Peter Corlett, unveiled in 1993.
We honour the Australians who fought and fell at Bullecourt.
Their courage, service, and sacrifice remain a legacy that shapes how we remember the cost of war and the enduring pursuit of peace.
Lest we forget.
CAPTION: The digger in Bullecourt, Anzac Day, 2024. Courtesy Department of Defence.