A commemorative service will be held at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles, one of the most devastating engagements in Australia’s military history.
The ceremony will honour the Australian soldiers who fought in northern France on 19 and 20 July 1916, during the first major battle involving Australian troops on the Western Front in the First World War.
Veterans, descendants of those who served, community representatives and members of the public are expected to attend the service, which will provide an opportunity to reflect on the courage, sacrifice and endurance of the soldiers involved.
In less than 24 hours of fighting, more than 6,000 Australians were killed, wounded or captured, making Fromelles one of the costliest battles in the nation’s military history.
Among the Australian troops, 1,813 soldiers were killed during the fighting, while a further 252 later died from their wounds. More than 3,500 were wounded and 479 were taken prisoner.
One of those injured was Sydney soldier Private John Thompson, who was serving with the 53rd Battalion when he suffered a severe gunshot wound to his left shoulder.
Private Thompson spent the night in no-man’s-land before being rescued by fellow soldiers. He later spent much of the remainder of the war recovering in hospitals in England.
According to his great-grandson, Michael Smith, Private Thompson returned to Sydney in 1919 and met his son, Mr Smith’s grandfather, for the first time. He never fully regained the use of his left arm.
The anniversary program will begin with a commemorative procession from the Archibald Fountain at 10.30am, followed by a service in the Anzac Memorial Auditorium at 10.50am.
The ceremony will also include a special Star Ceremony in the memorial’s Hall of Memory.
The Anzac Memorial holds a number of historical objects connected to the Battle of Fromelles, with items from the collection available to view through the memorial’s online archive.
NSW Minister for Veterans David Harris said the anniversary was an important opportunity to remember the Australians who served under extremely difficult conditions.
“One hundred and ten years after the Battle of Fromelles, we pause to honour the courage and endurance of the Australians who served,” Mr Harris said.
“We remember those who fought, those who were wounded and those who never returned home from one of the most devastating battles of the First World War.”
He said the battle remained a reminder of the human cost of war and the responsibility of future generations to preserve the legacy of those who served.
Mr Smith said the commemoration was particularly significant because the Battle of Fromelles was less widely recognised than some other events in Australian wartime history.
“Despite the enormous toll, this battle is not as well known as some other chapters of Australia’s military history,” he said.
“It is important that we continue to honour those who served, reflect on what happened and learn from this part of our history.”
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