Australian Remembrance Trail

Transcription

1 Australian Remembrance Trail

2 Colophon: Chief & managing editor: Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97 Texts: Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97 Photography: xxxx Maps: MMP97, Tourist Office Zonnebeke, Freddy Lattré, B.ad, Westtoer, Henk Deleu, Office du Tourisme de Comines-Warneton Design & prepress: Impressionant Print Impression: Lowyck & Pluspoint Website: - Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97, Berten Pilstraat /C, BE-8980 Zonnebeke. All the information dates from June 0.

3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA IN WORLD WAR I IN FLANDERS Gallipoli, April 9. Australian and New Zealand troops land on the Turkish peninsula. After eight months of stalemate the military operation at Gallipoli fails, but the legend of the ANZACs as soldiers of great courage, loyalty, sacrifice and comradeship is born. After Gallipoli the Australians move to the Western Front. They take part in the Battle of the Somme and also see heavy losses in minor actions such as the one at Fromelles. During the course of 97 all Australian forces arrive in Belgium for the Flanders offensive. Their first major battle takes place on 0 September 97 near the Menin Road during which the st and nd Australian Divisions reach the outskirts of Polygon Wood. Six days later, on September 97, the Battle of Polygon Wood begins. The th Australian Division is on the attack and expels the Germans from the infamous Butte. On October 97, the rd Australian Division captures Tyne Cot, a strategic position in the German Flandern I line defended by concrete bunkers and machine guns. This episode is also known as the Battle of Broodseinde and is regarded as one of the most successful Australian actions of World War I. Two and a half years after Gallipoli, on October 97, the Australian efforts reach a bloody climax during the fight for Passchendaele village. Weather conditions worsen and the rain turns the battlefield into a quagmire of deep and unremitting mud. The attack is a failure, but for Australians it is a turning point. Au. D. Au. D. ZONNEBEKE Au. D. Au. D. Au. D. GELUVELD TYNE COT Au. D. Au. D. Au. D. PASSENDALE BESELARE 0/09/97 /0/97 0 0, Km MEMORIAL MUSEUM PASSCHENDAELE 97 DUGOUT AND TRENCH EXPERIENCE The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97 (MMP97) is a military history museum housed in the old château grounds of Zonnebeke. The central focus of the museum is the First World War and more specifically the 97 Battle of Passchendaele. The MMP97 specializes in the material aspect of World War I, through an extensive expertise on uniforms, weaponry and engineered constructions. Special features are the unique Dugout Experience with communication and dressing posts, headquarters and sleeping accommodation and the Trench Experience, where a network of German and British trenches with original shelters have been reconstructed. The new extension of 0 focuses on the Battle of Passchendaele and the role of the different nations, such as Australia, during this battle. Berten Pilstraat /A, B-8980 Zonnebeke THE AUSTRALIAN EXHIBITION: AN ENTRY POINT FOR AUSTRALIAN VISITORS Zonnebeke was the centre of Australian operations in Flanders during the First World War. Today the village and the surrounding area still include a number of historical sites of interest to Australia. The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97 (MMP97) plays an important role in the valorization of several of these sites. Because of the strong affiliation between the MMP97 and Australia, the Australian exhibition in the museum doubles as an entry point to the historical battlefields. In this part there is a strong focus towards Australians and their heritage in Flanders. Beside historical facts, Australia-related objects and panels, the visitors are linked to other heritage sites and points of interest on the Western Front. PASSCHENDAELE MEMORIAL GARDENS Seven gardens in the form of a poppy will be incorporated into the chateau grounds. The aim is to create a memorial garden for the countries that fought during the First World War. Each year from 0 to 08 the community of Zonnebeke will open each year one or more gardens. Each poppy consists of three little gardens.

4 AUSTRALIAN WORLD WAR I HERITAGE IN BELGIUM BIKSCHOTE BOEZINGE Menin Gate IEPER SINT-JAN LANGEMARK SINT-JULIAAN POELKAPELLE ZONNEBEKE Buttes New British Cemetery WESTROZEBEKE PASSENDALE Tyne Cot Road to Passchendaele BESELARE MOORSLEDE ROAD TO PASSCHENDAELE During their famous attack of October 97 on Tyne Cot, Australian troops attacked along the Ypres-Roulers railway line. In the former railway was transformed into a walking and cycling path by the Municipality of Zonnebeke and the Province of West Flanders. The path was renamed The Road to Passchendaele, connecting Zonnebeke town (and the MMP97) with Tyne Cot Cemetery over a distance of three kilometres. Along the path, a series of panels is installed following the steps of the attack of October 97. The Department of Veterans Affairs also marked the start and end positions of the attack with two small memorials bearing the famous rising sun badge. inscribed almost,000 names of soldiers who went missing in the Ypres-Passchendaele sector after August 97. Tyne Cot Cemetery was designed by the British architect Sir Herbert Baker and is located km from the centre of Zonnebeke. In 007 H.M. Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated a new visitors centre behind the cemetery. ZILLEBEKE GELUVELD Vijfwegestraat, B-8980 Zonnebeke Hill 0 VOORMEZELE HOLLEBEKE ZANDVOORDE KRUISEKE GELUWE WIJTSCHATE PLOEGSTEERT MESEN Toronto Avenue Cemetery HOUTHEM BAS-WARNETON WARNETON DEÛLEMONT TEN BRIELEN COMINES WERVIK WERVICQ-SUD BOUSBECQUE LINSELLES TYNE COT CEMETERY AND VISITORS CENTRE Tyne Cot is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world. It is the final resting place of nearly,000 soldiers, including,7 Australians of whom just are known by name. Beneath the Cross of Sacrifice is the Memorial to the rd Australian Division which captured Tyne Cot on October 97. A Memorial to the Missing was built in an arc as the rear wall of the cemetery. Here are 7

5 MENIN GATE The Menin Gate has become what can be described as a national war memorial of the British Commonwealth and was designed by the British architect Sir Reginald Blomfield. Built where one of the medieval gates of Ypres once stood, it is a site that was passed or passed through by many of the First World War Commonwealth troops as they marched into battle to defend the Ypres Salient. The Menin Gate is a Memorial to the Missing and bears some,000 names of soldiers of the British Empire who went missing from the beginning of the war until August 97. As a tribute, the Last Post has been sounded at the Menin Gate virtually every night since 98. POLYGON WOOD AND BUTTES NEW BRITISH CEMETERY Polygon Wood is located just over a kilometre from the centre of Zonnebeke. The woods were in German hands from 9 to 97 and were totally destroyed during the Battle of Passchendaele. On September 97 the th Australian Division threw the Germans from the woods after heavy fighting. There are two cemeteries on the site: Polygon Wood Cemetery is a small battlefield cemetery, mainly with the graves of New Zealanders who fell in the winter of Buttes New British Cemetery is a post-war concentration cemetery with the graves of over,000 soldiers brought in from TORONTO AVENUE CEMETERY Toronto Avenue Cemetery is located in the woods of Ploegsteert (Comines-Warneton). Access is only possible via a track in the woods to which motor vehicles are not allowed. It is named to one of the paths in Ploegsteert Wood. The cemetery is designed by G.H. Goldsmith. The cemetery contains the graves of officers and men of the 9th Brigade (rd Australian Division) who died in the Battle of Messines between 7 and 0 June 97. Lange Dreve, B-8980 Zonnebeke Menenstraat, B-8900 Ieper the surrounding battlefields.,00 graves are unknown, including those of many Australians from the 97 fighting. On the top of the Butte, now stands an impressive memorial to the th Australian Division. HILL 0 Hill 0 lies within the village of Zillebeke at the junction of the main Passchendaele and Messines Ridge. It is a major British war site with an Australian link. Here, in 97, the st Australian Tunnelling Company, from the New South Wales area, helped to build deep tunnels for a large-scale mining offensive. Hill 0 is cared for by of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is more or less left as it was in 99 as it holds the remains of countless casualties, both German and Allied. A memorial was also built here for the st Australian Tunnelling Company. Zwarteleenstraat 0, B-890 Zillebeke Chemin du Mont de la Hutte, B-778 Comines-Warneton 8 9

6 WALKING TRAILS THE LEGACY OF PASSCHENDAELE AUSTRALIAN WORLD WAR I HERITAGE IN FRANCE Hiking Trail to Tyne Cot:. miles 8. km The northern hiking trail connects Zonnebeke Chateau (starting point of the trail) with the historical battlefields near the edge of Passchendaele. The Australian presence in this area is well highlighted on information panels. The most prominent site is Tyne Cot Cemetery. ZONNEBEKE m 8, km START TYNE COT The walking map with historical information can be purchased at the Tourist Office: Tourism Office Berten Pilstraat /A B-8980 Zonnebeke + (0) 77 0 toerisme@zonnebeke.be Hiking Trail to Polygon Wood:. miles 9 km The southern hiking trail runs towards Polygon Wood and the former battlefield near Beselare. Polygon Wood plays an important role during the WWI. Along the trail there is more information about the prewar landscape and the Australian history. ZONNEBEKE START POLYGON WOOD m 9 km 0 ROUEN DOVER CALAIS SAINT-OMER Le Hamel AMIENS PARIS IEPER Fromelles Bullecourt Villers-Bretonneux LILLE Pozières Mont St-Quentin SAINT- QUENTIN THE AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL PARK (FROMELLES) The Australian Memorial Park in Fromelles is located on the German defensive line which was attacked on 9 and 0 July by the Australian forces during the Battle of Fromelles. The attack on 9 and 0 July was the first attack by the Australian forces in France during the First World War. In the centre of the Memorial Park there is a sculpture by Peter Corlett (Melbourne): Cobbers Sculpture dedicated to the men who fought during the battle. The figure carrying his comrade is based on the Australian soldier Sergeant, later Second Lieutenant, Simon Fraser. In the Park there are some German concrete bunkers and a bronze Memorial Plaque by Dr. Ross Bastiaan. He was a Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve. More than 0 bronze relief MONS REIMS BRUSSEL LIÈGE LUXEMBOURG plaques are placed worldwide by Dr. Bastiaan at sites of action where Australian Forces have been involved. The V.C. Corner is the only unique Australian cemetery on the Western Front and contains the graves of 0 Australian soldiers. They were killed during the Battle of Fromelles in July 9. The individual graves are not marked because none of the bodies could be identified, so they record the names of all the Australian soldiers who were killed in the battle on a memorial. Many of those originally listed on the memorial were subsequently identified and re-interred at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery. Rue Delval, F-99 Fromelles

7 MONT ST QUENTIN (PÉRONNE) The Second Australian Division Memorial is located on the Mont St Quentin, a strategic point to the German defence of the Somme. Between August and September 98, Australia s Second Division attacked and captured Mont St Quentin. Ch. de Sailly Laurette, F-000 Hamel BULLECOURT The Australian Memorial Park in Fromelles is located on the German defensive line which was attacked on 9 and 0 July by the Australian forces during the Battle of Fromelles. The attack on 9 and 0 July was the first attack by the Australian forces in France during the First World War. In the centre of the Memorial Park there is a sculpture by Peter Corlett (Melbourne): Cobbers Sculpture dedicated to the men who fought during the battle. The figure carrying his comrade is based on the Australian soldier Sergeant, later Second Lieutenant, Simon Fraser. In the Park there are some German concrete bunkers and a bronze Memorial Plaque by Dr. Ross Bastiaan. He was a Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve. More than 0 bronze relief plaques are placed worldwide by Dr. Bastiaan at sites of action where Australian Forces have been involved. and Belgium during the First World War in 9, 97 and 98. The Battle of Pozières Ridge took place the July till the 7 Augustus 9. At the st Australian Division Memorial there are information panels about Private John Leak, VC and Lieutenant Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, VC, CMG, CBE, ED. From the viewing platform you have a magnificent view across the battlefields of the Somme. At the memorial, the Gibraltar German Blockhouse is partially preserved (no access at the remains). Dr. Ross J. Bastiaan has also designed a bronze Memorial Plaque at the st Australian Division Memorial. LE HAMEL The Australian Corps Memorial Park is located in Le Hamel, to the south of the River Somme. The park commemorates over 00,000 Australians who served with the Australian Corps in France during The Memorial is situated on the site of Rue de Douai, D9 - F-8 Bullecourt the final objective of the Battle of Hamel ( July 98). This memorial is constructed as three blocks of curved granite set in a semicircle. On the memorial, an information POZIÈRES panel gives information about the two VC The st Australian Division Memorial at winners: Private Henry (Harry) Dalziel and Pozières commemorates the officers, the Lance Corporal Thomas (Jack) Axford, MM D halfway between Villers-Bretonneux non-commissioned officers and men of the 8 Route d Albert, F-8000 Pozières and corporal Thomas Pope (US Medal of and Fouilloy st Australian Division who fought in France Honour). Remains of a trench section are incorporated in the memorial site. VILLERS-BRETONNEUX The Villers-Bretonneux Memorial is an Australian National Memorial that commemorates all of the Australian soldiers who fought in France and Belgium from 9 to 98 during the First World War. The Australian officers and men named on this memorial were killed and reported missing from the Battle of the Somme in 9, the Battle of Arras in 97, the German advance in the spring of 98 to the Battle of Beaurevoir in the final Allied Advance to Victory of 98. The Memorial and the cemetery were designed by Sir Edwyn Lutyens. The centre of the Memorial is a tower. Inside the tower a stone stairway leads up to the top of the tower and to a viewing platform. There is a Roman style portico at the northern and southern end of the memorial wall, commemorating the names of the missing.

8 AUSTRALIAN CEREMONIES AND EVENTS All ceremonies and events planned for the coming years have a strong relation with the symbolic Australian history. We plan different commemorations, which commemorate all Australian soldiers who took part in the actions in World War I. ANNUAL April: ANZAC Day It marks the anniversary of the landing troops from Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) on the Gallipoli Peninsula (Turkey) in the First World War on April, 9. It became the day on which we remember the sacrifice of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in the First World War. In Zonnebeke, the ANZAC Ceremony starts with a traditional Dawn Service at a.m., commemorating the ANZAC soldiers. Buttes New British Cemetery (Polygon Wood Zonnebeke). 0 Gallaher Rugby Cup 0 (0-0/0-0-0) During the weekend of and October 0 the first edition of the Gallaher Rugby Cup will take place in the chateau grounds of Zonnebeke. On Friday local sports clubs can get to know the game better, and later that night the World Championship Rugby will be broadcast live on a large screen. On Saturday several matches will be played in the chateau grounds of Zonnebeke, among others by the national team. The weekend will be concluded by a remembrance ceremony on Sunday. 07 /07-7/ Exhibition 00 years Battle of Passchendaele /07-0/ Tag for remembrance project /07 Official remembrance ceremony at Tyne Cot Cemetery all Commonwealth nations 0/07 7/ Exhibition 00 Years Battle of Passchendaele /07 Official ceremony at Tyne Cot Cemetery for all the Commonwealth nations 0/09 Official ceremony Australia 0/09 Activities with theme Australia /0 Silent City Meets Living City,000 volunteers, for every gravestone at Tyne Cot Cemetery

9 Memorial Museum Passchendaele 97 Berten Pilstraat A B-8980 Zonnebeke T 00 (0) 77 0 E info@passchendaele.be W Open daily from 09:00 h to 8:00h. Last entry :0h. Closed from December to January.