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The Australian Corps Memorial Park, Le Hamel, France |
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Put mouse pointer on image to select alternate photo which will give some idea of size. |
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The Australian Corps Memorial Park Le Hamel, France This memorial site is of extreme significance as it was the final objective for the Australian attack on the 4th July, 1918. Each Australian division erected a memorial at sites all over France and Belgium which recognised their finest achievements. It was on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Hamel that the French Government donated this particular piece of French soil as the construction of an Australian Corps Memorial Park. This memorial consists of a large sandblasted image on Australian granite of the Rising Sun badge, which was worn proudly by the Australian soldiers throughout the war. Some images and wording by Mackay North State High School students |
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Another view of the Memorial |
| The $1.3 million memorial
at Le Hamel, dedicated on July 4, 1998 is formed by three curved walls.
The central one is 12 metres long and 5.2 metres high and carries the "rising sun" badge of the First AIF. The one on the left bears the image of the infantry platoon and the one on the right, images of the other units taking part in the battle the tanks, the Air Flying Corps and the artillery. The image of the platoon is a copy of a photograph taken on August 8, 1918 which shows B Company of the 29th Battalion a Victorian unit being addressed by their platoon commander. It was taken as all five divisions of the Australian Corps lined up to take part in the major Allied attack on the German lines the first time the five Australian divisions had fought together as the Australian Corps. It was the largest and most important battle undertaken by the Corps. The starting line was at Hamel captured by the Australians on July 4. The memorial is the first memorial on the Western Front dedicated to the Australian Corps. The park surrounding it includes a 500 metre walking trail with 18 information panels along its length on aspects of the battle. The colour patches of every one of the 148 units of the Australian Corps are also incorporated in the memorial. In the ground in front of the walls is a circle of black granite in which are carved the words of Australian war historian, Charles Bean "What these men did, nothing can alter now. It rises as it will always rise above the mist of ages, a monument to great-hearted men, and for their nation a possession for ever." Text by DVA |
