top of page

Lone Pine

When and where did the event occur? Give specific dates and places.

  • 6 August 1915 - 9 August 1915

  • Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey)

 

Why/ how was Australia involved

  • Part of Gallipoli campaign

  • Fought by only Australian troops

  • Whilst the battle was planned to just be a feint to distract the Turkish, the Australians succeeded in capturing the entire Turkish reserve

 

Significance to Australia (five dot points)

  • 2,300 killed and wounded

  • Seven Australians won Victoria's Cross, highest number ever awarded to a division for one action

  • Reached objective within half-hour of assault

  • Highest number of casualties in Gallipoli campaign

  • Success

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

The Nek

When and where did the event occur? Give specific dates and places.

  • 7 August 1915 4:30am - later that day

  • Anzac, Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire

 

Why/ how was Australia involved

  • An attack on Ottoman forces in Gallipoli campaign

 

Significance to Australia (five dot points)

  • More than half Australian's killed or wounded

  • Very few Ottoman deaths

  • Turkish positions easily defendable, Australians lined up in four waves and charged at enemies only 27 meters away

  • Located kilometer inland

  • Disagreement between commanding officers 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Fromelles

When and where did the event occur? Give specific dates and places.

  • 19th and finished on the 20th of July 1916

  • Fromelles, Nord, France

 

Why/ how was Australia involved

  • A feint with the British to draw German troops away from Somme offensive

 

Significance to Australia (five dot points)

  • First major battle on Western front for Australia

  • 5,533 Australian casualties

  • Just over 1,000 casualties

  • Failed, Germans realised it was a faint within hours

  • Had no effect on Somme offensive

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Battle of Messines

When and where did the event occur? Give specific dates and places.

  •  June 7, 1917 – June 14, 1917

  • Flanders, Belgium

 

Why/ how was Australia involved

  • Assault on Messines-Wytschaete Ridge

  • Winning ground was vital to launch campaign east of Ypres

 

Significance to Australia (five dot points)

  • Completed all objectives within first hours of battle

  • 10,000 German casualties after detonating 19 mines

  • Known as a model well planned battle with little objectives

  • Success due to careful planning and exemplary tactics and firepower

  • Used tunnels dug to place explosives under enemy lines; started the battle in their favour

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Battle of Beersheba

When and where did the event occur? Give specific dates and places.

  • 31st October 1917

  • Beersheba, Ottoman Syria

 

Why/ how was Australia involved

  • Dwindling water supplies meant that Beershaba and its wells were needed

  • Without water, campaign would be halted

  • Attacked Turkish trenches on horses

  • Dismounted and used bayonets and rifles as clubs

 

 

Significance to Australia (five dot points)

  • Over 5000 Australians dead

  • Defeat to Turkish

  • Known as a time where Australian's demonstrated 'reckless heroism', as they charged against the Turkish on horses

  • 738 Turkish prisoners taken

  • Afterwards, German bomber killed four stretcher-bearers, despite them clearly displaying the Red Cross

 

BATTLE OF BEERSHABA

 "A tingling feeling ran down my spine. 'Wind up', I suppose, but we were too busy getting things ready to worry much".

-Trooper John (Chook) Fowler

© 2016 by Cheyenne Walstyn. A+ greatly appreciated.

bottom of page