DVA 115   Monday 30 July 2001

This Week in History - Our Wartime Heritage

Issued by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Scott, to foster awareness of Australia’s wartime history and heritage during the Centenary of Federation.

3-9 August

3 August 1916: The Australian Light Horse took part in the battle of Romani, Egypt. In the clash with some 8000 Turkish troops, the Anzac Mounted Division suffered the brunt of the fighting, with more than 900 casualties, including 202 killed.

4 August 1900: The beginning of the Battle of Elands River, a two-week siege of a British staging post in Western Transvaal defended by a mixed force of colonial soldiers, including some 300 Australians.  The defenders held out against some 2000-3000 Boers until British reinforcements finally arrived.

4 August 1914:  Great Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War I.  Australia pledged a force of 20 000 to be placed at Britain's disposal, but by the end of the war more than 400 000 Australians were in uniform.  More than 60 000 Australians died during World War I.

5 August 1944: The Cowra Break-Out, a mass escape of 378 Japanese prisoners, took place from a prisoner of war camp at Cowra, NSW.  This was the largest ever escape from a PoW camp. 231 Japanese PoWs were killed or died of wounds.  Three Australian guards died in the fighting immediately following the escape and another was killed during attempts to round up escapees in the surrounding countryside.

6 August 1915: Beginning of the Battle for Lone Pine. Lone Pine was planned as a diversion to draw Turkish reserves away from a major Allied attack to be launched at the northern end of the Australian and New Zealand positions on Gallipoli. The Australians suffered more than 2,200 casualties and seven Victoria Crosses were awarded for actions at Lone Pine:

Lance Corporal Leonard Keysor, 1st Battalion, originally from London. Lieutenant William Symons, 7th Battalion, originally from Bendigo, VIC. Corporal Alexander Burton, 7th Battalion, originally from Kyneton, VIC. Corporal William Dunstan, 7th Battalion, originally from Ballarat, VIC. Private John Hamilton, 3rd Battalion, originally from Orange, NSW. Captain Alfred Shout, 1st Battalion, originally from New Zealand.  (Posthumous) Captain Frederick Tubb, 7th Battalion, originally from Longwood, VIC.

6 August 1945:  An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.  Hiroshima was chosen as the target because it was believed that attacking a city previously untouched by air raids would demonstrate the

awesome power of atomic weapons.

7 August 1915:  The Australian charge at the Nek, Gallipoli.  The attack on the Nek was another diversion, with Lone Pine, intended to draw off Turkish forces from an Allied offensive elsewhere on Gallipoli.  The charge by men of the 10th and 8th Australian Light Horse was a disaster.  A bombardment of the Turkish positions stopped seven minutes before the attack was due to start.  The attack was ordered to proceed anyway and waves of Australians were cut down as they went over the top.  At the end of the day, 375 of the 600 attackers were casualties, including 234 dead.  The Australian official historian later wrote: “The flower of the youth of Victoria and Western Australia fell in that attempt”.

8 August 1916:  Beginning of the Battle for Moquet Farm, France. Moquet Farm, near Pozieres, was the focus of nine separate attacks by Australian troops between 8 August and 3 September 1916. Some 11,000 Australians were killed or wounded in the fighting.

8 August 1918:  Beginning of the Battle of Amiens, also known as the Third Battle of the Somme.  British, Australian, Canadian and French troops delivered a major blow against the German forces, driving the enemy east of the town of Amiens.  The Allies reached their final objectives by nightfall having suffered 9000 casualties, including 2000 Australians.  The Germans suffered 27 000 casualties, including 16 000 prisoners, and lost 450 guns.  General Erich Ludendorff of the German High Command referred to 8 August as "Der Schwarzer Tag", the "black day" of the German Army.

8 August 1918: Lieutenant Albert Gaby, 28th Battalion, originally from Springfield, Tasmania, was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions at VillersÃ¯Â¿Â½Bretonneux, France.  While leading an attack on an enemy trench, Lieutenant Gaby’s company came under heavy machine-gun fire.  Lieutenant Gaby found another gap in the wire and single-handedly approached the strong point.  Running along the parapet, he emptied his revolver into the garrison, drove the crews from their guns and compelled the surrender of 50 enemy soldiers.  He then reorganised his men and led them on to his final objective.  Three days later, during another  attack, Lieutenant Gaby walked along his line of posts, encouraging his men to quickly consolidate their position.  He was killed by an enemy sniper.

9-11 August 1918:  Private Robert Beatham, 8th Battalion, originally from Cumberland, United Kingdom, was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions at RosiÃÂ©res, east of Amiens.  When the 8th Battalion was held up by heavy fire, Private Beatham, assisted by another man, rushed forward and bombed and fought the crews of four guns, killing 10 soldiers and capturing 10 others.  On 11 August, when the battalion neared its objective on the southern slope of Lihons, it was again halted by German reinforcements.  Beatham, though wounded, rushed a machine-gun and bombed it.  In doing so he was hit by a burst of machineÃ¯Â¿Â½gun fire and killed.

9 August 1942:  HMAS Canberra was sunk after being attacked by Japanese ships off Savo Island.  Canberra was among a fleet of United States and Australian warships supporting the United States Marine landings on Guadalcanal.  A Japanese force surprised the Canberra and USS Chicago during a patrol.  The Australian ship suffered critical damage after losing power early in the engagement and lost 84 men, including Captain Frank Getting.  Canberra remained afloat until morning, enabling the survivors to be rescued, and was then sunk by US ships in anticipation of an Allied withdrawal.

9 August 1945:  Nagasaki became the second Japanese city to suffer a nuclear attack.  Japan surrendered shortly afterwards.

9-12 August 1916:  Private Martin O'Meara, 16th Battalion, originally from County Tipperary, Ireland, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Pozieres.  During four days of very heavy fighting Private O’Meara repeatedly went out and brought in wounded officers and men from No Man's Land under intense artillery and machine-gun fire.  He also volunteered and carried up ammunition and bombs through a heavy barrage to a portion of the trenches which was being heavily shelled at the time.  Private O’Meara’s citation said that "he showed throughout an utter contempt for danger, and undoubtedly saved many lives."

Media Contact: Mark Croxford   (02) 6277 7820        or  0408 645 787



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