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Trenches of Hell
gives readers an excellent emotional account of both
battles and their human effects.
There were some successes. For example, at Messines, the Australian
tunnelling companies secretly assisted the construction and detonation of
nineteen mines of explosives burying and atomising supposedly 10,000
German soldiers and allowing a successful attack. It should be noted that
the initial digging of mines on the Commonwealth side had been done by
miners from Britain.
The Newcastle Herald has given permission to use the following article
about the tunnelling companies, to illustrate the importance of Hunter
Valley miners in the digging and preparation of the mines and the
explosives.
I apologise for the quality of the press clipping but I believe the article
illustrates the pride most Australians have in our AIF members.
Despite the achievement of the secondary trench systems, the confusion
of the allied forces, including even the Commonwealth troops, meant that
the Germans were able to prevent a complete break out of the
Commonwealth forces. The AIF had assisted British forces to gain control
of a portion of the Ypres salient but the German forces were able to
maintain control of the majority of the important ridge systems.
Further Research
What was the name given to the high ground in
otherwise flat terrain? This elevated land often projected into flat plain
areas and gave the holders of this ground a distinct advantage in any
battle.
However, all attacks generally meant heavy casualty rates. For example,
at Messines the Australians encountered concrete block houses protecting
machine guns for the first time. These concrete blocks on high ground
made advancing on open fields almost impossible.
Sgt. Allan Cameron of Lithgow wrote at Loos “I saw some terrible sights
in that battle. The German trenches in places were filled up with dead who
had been killed in the bombardment and in the bayonet fighting
afterwards……….We advanced across open country, in full view of the
enemy positions ………..we tried to rush them but their machine guns
were too hot”.
Studies in School Certificate History
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