Australian Trail

This trail takes you to the theatre of the famous Battles of Bullecourt, which took place in April and May 1917. The village changed hands some twenty times over the course of that year. These battles took a terrible toll, with British and Australian casualties numbering 8,893 and 10,771 respectively. More than 10,000 Germans also lost their lives.

The 2,249 Australians and 1,875 Brits who were killed at Bullecourt have no known grave. Their names are inscribed on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and on the British Memorial at Arras. Many still lie buried in the earth of the Artois region.

The memory of this battle has been kept alive by the “Digger” statue (the term used by Australians and New Zealanders to refer to a veteran), which was erected in 1992. It was created by Australian sculptor Peter Corlett, the son of a Great War veteran. The Digger’s uniform and insignia symbolise the four Australian infantry divisions who fought here.

Since 2010, a French remembrance stele has also commemorated the sacrifice made by the soldiers at Bullecourt. A museum has even been opened at Bullecourt to pay tribute to those lost during these battles.