Follow in the footsteps of Heroes
on an In The Footsteps®
ANZACS on the Western Front Tour
Follow in the footsteps of the ANZACS on the Western Front in the company of one of our expert guides.
Visit the sites and memorials associated with their battlefields that stretch from the Ypres Salient,
close to the English Channel in the north, through the Somme Region and into the Aisne.
The ANZACS did not fight through these areas in chronological order, but were moved up and down the
frontline as necessary, either to fight or for periods of rest. In summary the major actions in which
the ANZAC troops were involved were: -
1916
Following the disaster of the Dardanelles Campaign, the first Australian soldiers began arriving in
France and Flanders during March 1916 and the New Zealanders began arriving at Marseilles on 13th April
that year. The Australian and New Zealand Divisions were once again grouped together under the I ANZAC
Corps, which was commanded by Lieutenant General Sir William Riddell Birdwood. In June the 4th and 5th
Australian Divisions arrived in France and the 4th Australian Division joined the I ANZAC Corps whilst
the New Zealand Division transferred to the II ANZAC Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Alexander
John Godley. Initially the Divisions of the two ANZAC Corps occupied the less active sectors of the
frontline, but as time went by became increasingly involved in some of the most bitter of struggles.
The first major action in which ANZAC forces took part was at Fromelles on 19th–20th July 1916 when the
5th Australian Division of II ANZAC Corps and the British 61st (2nd South Midlands) Division took part
in an action intended to draw German reinforcements away from the Somme further to the south. This
action was disastrous for the forces taking part and 5,533 Australian, 1,574 British and more than 2,000
German soldiers lost their lives. The New Zealand Division and British 20th Division that were both part
of the II ANZAC Corps were deployed to the left of the 5th Australian Division.
Just 3-days later on 23rd July 1916 the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Australian Divisions of the I ANZAC Corps
were to enter the fray on the Somme in the Battle of Pozières. Here they attacked the German
defenders holding the vital ground that was once the village in an effort to push forward the Allied
advance. The attack was to prove the most costly battle of the war for the ANZAC forces with more than
23,000 Australians becoming casualties in the six weeks of fighting.
On 10th/11th September 1916 the New Zealand Division entered the frontline between High Wood and
Delville Wood in preparation for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. This was to be the battle that tanks
were used for the first time. On 15th they attacked and secured all of its objectives, capturing 500
prisoners, with 15 machine guns and a mitrailleuse (a volley firing multi-barrel gun of rifle calibre)
and 3 mortars. The losses on the 15th were approximately: NZ Rifle Brigade 1,200 and 2nd Brigade
800.
In November 1916 the I ANZAC Corps was once more in action on the Somme attacking the German positions
near Flers. In atrocious weather on 5th November 1916 they attacked and managed to capture a number of
their objectives, but in the face of fierce German counter-attacks were forced to retire having
sustained heavy losses.
1917
In March 1917 the Germans withdrew eastwards from the Somme to their prepared defences of the Hindenburg
Line. In this fortified system of deep trenches, dug-outs and concrete bunkers behind thousands of miles
of barbed wire they waited to hold back the Allied Armies. In front of this line they fortified a number
of outpost villages, which they manned with highly trained soldiers and it was against some of these
villages that the ANZAC forces were to see action in March and April 1917.
On 11th April 1917 the 4th Australian Division and the British 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division attacked
the Hindenburg Line near the French town of Bullecourt as the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) sought
to build on the success of the Canadians at Vimy Ridge and other British Divisions fighting further
north in the Battle of Arras. Supported by tanks, the Australian and British soldiers advanced. The
tanks were supposed to break through the wire making lanes for the infantrymen to pour through, but most
either broke down or were knocked out by the German artillery before reaching the German lines. The
infantrymen continued their assault and the Australians succeeded in breaking into the Hindenburg Line
where they spent a day and a very long night fighting hand-to-hand with the enemy. They were eventually
cut-off and without further support forced yet again to retire in the face of the enemy sustaining heavy
losses, including 27 officers and 1,137 men taken prisoner, the largest number captured in a single
engagement during the war. The 4th Australian Brigade sustained 2,258 casualties out of an approximate
strength of 3,000 whilst the 12th Australian Brigade lost 909 out of their 2,000; the Germans lost just
750 all ranks.
On 3rd May 1917 the ANZACs were in action at Bullecourt again, this time the 2nd Australian Division
assaulted supported by the 1st and 5th Australian Divisions. Again they managed to get into the
Hindenburg Line and over the following two-weeks resisted all efforts of the Germans to dislodge them.
Eventually they secured Bullecourt which has little strategic value proving that the
'impregnable' Hindenburg Line could be penetrated, but at what cost. In all the Australians lost
7,482 officers and men and the British lost a further 6,800 in what one historian labelled a struggle
for a 'small, tactically useless piece of ground'.
On 7th June 1917 the BEF carried out one of their most successful major set piece battles of the 1914-18
Great War when they attacked the German forces occupying the Messines Ridge to the south of Ypres
(Ieper). At the southern end of this advance the ANZACs were to enter the fray across the ground to the
north of Ploegsteert Wood and against the ruins of the village of Messines (Mesen). The battle was
opened by the simultaneous detonation of 19 out of a total of 25 great mines, the noise of which was
heard as far away as London, and was considered to be the most successful action of the war to date. The
II ANZAC Corps lost 377 officers and 12,014 men, approximately half of the casualties sustained by the
attacking British Second Army.
On 31st July 1917 the BEF mounted its major assault of the year when it attacked across the Ypres
Salient in an effort to drive the German Forces back towards the east and seize the ports along the
Belgium coast. Initially the Third Battle of Ypres, as it would become known, began well, but soon
ground to a standstill as unseasonable torrential rainfall turned the low lying shattered ground into a
sea of mud. Eventually, General Gough's Fifth Army Headquarters was replaced by General Plumer's
Second Army and a series of 'bit and hold' actions took place as the weather improved that
resulted in the BEF going forward once more.
The first of these 'bit and hold' actions began on 20th September 1917 and the ANZACs entered
the battle once again with the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions joined the fray in the Battle of the
Menin Road. They pushed forward approximately 1¼ miles (2 kilometres) which they secured over the
next 5-days. During the battle the 1st Australian Division sustained 2,754 casualties whilst the 2nd
Australian Division sustained a further 2,259.
On 26th September 1917 the 5th Australian Division took over from the 1st Australian Division and the
4th Australian Division took over from the 2nd Australian Division to push forward once again. Facing
the 5th Australian Division was the heavily fortified and defended area of Polygon Wood. In what was to
be a hard fought and fiercely contested battle the ANZAC forces once again drove the enemy back to
secure their objectives and consolidate their gains. The cost of this success was 1,729 casualties
within the 4th Australian Division and a further 3,722 from the 5th Australian Division.
On 4th October 1917 General Plumer's Second Army continued its advance with the ANZAC forces taking
a sideward step to assault the German positions along the Broodseinde Ridge. This time both ANZAC Corps
would fight side-by-side with the New Zealand Division on their left, the 3rd Australian Division centre
left, the 2nd Australian Division centre right and the 1st Australian Division to their right. To the
left of the II ANZAC Corps was the British 48th (South Midland) Division and to the right of the I ANZAC
Corps was the British 7th Division. The German pillboxes proved difficult to overcome, but once again
the ANZACs managed to secure all of their objectives. The cost of the Battle of the Broodseinde Ridge
was 1st Australian Division 2,448, the 2nd Australian Division 2,174, the 3rd Australian Division 1,810
and the New Zealand Division 1,643. This is considered to be one of the finest victories of the ANZACs
within the 1914-18 Great War.
Following the success of the Broodseinde Ridge the weather broke once more as light rain began to fall
just after noon on 4th October. It continued as a drizzle through the 5th and turned to constant showers
on the 6th. By the 7th the showers had turned into heavy squalls and on the 8th these squalls became
torrents. In the torrential rain the ground over which the ANZAC, British and subsequently the Canadian
forces were to fight deteriorated once again into a muddy morass over which it was virtually impossible
to walk without the aid of duckboards.
On 9th October 1917 the BEF push forward once again, this time with the intention of capturing the small
Belgium town of Passchendaele (Passendale). The two British Divisions attached to the II ANZAC Corps,
the 49th (West Riding) Division and the 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division, had taken over the front
from the New Zealand Division and 3rd Australian Division respectively. The 2nd Australian Division
remained in the line to the right of the II ANZACs to secure the flank. In atrocious conditions the
Divisions of the two ANZAC Corps pushed forward, but this time their attack ground to a halt short of
their objectives. The 2nd Australian Division sustained 1,253 casualties during this action.
The two British Divisions were quickly replaced by the New Zealand and 3rd Australian Divisions and on
12th October 1917 they attacked again. The conditions prevented the supporting artillery from being
properly repositioned for the assault and consequently the preparatory barrage proved ineffective
leaving many of the German pillboxes undamaged and a large proportion of the enemy's wire still
intact.
In the driving rain the ANZACs pushed forward at 5.30am on 12th October only to find their way blocked
by the uncut wire. From their strongpoints the defending Germans in the New Zealand Division's area
poured murderous fire into the exposed infantrymen. The New Zealand Division were soon seeking shelter
in the shell holes and craters of the churned up battlefield and late that afternoon the assault was
called off, but not until more than 2,700 officers and men of the Division had become casualties. The
3rd Australian Division also pushed forward across the waterlogged morass of the battlefield. Here too
the poor artillery bombardment had left the German defenders entrenched. The 9th Australian Brigade on
the right fared better than the 8th Australian Brigade on the left and they managed to push forward to
their second objective. After a day of vicious fighting however, they too were forced to abandon their
gains and by 8.00pm they were back where they had started, having sustained 3,199 casualties for their
pains. To their right the 4th Australian Division had replaced the 2nd Australian Division. They too had
reached their second objective before being forced to withdraw losing some 1,018 all ranks in the
process. This bloody failure to seize Passchendaele on 12th October 1917 ended any major involvement by
the ANZACs in the Third Battle of Ypres and the Canadian Corps took over the assaults to finally secure
the village on 10th November 1917.
On 1st November 1917 the I ANZAC Corps and II ANZAC Corps ceased to exist when all five Australian
Divisions were brought together to form the Australian Corps and what remained of the II ANZAC Corps,
including the New Zealand Division, became the British XXII Corps.
1918
Following the collapse of the Russians, the Germans transferred many of the Divisions that had previously
been massed in the East to the Western Front. Here they were ranged against the Allied Armies in
preparation for a final massive and decisive assault designed to bring about victory before the American
Army fulfilled its fighting potential on European soil. Of the 110 German Divisions drawn up along the
Western Front fifty were directed against the BEF's area. A further sixty-seven Divisions were in
reserve of which thirty-one were waiting behind the front opposite the BEF. It was against the British
that Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff launched the Kaiserschlacht (the German Spring
Offensive).
On 21st March 1918 fifty-eight waiting German Divisions were unleashed along a section of the British
front guarded by just sixteen British Divisions. Within a space of hours many of these British Divisions
were virtually annihilated and a wide breach had opened in the British frontline. Those British units
that still maintained some form of cohesion fought a fighting withdrawal before the ranging storm of the
advancing German Army. Behind this screen of retreating soldiers the British rushed reserves and
reinforcements into the vicinity of Amiens to defend this vital and strategically placed railhead. After
a few days the German advance began to slow as their supply lines became stretched and the British
resistance stiffened. Slowly but surely Ludendorff's initial and spectacular success began to
flounder.
On 26th March 1918 a gap four and a half miles wide opened up between the British 2nd Division on the
left flank of V Corps in the vicinity of Beaumont-Hamel and IV Corps' right flank near Bucquoy. The
Germans were pressing forward into this gap with determination and there was a distinct danger that the
British line would be breached. The newly arrived New Zealand Division and 4th Australian Division were
pushed forward to plug this gap and form a defensive line. To assist them the new faster and lighter
'Whippet' tanks of the 3rd Tank Battalion were sent in support. This was to be first time that
the 'Whippet' was used in battle.
In the ensuing fight the New Zealand Division pushed up from the south-west and supported by the Whippet
tanks thwarted the Germans in the vicinity of Colincamps as they attempted to breach the British line.
The 4th Australian Division closed from the north and in the morning of the 27th liaison was established
between the New Zealanders and Australians effectively closing the gap.
Further south another gap had opened up between the British Third and Fifth Armies along the inter-army
boundary of the River Somme. As the British fell back Lieutenant General Sir William Congreve's VII
Corps withdrew to the line of the River Ancre. This left a triangle of ground virtually undefended
between the Ancre and the River Somme and the Amiens Defensive Line was consequently held by little more
than a scratch force made up of the remnants of infantry and cavalry units screened by the 2nd Cavalry
Brigade. Whilst the New Zealand Division and the 4th Australian Division were occupied in the vicinity
of Hébuterne, the 3rd Australian Division took over the Amiens Defensive Line within this triangle
establishing its right flank at Sailly-le-Sac on the River Somme. This however, still left a six-mile
stretch of the River Somme between the Third and Fifth Armies undefended and the left flank of the Fifth
Army exposed and in danger of being turned.
On 27th March 1918 the left of the German Second Army advanced into this gap and two of their Regiments
crossed over the river in the rear of XIX Corps on the left of the Fifth Army's line. Despite
valiant attempts by the cavalry screen and sappers of the 16th (Irish) Division to prevent a crossing,
they were on the south side of the river by 2:00pm. A hastily organised counter-attack was made, but by
7:00pm the Germans were in Lamotte and Warfusée-Abancourt. Realising that the only way to prevent
his army from being enveloped, General Gough had Marshal Foch, the commander of the Allied Armies, woken
at 3:00am on 28th March and got his consent to allow XIX Corps to withdraw through Caix and re-establish
a coherent front at Marcelcave. At 4:30pm that same day General Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough was relieved
and General Sir Henry Rawlinson took over responsibility for the Fifth Army's sector, the scapegoat
for the retirement of the BEF since 21st March 1918 had been identified and replaced.
On taking over General Rawlinson assessed that the Fifth Army was in such a bad state that he wrote to
Marshal Foch informing him: "The situation is serious, and unless fresh troops are sent in the
next two days, I doubt whether the remnants of the British XIX Corps which now hold the line to the
east of Villers-Bretonneux can maintain their positions."
Whilst the situation along the Anglo-French Front had been stabilised everywhere else, the situation in
front of Amiens between the River Somme and the River Avre remained critical. Field Marshal Haig in an
effort to strengthen General Rawlinson's weak left flank sent the 9th Australian Brigade across the
Somme and attached them to the British 61st (2nd South Midland) Division for counter-attacks and the
15th Australian Brigade from the 5th Australian Division replaced them covering the River Somme
crossings.
By this time the German assaults of Operation Michael had virtually ground to a halt, but Ludendorff was
too close to seizing Amiens not to have one last try. Realizing that his grand intent to breach the
British line and then head north to envelop the remainder of the BEF was no longer probable, he knew
that if the railhead of Amiens could be denied to the British he would be able to claim that Operation
Michael was a success and so gathered his forces south of the River Somme for one more push.
On 4th April 1918 he unleashed fifteen Divisions against the seven defending British Divisions and
pushed westwards towards the River Avre and Amiens. The assault was centred on the village of
Villers-Bretonneux and included the first ever tank verses tank battle to take place. The Germans
briefly took control of the village, but a hastily organised counter-attack that night launched by the
Australian and British units drove them back out. The Germans attempted to recapture the village the
following day, but when this failed Ludendorff finally called a halt to Operation Michael bringing the
first phase of the Kaiserschlacht to an end.
On 9th April 1918 the German offensive shifted its centre of gravity northwards when Ludendorff
unleashed his forces in Flanders in the Battle of Lys. On 11th, just two-days later, Field Marshal Sir
Douglas Haig issued his famous 'Order of the Day' stating: "With our backs to the wall
and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end."
The German offensive however, stalled again due to over extended supply lines, and Ludendorff called off
Operation Georgette on 29th April 1918.
In an effort to draw the Allied Forces away from the English Channel Ludendorff unleashed a third
assault, Operation Blucher-Yorck the objective of which was to capture the Chemin des Dames and push on
Paris, thereby splitting the British and the French forces apart. The German assault was launched on
27th May, between Soissons and Reims, against a sector of the Allied frontline partially held by six
depleted British Divisions that had been sent to this 'quiet sector' to rest and recuperate
following their exertions in the earlier 1918 battles. It drove the allies back to the River Marne and
the prospect of capturing Paris seemed to be a realistic objective. Behind their retreating line
however, allied forces had been preparing to make a stand. On 18th July 1918, in one the first
engagements in which the American Forces took part, the Allied Army under the direct of command of
Marshal Foch, the Allied Supreme Commander, counter-attacked and halted the Germans along a 25 mile (40
Kilometre) line that extended between Fontenoy and Chateau-Thierry.
During the period over which Operation Blucher-Yorck was taking place the British sector remained
relatively quiet and the shattered remnants of the Fifth Army were withdrawn to be replaced by the
Fourth. On 31st May 1918, John Monash was promoted to Lieutenant General and took over command of the
Australian Corps. For the first time all five Australian Divisions on the Western Front were united
under an Australian commander. After just over a month of meticulous planning and preparation he
launched an assault against the German forces in the vicinity of Le Hamel.
On 4th July 1918 the 4th and 9th Australian Brigades supported by 1,000 American soldiers from the US
33rd Division attacked in what was one of the most innovative assaults of the 1914-18 Great War. In just
93 minutes, 3 minutes longer than had been planned, they had seized all of their objectives overwhelming
their German opponents.
Whilst Le Hamel was a limited assault it was notable for a number of reasons. It was the first time that
American troops had participated in an offensive action and was the first time that American troops
served under non-American command, each of the American Companies committed to the battle fighting under
the command of an Australian Battalion Commander.
Perhaps the most important however, was that the tactics used were a combination of those that had been
evolved from the lessons learned and the different arms were brought together in a 'combined
arms' battle. Artillery was used for the preparatory bombardment, which was augmented by aircraft
dropping bombs. This was not however the normal barrage to cut the wire, that would be left to the
tanks. Close cooperation during the attack between the artillery and attacking forces was maintained
through air observation. Tanks and infantry went forward together each supporting the other.
The Australians sustained 1,062 casualties, including 800 dead, and the Americans 176 casualties of whom
almost 100 died. Around 2,000 Germans killed and some 1,600 captured, along with a great deal of their
equipment. Whilst it was a limited victory it came at an important time and gave the Allied commanders
hope. The French Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau, had a habit of visiting a French unit every
weekend, but on the Sunday following the battle it was the Australians who he went to see. At the 4th
Australian Division Headquarters in Bussy-la-Daours near Corbie in the company of Lieutenant General
Monash, George Clemenceau addressed the assembled Australian soldiers. In English he said: "
… When the Australian Army came to France, the French people expected a great deal of you
… We knew that you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the beginning you
would astonish the whole continent … I shall go back tomorrow and say to my countrymen: 'I have
seen the Australians. I have looked into their faces. I know that these men … will fight
alongside us again until the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and our
children."
The next major battle in which the ANZACs were involved took place just over a month later on 8th August
1918 when the Allied Advance to Victory began. At Villers-Bretonneux the Australian Corps and Canadian
Corps surged forward spearheading the assault of General Rawlinson's British Fourth Army and drove
the Germans back more than 5 miles (8 kilometres) in one day. The Germans were simply overwhelmed, and
General Ludendorff would later describe 8th August 1918 as der Schwarze Tag — Germany's
"Black Day".
On 31st August 1918 the 2nd Australian Division became embroiled in a battle centred on Mont St Quentin
near Pérrone and in the three-days of fighting that followed, this under strength Division would
capture the hill that had been turned into a veritable fortress. Their victory dealt a particularly
strong blow to five German divisions, including the German elite 2nd Guards Division, and, due to its
commanding position, meant that the Germans would not be able to stop the Allies west of the Hindenburg
Line. At the same time the 5th Australian Division assaulted against and captured Pérrone. General
Sir Henry Rawlinson described the Australian advances of 31st August to 4th September 1918 as the
greatest military achievement of the war.
On 5th October 1918 at a village called Montbrehain the Australian Corps would fight in their last
action of the war. Following the battle the five Australian Divisions were withdrawn for a period of
rest and on 11th November 1918 were heading up the line into battle once more when the Armistice was
declared.
As the fighting came to an end the participants were left to come to terms with the cost of the war. Out
of a population of less than five million 330,000 Australians served overseas during the war and 64%
(210,320) of these became casualties: 58,150 died and 152,170 were wounded. For New Zealand it was a
similar story. Out of a population of 1.1 million 103,000 New Zealanders served overseas during the war
and 55% (56,880) of these became casualties: 16,130 died and 40,750 were wounded. The reputation of the
British Dominion troops stood high at the end of the war and the forces of Australia and New Zealand
were regarded as among the best fighting troops in the world.
The cost of your tour
The typical cost for a 3-day / 3-night tour following in the footsteps of the ANZACs on the Western Front
is £850.00 GBP * per person.
This price per person are based upon:
- Two people sharing a twin/double room.
- A minimum of 4 people touring. If less than 4 people travelling we will produce a specific proposal for your consideration.
- Travel in a dedicate tour vehicle driven by our expert Battlefield Historian / Guide.
A supplement of £125.00 GBP * applies where single occupancy is required.
A deposit of 30% or £200.00 GBP per person, whichever is the greater, is payable on
booking.
A supplement may apply for anniversary dates to cover any increase in the associated costs.
Booking indicates your acceptance of our Tour Terms and Conditions.
* The costs may vary from those shown above due to the availability and selection of hotels and
other associated costs, and variations in the exchange rate.
What your tour includes
- In-tour land travel only.
- 3-days escorted tour of the battlefields with one of our expert Battlefield Guides.
- Comprehensive touring of all the major battlefield sites, including many of the less frequently visited out-of-the-way sites.
- All museum admission fees.
- 3-nights accommodation at one of our 3-star partner hotels.
- The opportunity to visit specific cemeteries and graves within tour area (as agreed prior to your tour).
- The opportunity to discuss your battlefield travel plans with our expert team.
What your tour does not include
- Meals.
- Drinks.
- Personal expenses.
Optional Extras
All of our Flexi-date tours can have optional extras added to them. We can, for example, add any of the following to your tour: -
- Transfer to the battlefield area.
- Ferry crossings or Eurostar from the UK.
- Accommodation the night before the tour.
- Accommodation the night night after the tour.
- Lunches.
- Full-board.
- All inclusive.
- Additional days.
Customising your Flexi-date tour
All of our Flexi-date tours are fully customisable to allow you to see the sites that are most important to you. Where changes to the standard itinerary are made there may be an additional charge to cover the associated additional costs.
Financial Protection
Your money is safe. We are members ot the TTA and all monies paid to us are held in a trust account and cannot be drawn down by us until the tour is over.
Why travel with In The Footsteps?
- We have over 16 years experience in designing and operating Private Battlefield Tours, Battlefield Studies and Staff Rides.
- Our team of battlefield historians and guides are selected for their experience, depth of knowledge, enthusiasm and ability to tell the story in an entertaining and engaging way. The majority are accredited members of the prestigious Guild of Battlefield Guides. This means they endeavour to maintain high levels of good practice commensurate with the Guild's ethos.
- We operate a full booking, planning and design service.
- Office is open 24-hours a day whilst the tour is operating.
- Combined Employers and Public Liability Insurance (a copy can be supplied upon request).
Enquire About Your ANZAC Tour Today
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below which will take you to our Enquiry Form. Either way, please tell us which tour you are interested
in, when you would like to go and how many people there are in your party. You will receive a reply
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Page last updated: 24 April 2022