Taking of Mont St Quentin

Depicts Australian soldiers taking a German trench at Mont St Quentin with two dead German soldiers. In the centre front a soldier is about to throw a grenade into the entrance of the trench. Mont St Quentin (overlooking Peronne), was a pivotal German defensive position on the line of the Somme and by August 1918 was the last German stronghold. Monash believed that by taking control of Mont St Quentin, the line of the Somme River would be useless to the Germans as a defensive position and they would be forced to retreat to the Hindenburg Line. To achieve this, it was necessary to capture Mont St Quentin. Monash proposed that the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Australian Divisions were to take part in the attack. This Australian operation is sometimes regarded as the finest achievement of the AIF. The 2nd Australian Division crossed the Somme River on the night of 31 August, and attacked Mont St Quentin. By September 19 1918, the Australians had captured Mont St Quentin and this result assisted the attack on the Hindenburg line. Cecil Percival, was a cartoonist and illustrator. He contributed to 'Aussie', a paper for troops in the trenches during the First World War, also to London 'Punch'. He worked with the War Records section in London and later became principal cartoonist for the Sydney 'Bulletin', from 1920 to1940.