Place | Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Lille, Fromelles |
---|---|
Accession Number | RELAWM00499 |
Collection type | Heraldry |
Object type | Heraldry |
Physical description | Wood |
Maker |
Unknown |
Place made | France |
Date made | c 1915 |
Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
German improvised sign, 'Nach Fromelles' [To Fromelles]
Improvised wooden sign with 'Nach Fromelles' [To Fromelles] above an arrow stencilled in black paint.
This sign was found on the battlefield of Fromelles. Fromelles was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. Directed against a strong German position known as the Sugar Loaf salient, the attack was intended primarily as a feint to draw the Germans from the main Somme offensive, then being pursued further to the south. A seven-hour preparatory bombardment deprived the attack of any hope of surprise, and ultimately proved ineffective in subduing the well-entrenched defenders.
When the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked at 6 pm on 19 July 1916, they suffered heavy losses at the hands of German machine-gunners. Small sections of the German trenches were captured by the 8th and 14th Australian Brigades, but, without flanking support and subjected to fierce counter-attacks, they were forced to withdraw. By 8 am on 20 July the battle was over. The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 casualties, rendering it incapable of offensive action for many months; the 61st British Division suffered 1,547. German casualties were little more than 1,000. The attack was a complete and costly failure as the Germans realised within a few hours it was merely a feint, and made no impact whatsoever upon the progress of the Somme offensive.