The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Six chunks of brick. The portions are irregular in shape and ochre brick red in colour. Traces of cement binder or mortar are evident. There is also a small bag containing fine fragments of brick and a single iron nail.
These brick fragments are thought to be taken from a ruined church at Pozieres. Pozieres, a small village in the Somme valley in France, was the scene of bitter and costly fighting for the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions in mid 1916.
The village was captured initially by the 1st Division on 23 July 1916. The division clung to its gains despite almost continuous artillery fire and repeated German counter-attacks but suffered heavily. By the time it was relieved on 27 July it had suffered 5,285 casualties.
The 2nd Division took over from the 1st and mounted two further attacks - the first, on 29 July, was a costly failure; the second, on 2 August, resulted in the seizure of further German positions beyond the village. Again, the Australians suffered heavily from retaliatory bombardments. They were relieved on 6 August, having suffered 6,848 casualties.
The 4th Division was next into the line at Pozieres. It too endured a massive artillery bombardment, and defeated a German counter-attack on 7 August, this was the last attempt by the Germans to retake Pozieres. Concentrated artillery bombardments in July and August 1916 completely razed the village, and, when the battle had passed, a notice board marked 'Pozieres' was the only indication that a village had ever been there.
German trench sign constructed of wood and stenciled in black paint 'Achtung! Gasberietschaft! Maske vor die Brust, Tragband um den Hals.' [Attention! Special Gas Alert! Wear mask in front of chest wi
Notice board constructed from four wooden planks and stencilled with black stencilled lettering 'CENTRE WAY R.4.a.9.1 DURING DAYLIGHT NO MOVEMENT OF TROOPS IN LARGER PARTIES OF 4 IS ALLOWED N OF CENTR
The village of Pozieres held up the left flank of the Anglo-French offensive in the first battle of the Somme in July 1916. After being attacked several times without success it became a major objecti
The devastation on the site of the church in a village destroyed during the Somme Offensive. Between 23 July and early September 1916, the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions between them launched 19 attacks
Australian infantry watching the artillery bombardment of Pozieres. Between 23 July and early September 1916, the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions between them launched 19 attacks on German positions in an
Bell fragment from Pozieres Church. Cast into the outer face of the fragment are the raised letters 'POZI' and 'AROT E'. Underneath the letters are two horizontal lines. Pozieres, a small village in
