The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The Battle of Messines, codenamed ‘Magnum Opus’, began at 3:10am on 7 June 1917, after a seven day preliminary bombardment, with the detonation of 19 huge mines that obliterated thousands of frontline German soldiers. For two years, tunnelling companies had worked under enemy front lines packing mines with explosive. Australians contributed to this effort at Hill 60. It was the 3rd Division’s first battle on the Western Front, one of 12 Allied divisions to take part.
It took some years to resolve how to paint the Battle of Messines, it was found ‘too difficult’ to depict the explosion of the mines. In 1921 Treloar suggested that it ‘could show the infantry lying down behind the parados [fortification] of the trenches in the early morning light, with the mines exploding in the distance.’ Wheeler was commissioned and has followed Treloar’s idea to the letter. The explosions light up the billowing smoke above, the signal for the infantry to go ‘over the top’ and commence their assault.
A New Zealand-born Australian, Wheeler had studied painting in Melbourne and was travelling in Europe when war broke out. He returned to London and enlisted in the 22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for actions at Vimy Ridge in 1916. He completed a number of commissions for the Memorial.
Flat, rusted piece of sheet steel, die cut along the long sides to create jagged barbs, giving an exagertaed saw edge appearance. Some of these barbs have been twisted. This piece of German barbed w
This painting depicts the site of the battle of Messines on the Western Front. It is a snowy, war-torn landscape with soldiers and bare trees in the midground, and a river in the foreground.
Depicts a war damaged landscape at dawn, part of the front line at Messines, with the remains of trees, trenches and barbed wire visible and shells exploding on the horizon. The 11th Machine Gun Compa
Depicts a war damaged landscape at dawn, part of the front line at Messines, with the remains of trees, trenches and barbed wire visible and shells exploding on the horizon. The 11th Machine Gun Compa
Depicts a war damaged landscape at dawn, part of the front line at Messines, with the remains of trees, trenches and barbed wire visible and shells exploding on the horizon. The 11th Machine Gun Compa
Length of square core wire, with dozens of barbs twisted around its length, very close together. The barbed wire is rusted. This piece of German barbed wire is from Messines. It is made from a squar
