The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The Chuignes Gun, destroyed by the Germans on 8 August 1918, pending its imminent capture by the Allies. A sign attached labels the gun as an Australian war memorial and reads 'Removal of or interferance with this gun or mounting strictly forbidden. By order, GCC Australian Corps' and is repeated underneath in French. Standing on the gun is Sir Arthur Rickard, who was a member of the Australian delegation to the League of Nations General Assembly in 1926. This 15 inch German naval gun, affectionatly named 'Big Bertha', was used to bombard Amiens about 30 kilometres away from its position and was captured by the 1st Australian Division at Proyart, France in August 1918. The gun, with its 21 metre barrel and concrete foundations, weighed more than 500 tons and could fire a one ton projectile at least 38 kilometres. It was the largest gun used to fire on Amiens and had been out of action since early June 1917. The first barrel was worn out, a second was fitted and the gun was again in action on 7 August 1918. After firing only 35 shells it was destroyed by German troops on the morning of the 8 August 1918. Although the general position of the gun was known it was discovered by Lance Corporals 958 James Timothy Conmee and 5208 John Nathaniel Doughty MM & Bar, and also independently by some men of Lieutenant Mitchell's platoon from the 1st Battalion. Arcy Wood was cleared of German troops on 23 August 1918 as the 1st, 2nd and 5th Australian Divisions, south of the River Somme pushed eastward away from Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux, in a series of decisive victories, which in August saw the front line pushed out to Chuignes.
The Chuignes Gun, destroyed by the Germans on 8 August 1918, pending its imminent capture by the Allies. A sign attached labels the gun as an Australian war memorial and reads 'Removal of or interfera
Arcy Wood, France. An unknown woman visiting the battlefields stands on the rim of a German naval gun. This gun, known as the Chuignes Gun, was a German 15 inch (38 cm S.K.L/45) Heavy Naval gun used t
A group of unidentified soldiers clearing away debris in a wrecked street of the heavily shelled town. A 28 centimetre (11.15 inch) German railway gun, known as the Amiens gun, and a 15 inch German n
A group of British troops clearing away the debris from a wrecked quarter of the heavily shelled town. The debris is being loaded into horse drawn wagons and a truck (background centre). A 28 centim
The German railway gun which became known as 'the Amiens Gun' after its capture on 8 August 1918 by the 31st Battalion during the big advances of the 5th Australian Division in the Battle of Amiens in
A 15 inch German naval gun, known as the Chuignes gun, captured in August 1918 by No 3 Battalion, at Chuignes, France. German troops destroyed the Chuignes gun, which, on 23 August was secured by Aust
