The presentation will be live and online.
From the Battle of Hamel in July 1918 to the breaking of the Hindenburg Line nearly four months later, the Australian Corps was an integral part of the great British offensive that ended the Great War. Their achievements were quickly broadcast by their commanding officer General Sir John Monash in his memoir The Australian Victories in France in 1918. There can be no doubt that the Australians were involved in some of the most significant victories of the Hundred Days, and are one of the best examples we have of how successful the British could be at limited, set-piece attacks by 1918. But that is only part of this story.
This presentation will look at the approach the Australian Corps took to battle and why it could be stunningly successful, but it will also look at where it all could have so easily gone wrong - when commanding officers (including Monash himself) made terrible decisions that cost lives, and jeopardised the advance itself.
Until recently Dr. Meleah Hampton has been an historian at the Australian War Memorial. Having retired to take care of small children and get back to writing books, she continues to act as ambassador for The Western Front Association in Australia.
Members wishing to participate will need to register: details of how to register will be circulated via the WFA's newsletter 'Trench Lines'. If you are not a subscriber to 'Trench Lines' please subscribe now.
To subscribe to Trench Lines, go to the homepage of the WFA web site and complete your details in the 'Newsletter signup' box.
It is also possible to register by clicking this link: The Australian Corps in 1918: Glory or Vainglory?
The talk will be undertaken using Zoom which is freely available. It may not be necessary to load the software to your PC / iPad etc: but we would recommend doing so if you wish to participate in this event.