The Western Front Today - Australian Memorial, Pozieres Mill
Updated - Sunday, 8 September, 2002

The Australian Memorial at Pozieres Mill marks the spot where a windmill stood during the First World War and which marked the highest point of the bitterly contested Pozieres Ridge.  During July and August 1916 the British Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig launched numerous attacks against Pozieres Ridge in which Australian 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions featured.  It finally fell on 4 August.

From the mound at the memorial can be seen ruined remnants of the old windmill.

Directly across the busy main road (the Albert-Bapaume road) from the Pozieres Mill Memorial is the Tank Corps Memorial marking the first use of the tank in battle at Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916.  Also nearby is the related Courcelette Canadian Memorial.

References:
Before Endeavours Fade, Rose E.B. Coombs, After the Battle 1994
Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide - Somme, Leo Cooper 2000

"Suicide Ditch" was a term used by British soldiers to refer to the front-line trench.

Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-09, SafeSurf Rated