Mont Saint-Quentin Australian war memorial is an Australian First World War memorial located at Mont Saint-Quentin in Péronne, France. This monument was erected in honor of the fallen soldiers of the Australian Second Division during the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin. It is one of five commemorative monuments initiated by the soldiers of the division. The memorial is located on the Bapaume-Péronne road (D1017).
| 2nd Division Memorial | |
|---|---|
| Australia | |
 Statue by Australian sculptor Stanley James Hammond | |
| For Australian 2nd Division | |
| Established | 1971 |
| Location | 49°56′50″N 2°55′57″E / 49.94722°N 2.93250°E Mont Saint-Quentin, Péronne, Somme, France |
| Designed by | Stanley James Hammond |
Historical Background
editThe Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin was a part of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive. The Australian Corps crossed the Somme River on the night of 31 August 1918 and attacked the German lines at Mont Saint-Quentin. The position was only 100 meters high but was a key German defensive position because it overlooked the Somme River and served as an ideal observation post, and guarded the north and western approaches to Péronne.[1] The British Fourth Army's commander, General Henry Rawlinson, described the Australian advances of 31 August – 4 September as a great military achievement.[2] In three days the Australians endured 3,000 casualties but ensured a general German withdrawal eastwards back to the Hindenburg Line.[3]
Original memorial
editThe original monument consisted of a pedestaled sculpture, created by Charles Web Gilbert, representing an Australian soldier thrusting his bayonet into a German eagle. The pedestal has bronze bas-reliefs created by May Butler-George that depict soldiers in combat, namely men hauling and pushing a gun and men advancing with bayoneted rifles and hand grenades.[4] The memorial was inaugurated on August 30, 1925 and unveiled by Ferdinand Foch. In 1940, German soldiers destroyed the sculpture most probably due to the anti-German imagery.[5]
Present memorial
editThe plinth was not destroyed by German soldiers in 1940 and lay empty until 1971.[6] A replacement sculpture titled Digger by Australian sculptor Stanley James Hammond was erected in 1971.[4] The present-day sculpture is of a slouch-hatted Australian soldier with a slightly bowed head.[6] The pedestal still includes the bronze bas-reliefs created by May Butler-George.
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ "The Battle for Mont St Quentin: 31 August 1918 – 3 September 1918". Penrith City Council Library Service, Penrith City Council. 2005. Archived from the original on 8 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
- ^ "Mont Saint Quentin and Péronne". Australian Victories: 1918 Australians in France. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
- ^ "Mont St Quentin – Péronne 31 August – 2 September 1918". Australians on the Western Front 1914–1918. Australian Government: Department of Veterans' Affairs together with Board of Studies NSW. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
- ^ a b "Mont St Quentin, 2nd Australian Division Memorial". Australians on the Western Front 1914-1918. Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs. 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- ^ Mat, McLachlan (2010). Walking with the ANZACS: The Authoritative Guide to the Australian Battlefields of the Western Front. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733626036.
- ^ a b Pedersen, Peter (2012). ANZACS on the Western Front: The Australian War Memorial Battlefield Guide. Wiley. ISBN 9781118238325.
External links
edit- History of the memorial (Australians on the Western Front) - includes a photograph of the current memorial