French involvement, a great page

Much is known about the Australian achievements at Gallipoli, Tobruk and Kokoda, but little about our achievements at the Somme during the First World War.

Military historian Jonathan King records that Australia, being only nine percent of the British forces, occupied 30 percent of German-held territory and captured 25 percent of German prisoners, arms and ammunition.

Our general, Sir John Monash, is up there with the greatest.

General Monash introduced a modern strategy that broke the stalemate of static trench warfare.

Monash "fed troops on victory" and pioneered lightning strike attacks, using all means available, including planes, tanks and artillery.

The Australians punched a 20km hole in the German front line on August 8, 1918.

German Commander Lundendorff called it, 'the blackest day of the German Army.'

General Monash said: "I doubt whether there is any parallel for such a performance in the whole range of military history."

Australians need to know much more about our involvement in France and World War One.

In a complete volunteer army, volunteers came from every town and hamlet in Australia to serve in that "war to end wars".

A great page in our history.

Keith Whitfield Woy Woy