Australians during WW1

[Digger89 LmV]

Okay I am sick of those people who just think that Australians were slaughtered at Gallipoli. SO I am going to add a few wiki links and will mention battle names and some of the best military minds that fought in the great war. Firstly this is a link to the 1st AIF (Australian Imperial Forces) the name of the Australian military contingenet threw the war. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Australian_Imperial_Force.

Obviously we fought at Gallipoli which was a military disaster but showed the strength of Australian and New Zealand troops to hold against a far superior force in some of the worst terrain to fight in. After the failed Gallipoli campaign the AIF was transfered to the Western Front minus the Light Horse which stayed onto fight in the Middle East and being the leading troops of the British in defeating the Ottomans and taking part in the last succesful cavalry charge of Beersheba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beersheba_(1917).


For the Infantry Divisions they took part in many succesful and unsuccesful battles of the Western front. Through 1916, 1917 and the early part of 1918 the Australian Divisions were seperated threw the different British brigades but finaly became a full corps under Sir John Monash who was one of the greatest generals of WW1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Monash. Monash was responsible for one of the greatest victorys of British on the Western front receiving a battlefield knight hood and great praise for his planning.


List of battles Australians were involved in during 1916 to 1918.

Fromelles
Somme
Stormy Trench
Poziers
Passchendale 9Later taken by the Canadian)
Mouqet FarmBattle of Yepres
Polygon Wood
Menin Road
Messines
Hazebrouk (Stopped the Germans spring offensive advance of 1918)
Battle of Amiens
Battle of Epahy
Bullecourt
Broodenseinde Ridge
Hindenburg Line
Battle of Lagnicourt
Hamel
Mont St Quentin
Peronne

Australian Division wiki links
1st Division AIF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_1st_Division_(World_War_I)
2nd Divison AIF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_2nd_Division_(World_War_I)
3rd Division AIF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_3rd_Division_(World_War_I)
4th Division AIF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_4th_Division_(World_War_I)
5th Division AIF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_5th_Division_(World_War_I)

Anzac Division 1915 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_and_Australian_Division


For those who would like to do some more reading on Australians on the Western front I recomend The Great War by Les Carlyon.

[NightMorph]

+1 The AIF and NZEF ((New Zealand Expeditionary Force) fought in both the Eastern and Western fronts, and were key to some of the bloodiest battles in WW1. As noted above, we currently play the flanders maps, of which both aforementioned forces, fought in.

Not to distract from your excellent post Digger89, the french also had their colonial forces involved heavily in WWI

It seems that when talking historically, most people seem niave to the contribution (and sacrifice) the smaller nations made in WWI.


There are a whole series of books on the NZ (including Australian) battles on the western front by Glyn Harper.

One that lists the 3 key battles on that front, is "Dark Journey - Three Key New Zealand Battles of the Western Front"

The three battles were at:

First Battle at Paschendaele (the massacre at)
Second Battle of the Somme
Battle of Baupaume

This was all in addition to the Gallipoli landings..

So we'll be seeing some Australian and NZ forces included in Verdun along with the Canadians then I wonder??

[Ketsa]

ozzy ozzy ozzy oi oi oi dig dig dig blow blow blow

[Vaeaea]

The way people rave about how bad certain countries/companies were are obviously people who haven't bothered to read up on the actual history. Everyone has a low point and that is what people focus on, leaving the good and successful to be swept under the carpet and forgotten, aside from those of us who actually bother to read and care. ^^

Go you, OP, for shoving it down their throats! :D

I would love to see some side hats in the game eventually, as well as kilts... turbans... etc... ^^

[Fuzz]

Would love to see Australians in this game.

[Digger89 LmV]

Thank you for some of the positive posts so far I believe the Canadians are being added as storm troops. Maybe the Australians should be added as recon/ shock troops for there peacefull Penetration atributes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaceful_Penetration.

[Ketsa]

Really interesting read, crazy how brave they HAD to beto even step foot out of the trench, let alone sneak past the enemy and return back with 30 prisoners.

[nazmeow]

+1

[Digger89 LmV]

You may also find interesting that an Australian was the Most Decorated infantry soldier of the British Empire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Murray not a bad effort for a colonial boy going from the rank of Private to Lt Colonel by the end of the war.

[Wounding Havoc]

+1

[Digger89 LmV]

bump

[YAYCAT]

Beneath hill 60 gave me huge respect for the Australian forces :) - thank you for helping us

[Ketsa]

Originally posted by IINAYDOGII:

Beneath hill 60 gave me huge respect for the Australian forces :) - thank you for helping us

Such a great movie, really sad when

SPOILER

One of the Sneddons dies (Can't remember if the father dies or the son dies but it was pretty sad)

SPOILER

[Jacka1915]

Albert Jacka, need I say more.

[Digger89 LmV]

Originally posted by Space Cat:

Originally posted by IINAYDOGII:

Beneath hill 60 gave me huge respect for the Australian forces :) - thank you for helping us

Such a great movie, really sad when

SPOILER

One of the Sneddons dies (Can't remember if the father dies or the son dies but it was pretty sad)

SPOILER

It was the father he was killed in a cave in i think.

[Bl4ck3nD]

Good stuff mate