Battle of Amiens

IWM description : "60 pounder guns in action during the Battle of Amiens in August 1918."

Captured German 21 cm Morser 16 gun.

AWM Caption: Warfusée-Abancourt, France. Lieutenant Rupert Frederick Arding Downes MC addressing his Platoon from B Company, 29th Battalion, during a rest near the villages of Warfusée-Abancourt and Lamotte-en-Santerre before the advance onto Harbonnières, the battalion's second objective. The background is obscured by the smoke of heavy shellfire. Pictured, left to right: 5085 Sergeant (Sgt) William Patrick O'Brien of Gordon, Vic, a schoolteacher in civilian life, was killed in action on 9 August 1918; 4271 Private (Pte) James Cryer was born at Bury, Lancashire, a farmer when he enlisted at Armidale, NSW, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion; 4103 Pte Charles Alfred Olive of Lara, Vic was initially rejected before enlisting in September 1916, was killed in action near Bellicourt on 30 September 1918; 677 Lance Corporal (L Cpl) Louis Price MM of Maryborough, Vic, an original member of B company, was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in Belgium in 1917, and later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 5095 Pte Harry James Phillips , a packer in civilian life, the youngest in the platoon at nineteen years of age, was wounded on 29 August 1918, returning to Australia in December 1918; 4733 Pte Horace Joseph Buckley , a clerk of Kyneton, Vic, was wounded in action on 9 August 1918, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion where his frequent periods of absenteeism continued; 509 L Cpl Alexander Bethuen Craven , a labourer of Ballarat, Vic, served three years with the battalion before transferring to the 32nd Battalion; 5088 Pte Patrick O'Grady of Galway, Ireland was employed as a miller in Melbourne, Vic, before enlistment and he also transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 5057 Pte Timothy Leyden of Trentham, Vic, a railway employee in civilian life, was gassed on 27 August 1918, transferring to the 5th Battalion on 22 November 1918; 5116 Pte Edward Thomlinson , a driver of Stawell, Vic, the oldest member of the platoon at forty four years of age, was taken on strength with the battalion on 6 June 1918, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion 5014 Pte Herbert Davidson , a leather worker of Brunswick, Vic, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 6827 Pte Horace John Towers , a farm labourer of Cootamundra, NSW, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion, and was admitted to the Abbeville Hospital on 9 November 1918 suffering broncho-pneumonia where he died on 11 November 1918; 4349 L Cpl Thomas John Barrett Pope , born at Westbury-on-Tyne, Gloucestershire, a farmer of Sydney, NSW, was wounded in action on 30 September 1918; 2568 Pte John Leslie Gordon Arlow of Warrnambool, Vic, a blacksmith in civilian life, was killed in action near Bellicourt on 30 September 1918; 3207 L Cpl John Bird , a carpenter of South Melbourne, Vic, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 560 Pte Frederick George Hall (front of line) , an iron moulder of South Melbourne, Vic, an original member of B company, was wounded in action twice; Lieutenant R. F. A. Downes MC (right) of Camden, NSW, was an orchardist prior to enlistment, sailed as a second lieutenant and was promoted to lieutenant in May 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" at Morlancourt in July 1918 and like most of his men was transferred to the 32nd Battalion with the reorganisation of battalions which took place in 1918

AWM caption : France: Picardie, Somme, Lihons Area. Photograph taken in the morning, during the Australian advance towards Lihons, showing members of the [Australian] 6th Battalion resting in an old trench. The Battalion had sustained very heavy casualties in the attack upon the Crepy Wood position, and this little group, found themselves without officers and in the charge of the staff-sergeant on top of the bank, who is making a check roll call. Left to right, sitting on the bank: Sergeant (Sgt) Hunt Quartermaster Sergeant Kirby Sgt Ward Front row, in the trench unidentified unidentified Tullock, on the right (leaning). Comment : The men are engaged in the Battle of Amiens.

Captured German anti-aircraft gun.

8th August, 1918 (oil-on-linen, 107 cm x 274 cm, 1918-1919) by Will Longstaff, Australian official war artist. Depicts a scene during the Battle of Amiens. The view is towards the west, looking back towards Amiens. A column of German prisoners of war being led into captivity. Meanwhile horse-drawn artillery are advancing to the east.

Part of a panorama - A Canadian Field Ambulance in the forward area, very busy, during the Battle of Amiens

Canadian troops advancing through a German barrage east of Arras / Soldats canadiens traversant un barrage allemand à l'est d'Arras

Amiens, the key of the westlabel QS:Len,"Amiens, the key of the west"

Canadian armoured cars going into action at the Battle of Amiens. An armoured car (of the 1st or 2nd Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigades) operating as part of Brig.-Gen. Raymond Brutinel's Canadian Independent Force, during an advance east of Amiens, 8 August 1918.

Canadian soldiers having a quiet game of cards during the Battle of Amiens

Canadians advancing during the Battle of Amiens. French troops in foreground

Canadians advancing. Advance East of Arras. September, 1918

Canadians digging in and waiting for the next wave to pass through them and go forward during the Battle of Amiens

A German M96nA artillery piece, captured by Australian troops on August 8, 1918, during the Battle of Amiens (the plaque should properly read "Warfusée", not "Warfuse"). Currently on display at a war veterans' home in Collaroy Plateau, Sydney, Australia.

Carte postale ancienne éditée par Léon Caron :AMIENS BOMBARDÉ - La rue François Delavigne

A camouflaged 28 cm German railway gun reputedly known to its German crew as Bruno. The barrel was originally designed as a naval gun but was converted in 1917 for use as a railway gun. It was built by Fr Krupp of Essen and weighed 188 tonnes. The weight of a projectile was 302 kilograms. It was captured by Australian troops from 31st Battalion on 8 August 1918 at Harbonnieres near Amiens, France and was generally known thereafter as the Amiens Gun. After the First World War, the railway gun was shipped to Australia and it was stored on a siding at the Canberra railway station. During the Second World War the barrel, bogies and roof section were removed and the carriage was taken to the Proof and Experimental Establishment at Port Wakefield, SA, as a test bed for large calibre naval guns. The bogies were taken to Bandiana military base near Albury, NSW. The carriage and bogies were scrapped and disposed of during the 1960s. The barrel and roof section are all that remain, and these are now part of the National Collection held by the Australian War Memorial. The man standing in front of the railway gun, is the father of the donor of this image, Mr Brown senior.

Headstone of Canadian VC recipient Harry Garnet Bedford Miner. He is buried in Crouy Military Cemetery (just outside of the village of Crouy-Saint-Pierre) in France. Miner won the VC fighting at Demuin on the first day of the Battle of Amiens, August 8th 1918

Imperial War Museum Galleries at the Crystal Palace, 1920 - 1924 Presentation to the Imperial War Museum, Crystal Palace, by General Viscount de la Panouse and Colonel Marie on behalf of the 61st Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, French Army of a replica of the colours of that Regiment, in commemoration of the combined offensive of the French and British Armies, at the Battle of Amiens, 8 August 1918. Colonel Marie, together with Lady Conway and Major Charles ffoulkes of the Imperial War Museum at the side of the French 75mm gun.

Imperial War Museum Galleries at the Crystal Palace, 1920 - 1924 Presentation to the Imperial War Museum, Crystal Palace, by General Viscount de la Panouse and Colonel Marie on behalf of the 61st French Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, French Army of a replica of the colours of that Regiment, in commemoration of the combined offensive of the French and British Armies, at the Battle of Amiens, 8 August 1918. Colonel Marie, together with Lady Conway and Major Charles ffoulkes at the side of the French 75mm gun. Colonel Marie addressing Sir Alfred Mond; Sir Martin Conway, Major ffolkes and Captain Kendall are in the photograph.

Carte postale ancienne sans mention d'éditeur : Bombardement d'AMIENS - Maison Deberny en face le Palais de Justice

HM King George V and the Commander of 471 Siege Battery Major S.M. Cleeve (left) await a "Boche Buster" salvo. The officer with his back to the camera is General Horne, Commander of the First Army.

HM King George V inspects the breech of the 14 inch railway gun "Boche Buster" of the 471st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery at Marœuil, near Arras, 8 August 1918. Note speaking tube running up to the platform. Note the breech opening to the right, which identifies Boche Buster.

King George V inspects H.M. Gun "Boche Buster", a 14 inch naval gun on railway truck, at Marœuil, 10 km NW of Arras, France, 8th August 1918. Battle of Amiens. Comment : Other photographs show Boche Buster, underlined, painted on the barrel, this photograph does not. Boche Buster can be faintly seem painted on the side of the front end of the box structure above the bogies. The cable running at head height along the lower side and up to the gun is a voice communication tube.