A commemorative service marking the 110th anniversary of one of the most significant combats in Australia's military history will be held at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park today.
The commemoration honours the courage, sacrifice and service of the Australian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Fromelles on 19 and 20 July 1916 in northern France, the first major engagement undertaken by our diggers on the Western Front during the First World War.
Attended by veterans, descendants, community representatives and members of the public, the ceremony will provide an opportunity for reflection and remembrance.
In less than 24 hours of fighting, more than 6,000 Australian soldiers were killed, wounded or captured during the battle, making it one of the costliest days in our nation's military history.
Of the Australian soldiers involved 1,813 were killed during combat, 252 later died of wounds, more than 3,500 were wounded and 479 taken prisoner.
One of those wounded was Sydneysider Private John Thompson who received a severe gunshot wound to his left shoulder serving in the 53rd Battalion during the battle.
Private Thompson spent the night in no-man's-land before being rescued by his fellow diggers and spent the rest of the war recovering in hospitals in England.
His great grandson Michael Smith retells that Private Thompson retuned to Sydney in 1919 where he met his son - Michael's grandfather - for the first time and never had the full use of his left arm again.
Starting with a Commemorative Procession from the Archibald Fountain at 10:30am, the service will continue in the Auditorium at 10:50am and incudes a special Star Ceremony in the Anzac Memorial's Hall of Memory.
The Anzac Memorial has a number of collection items from the Battle of Fromelles, which can be viewed on the Memorial's Collection website here: https://collection.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/highlights/fromelles/objects
Minister for Veterans David Harris said:
"One hundred and ten years after the Battle of Fromelles, we pause to honour the courage and endurance of the Australians who served under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
"On this special milestone we continue to honour those who fought, those who were wounded, and those who never returned home from one of the most devastating battles of the First World War.
"Their sacrifice continues to shape our nation's story and reminds us of the profound cost of war. It is our responsibility to ensure their service, sacrifice and legacy are never forgotten."
Great grandson of Private John Thompson, Australian soldier wounded at the Battle of Fromelles Michael Smith said:
"This is a very important commemoration to acknowledge the many Australians who fought, who were wounded and who paid the ultimate sacrifice at the Battle of Fromelles.
"Despite the enormous toll, this battle is not a household name as some other famous instances of Australian wartime history are and that is because we suffered such devastating losses and that wasn't spoken about initially.
"It is important we now honour, reflect and learn from episodes of our history such as this."
