16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion

16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion

On the 11th of April 1917, Australian forces attacked a sector of the Hindenberg line between Bullecourt and Queant. The 16th Battalion A.I.F. was one of four Battalions of the 4th Brigade involved in the attack. The initial advance was successful with the Brigade taking it's 1st and 2nd objectives into the 2nd line German trenches albeit with many casualties. However the hold was tenuous, enfilading machine gun fire made resupply impossible and the attackers soon began to run out of ammunition. A succession of fierce counterattacks eventually drove the Australians back to their own lines, by this time 75% of the 16th were either wounded or dead. The 16th went into the fight with 20 officers and 797 other ranks, the battalion lost in this one day's fighting 17 officers and 623 other ranks, dead, wounded and prisoners of war. The losses in the 4th Brigade as a whole were similarly high, 79 officers and 2,260 other ranks. This community attempts to reconstruct the battalion as it was on the day of the battle, starting with known casualties and survivors I am steadily checking service records of men of the 16th to identify the others who were wounded or captured, it will be interesting to see how many of the reported 817 who were in the attack I can identify. Those not in the attack, whether in the Battalion HQ or not with the Battalion (ie sick, wounded or training in England) will be listed in another community as I cross check. The deadline is upon us there is sadly not enough time to complete the cross checking so this community will remain an unfinished work.

Created by: , Fife3190

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  • Profile picture for Alfred Shorten

    Born 1885

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6096 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Ernest Doyle

    Born 1891

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 2097 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Gordon Wellesley White

    Born 1890

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5455 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for James Carter Potts

    Born 1891

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6250 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1897

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5742 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 18th Reinforcements

  • Profile picture for Victor Jonathon Keer Stewart

    Born 1887

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5974 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1880

    Australian Imperial Force 6338 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 20th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6338 Lance Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Peter Mcleod

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5651 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1893

    Australian Imperial Force 2087 Private 12 Depot

    Australian Imperial Force 2087 Corporal 24th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 2087 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1885

    Australian Imperial Force 1860 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 4th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 1860 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company

  • Profile picture for Harold George Slade

    Born 1883

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 638 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1893

    Australian Imperial Force 294 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 294 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 294 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1882

    Australian Imperial Force 6561 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6561 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1879

    Australian Imperial Force 410

    Australian Imperial Force 1281 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "H" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 1281 Lance Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Arthur Brookman Sutton

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5428 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Edward Joseph Reynolds

    Born 1893

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5182 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Edward Loftus Bentley

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6478 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1875

    Australian Imperial Force 6554 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1885

    Australian Imperial Force 3854 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 12th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 3854 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1886

    Australian Imperial Force 576 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "E" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 576 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

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