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
Born 1885
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6096 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Born 1891
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 2097 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Born 1890
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5455 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
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
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.
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.
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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
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.
Born 1895
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5428 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Born 1893
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5182 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
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.