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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  • Australian Imperial Force 6479 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1891

    Australian Imperial Force 1995 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 5th Reinforcements

  • Born 1874

    Australian Imperial Force 6606 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1881

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6616 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1897

    Died 1917

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

  • Born 1898

    Australian Imperial Force 6553 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1892

    Australian Imperial Force 6596 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1897

    Australian Imperial Force 3500 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 11th Reinforcements

  • Born 1897

    Australian Imperial Force 3461 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 11th Reinforcements

  • Profile picture for Robert Sparks

    Born 1889

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 1861 Lance Sergeant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for George Hislop Lockwood

    Born 1891

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 1761 Private 32nd Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 2nd Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 1761 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Ernest Carter

    Born 1894

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6496 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Herbert Oscar Brown

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6482 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 6482 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1889

    Australian Imperial Force 24 Private 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "C" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 24 Corporal 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 24 Sergeant 16th Btn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for William Elliott Main

    Born 1893

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6057 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Charles Knightly Wise

    Born 1894

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 1874 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1892

    Australian Imperial Force 1196 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "G" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 1196 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 1196 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Bertie Hartnup

    Born 1898

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6272 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Rueben Nichol Nottage

    Born 1892

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 3059 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1889

    Australian Imperial Force 3545 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 3545 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 11th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 3545 Company Sergeant Major 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.