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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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Born 1891
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6544 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6544 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Thomas Mcgill -
Born 1882
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5370 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 17th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 5370 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
Australian Imperial Force 5370 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about William Kelman -
Born 1897
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 1790
Australian Imperial Force 1790A Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Clifford Norman Touzel -
Born 1881
Australian Imperial Force 6319 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 20th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6319 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company
Australian Imperial Force 6319 Private 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery
More about George Tristran Pound -
Born 1897
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 2488 Lance Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Harry Togomah Jenkins -
Born 1880
Australian Imperial Force 5163 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 16th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 5163 Lance Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Australian Imperial Force 64923 Private 2nd Reinforcements
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More about Hamilton Parsons -
Born 1895
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6025 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Walter Patrick Gilsenan -
Born 1890
Died 1918
Australian Imperial Force 650 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
Australian Imperial Force 650 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
Australian Imperial Force 650 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about George Ball -
Born 1880
Australian Imperial Force 6551 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
More about John Mcconnell -
Born 1877
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 3764
Australian Imperial Force 4578 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Harry Burnard -
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 5702 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Walter Henry Crellin -
Born 1893
Australian Imperial Force 6539 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6539 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Albert Edgar Linnell -
Born 1875
Australian Imperial Force 6585 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6585 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Henry Todhunter -
Born 1895
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 1202 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Roy Peters -
Born 1897
Australian Imperial Force 4568 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 14th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force Lieutenant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about William Florance Broadhurst -
Born 1898
Died 1918
Australian Imperial Force 5223 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 16th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 5223 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company
Australian Imperial Force 5223 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Alan Read Whettem -
Born 1892
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6046 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Victor Newman Jacobs -
Born 1877
Australian Imperial Force 6563 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 6563 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Frank Oliver Osborne -
Born 1896
Australian Imperial Force 2631 Private 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery, AIF
Australian Imperial Force 2631 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 8th Reinforcements
Australian Imperial Force 2631 Lance Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company
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More about Douglas Bertram Crisp -
Born 1894
Died 1917
Australian Imperial Force 6281 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
More about Walter Royston Kemble