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 Walter Patrick Gilsenan

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6025 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • 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.

  • Profile picture for Clifford Norman Touzel

    Born 1897

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 1790

    Australian Imperial Force 1790A Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Charles Edwin Berry

    Born 1886

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 3417 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • 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.

  • Profile picture for James Newman Brealey

    Born 1898

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5998 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1885

    Australian Imperial Force 5358 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 17th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 5358 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 5358 Driver 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1892

    Australian Imperial Force 1454 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 2nd Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 1454 Company Quartermaster Sergeant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 1454 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "B" Company

  • Born 1875

    Australian Imperial Force 6465 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6465 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1890

    Australian Imperial Force W18576

    Australian Imperial Force Private 20 Depot

    Australian Imperial Force Sergeant 22 Depot

  • Born 1884

    Australian Imperial Force 6528 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6528 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1895

    Australian Imperial Force 6519 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6519 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1893

    Australian Imperial Force 6552 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6552 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1894

    Australian Imperial Force Second Lieutenant 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 10th Reinforcements

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

  • Born 1892

    Australian Imperial Force 4030 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 12th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 4030 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1896

    Australian Imperial Force 6016 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 19th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6016 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 6016 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Eric Duce

    Born 1894

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 3451 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Joshua Radway

    Born 1895

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 2078 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1880

    Australian Imperial Force 1684 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 3rd Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 1684 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

    Australian Imperial Force 1684 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company

  • Profile picture for William Henry Watson

    Born 1899

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6121 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.