THE terrain around the village of Fromelles in northern France is flat and featureless.
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When the soil is turned after each season of beans and peas, an iron harvest of shell splinters and oxidised rifle cartridges is brought to the surface as a reminder of a war now beyond living memory.
This week marks 100 years since troops of the Australian Imperial Force fought their first major action on the Western Front during the First World War.
The AIF was inexperienced and seriously unprepared for immediate offensive action after arriving in France in March 1916.
Compared with the Ottoman forces on Gallipoli, the Germans were a highly trained, well-equipped and experienced force.
They had been fighting on the Western Front for more than two years and had every inch of no man's land zeroed-in with artillery and machine-guns.
The most inexperienced of the Australian formations was the newly-raised 5th Division, which arrived in France in June, 1916.
After just two weeks on the Western Front, it was to take part in a diversionary operation near the village of Fromelles.
The attack was a disaster.
After a seven-hour supporting bombardment, troops of the Australian 5th Division and British 61st Division "hopped the bags" around 6pm on the night of July 19.
They were hoping the German guns had been silenced by artillery, but they were met by a fusillade of machine-gun fire from a fortified salient.
Two brigades of Australian infantry managed to fight their way into the Germans trenches but suffered heavy casualties throughout the night.
Isolated pockets of men who found themselves surrounded, and with little remaining ammunition by daylight, had no alternative but to surrender.
By then, the Australians had lost over 5,500 casualties, of whom 1917 were dead.
Aaron Pegram, senior historian, Australian War Memorial
Column worth the Tym
I HOPE readers made time to read the recent “Money Matters” feature by Russell Tym (‘Credit rating put on notice’).
In my opinion, there seems to be a growing awareness in communities that the large deficit in the federal budget must soon be reduced.
I used to believe that the large amounts borrowed by the federal government were being spent wisely on much-needed infrastructure.
When I read recently that that wasn’t the case and the money was being spent on welfare and pensions, I was truly shocked.
Obviously this indicates (to me at least) a serious and disturbing state of affairs. And I’m sure I’m not alone!
Keith Curry, Orange
Munro’s motives
REGARDING Danielle Centinski’s story ‘Munro calls for better greyhound regulation’ Councillor Scott Munro claims he is campaigning for a conscience vote on this issue, but we all know once he gets behind closed door he will vote whatever his boss Troy Grant tells him to.
What sort of leverage does Cr Munro really think he’d have with the Nats?
Orange has the chance to deliver a message to Mike Baird and the Libs/Nats at this by-election, that people in the bush and the working class are not second rate citizens.