Red Space Rocket

Although it has been almost ninety years since World War One ended it still pops up in the news now and then. This article is from earlier in the week and it’s quite interesting.

On July 19, 1916, in the Australian soldiers’ first major operation at the Western Front, the 5th Division (together with the British 61st Division) attacked the German trenches near Fromelles. It was a disaster.

No fewer than 5533 Australians became casualties. This toll – in one night at Fromelles – is equivalent to the Australian casualties in the whole of the Boer War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War put together.

Among the three Australian brigades involved was the Victorian formation commanded by Brigadier-General “Pompey” Elliott. His 15th Brigade suffered 1800 casualties advancing against machine-guns the artillery had not silenced.

Australia’s deadliest ever day | theage.com.au