Snowy to the Somme : A Muddy and Bloody Campaign, 1916-1918

In 1915, news of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing and the slaughter at Gallipoli stirred tens of thousands of young men to go to war. They answered the call and formed battalions of the Australian Imperial Force. By the time the new recruits were combat ready, the campaign at Gallipoli had ended. Their battlefields became the muddy paddocks of France and Belgium. Based on eyewitness accounts, Snowy to the Somme traces the story of one of these battalions, the 55th, from its birth in the dusty camps of Egypt through three years of brutal, bloody conflict on the bitter Western Front. When the Great War ended in 1918, over 500 of the 3,000 men who served in the 55th had been slain and another 1,000 wounded. Snowy to the Somme , shares personal stories of Australian men as they stared down the horrors of war with determination, courage and mateship. With chapters devoted to the significant battles at Fromelles, Doignies, Polygon Wood, Péronne and Bellicourt, this book tells the story of one battalion, but in doing so it encapsulates the experiences of many Australians on the Western Front. After near 100 years the 55th Battalion is finally being remembered in this valuable addition to Australian military history, Snowy to the Somme A Muddy and Bloody Campaign, 1916-1918 by Tim Cook. Due to the awareness of the Gallipoli Campaign, there was a vast increase in the amount of Australians volunteering for WW1 service. After the evacuation of Anzac, the AIF was doubled in size. The 55th Battalion ranks were filled by taking half the Gallipoli veterans of the 3rd Battalion and making up the another half from fresh recruits. These recruits had arrived from Australia and had not yet seen active service. The Battalion was mostly composed of men from New South Wales. The 55th Battalion was transferred to the Western Front, arriving into France on the 30th June 1916. Within two weeks the 55th Bn entered the frontlines at Fromelles. Eventually taking part in the Battle of Fromelles on the 19th July 1916. Fromelles was the worst disaster in Australian history when in a 24 hour period, 1917 men were killed in action with some 5000 casualties. In 1917, they took part in the defence of the Hindenburg Lines at 2nd Battle of Bullecourt. The 55th Battalion had a major role during the Battle of Polygon Wood in September 1917. During the German Offensives, the Battalion valiantly defended to the north of Villers-Bretonneux and held these even after the German capture of the village. On the 2nd September 1918 the Battalion fought to capture Pronne. The Battalions last major battle of WW1 was at St Quentin Canal. The Battalion was Honoured when Private John Ryan was awarded the Victoria Cross. Researchers will be happy that included are Nominal, Honour, Honours and Awards, and extensive end notes are shown with a great index. In 1915, news of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing, and the slaughter at Gallipoli stirred tens of thousands of young men to go to war. They answered the call and formed battalions of the Australian Imperial Force. By the time the new recruits were combat ready, the campaign at Gallipoli had ended. Their battlefields became the muddy paddocks of France and Belgium. This book traces the story of one of these battalions, the 55th, from its birth in the dusty camps of Egypt through three years of brutal, bloody conflict on the bitter Western Front. When the Great War ended in 1918, over 500 of the 3,000 men who served in the 55th had been slain and another 1,000 wounded. Author Tim Cook shares personal stories of Australian men as they stared down the horrors of war with determination, courage and mateship. He devotes chapters to the significant battles at Fromelles, Doignies, Polygon Wood, Péronne and Bellicourt. He tells the story of one battalion, but in doing so encapsulates the experiences of many Australians on the Western Front