Historical information

A book about the fighting around the French village of Pozieres in 1916. Many of the early legatees fought on the Western Front and some, including founder Stan Savige, fought at Pozieres. There is a photo in the book of Brigadier-General Gellibrand and his staff, including Savige, eating breakfast in a shell hole. Back in Australia after the war Gellibrand inspired Savige to found a club like the Remembrance Club he had founded in Hobart. Thus Savige founded Legacy. Speeches by Legatees Kemsley and Armstrong in later years showed they had also fought in the Pozieres area.
Some research has shown: The fighting around Pozières was part of the brave actions of the Australians during the battle of the Somme from July 1916.
Between 23 July and 5 August 1916, the Australian 1st and 2nd Divisions captured Pozières village and Pozières heights, a ridge 500 metres east of the village. The 4th Division then continued the attack north along the ridge, the Australians in ten days of continuous action reached Mouquet Farm. The farm resisted capture until 26 September 1916.
In less than seven weeks in the fighting at Pozières and Mouquet Farm three Australian divisions suffered 23,000 casualties. Of these, 6,800 men were killed or died of wounds. It was a loss comparable with the casualties sustained by the Australians over eight months at Gallipoli in 1915.

Significance

A book about a battle that was important to the early legatees.

Physical description

Hardcover book x 318 pages about the Somme battles of World War One.

Inscriptions & markings

Handwritten 'Melbourne Legacy Library WW1 in black ink on the fly leaf. Also a sticker saying property of Rob Allison on title page.