1916What is the significance of Mouquet Farm, France to the Australian Imperial Forces in 1916?
Mouquet Farm, located just west of Pozières in France, became a crucial battleground for the Australian Imperial Forces during six weeks of intense fighting in 1916. The attempts to seize this German stronghold were seen as instrumental to the Allies' larger objective of capturing Thiepval, but despite mounting 19 separate attacks by three Australian divisions, the farm remained in German hands until later British advances. Over 50,000 Australians took part in the assaults, suffering more than 11,000 casualties specifically in the battles for Mouquet Farm. Now commemorated by a memorial plaque unveiled in 1997, the battlefield stands as a somber tribute to the extraordinary endurance and sacrifice of the Australian troops during the Somme offensive.
