1916Why is the soil in Pozières, France so important to the Australians?
The ridge at Pozières, France, is hallowed ground for Australians, marking the site of the windmill where some of the fiercest fighting of World War I’s Somme campaign took place. Between July and August 1916, Australian troops captured this crucial position from well-entrenched German forces in a battle that cost over 23,000 Australian casualties, with more than 6,700 killed or dying of wounds. The ground here was fought over so relentlessly that Charles Bean, Australia’s official historian, called it “a ridge more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth.” In a lasting tribute, soil from Pozières was mixed into the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier in Canberra in 1993, connecting the sacrifice on this distant battlefield to the heart of the nation.
