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Updated: June 27, 2025
Not a first-rate full-dress attack on a big front, but one of those fierce struggles on a small front which have been so frequent in the stubborn fight northwards, up the Pozières Ridge towards Mouquet Farm. Along a good part of the line the troops were back in the trenches they had left, or had dug themselves a new trench only slightly in advance of it.
The British advance having reached a standstill, the enemy's artillery was now firing from more forward positions and paid much attention to places like Mouquet Farm, Tullock's Corner, Zollern Redoubt and Field Trench. Parties of D.C.L.I. were daily at work upon the latter, duckboarding and revetting, and completed a fine pioneers' job right up to Hessian.
The harder the Australians fought the greater the spur to German pride not to be beaten by these supposedly undisciplined, untrained men. The Germans called for more guns and got them. Mouquet Farm became a fortress of machine guns. It was not taken by the Australians their successors took what was left of it.
It called for individual nerve and daring on that shell-swept, pestled earth, creeping up to new positions or back for water and food by night, lying "doggo" by day and waiting for a counter-attack by the Germans, who were always the losers in this grim, stealthy advance. In Mouquet Farm the Germans had dugouts whose elaborateness was realized only after they were taken.
All the ground thereabouts was, as I have said, so smashed that the earth became finely powdered, and it was the arena of bloody fighting at close quarters which did not last a day or two, but many weeks. Mouquet Farm was like the phoenix which rose again out of its ashes.
The windmill upon the hill Pozières Its topography Warlike intensity of the Australians A "stiff job" An Australian chronicler Incentives to Australian efficiency German complaint that the Australians came too fast Clockwork efficiency Man-to-man business Sunburned, gaunt battalions from the vortex The fighting on the Ridge Mouquet Farm A contest of individuality against discipline "Advance, Australia!"
Except for a gentle rise, somewhat farther northward behind Thiépval, they had reached about the highest point upon the northern end of the ridge. The connecting trenches, between Mouquet Farm and the ridge above and behind it, were attacked by the Tasmanians.
The relief and march occupied until 4 a.m., and were succeeded by mist and frost. The concussion of our neighbours, the 6-inch naval guns, echoed among the trees, heralding the first of December, 1916. The move from Martinsart to Hedauville. Back to Martinsart. Working parties. Dug-outs at Mouquet Farm. Field Trench. Return to the front line. Getting touch. Guides. An historic patrol.
Mouquet Farm was taken a fortnight later in a big combined advance of British and Canadians. The Farm itself held out many hours after the line had passed it, and was finally seized by a pioneer battalion, working behind our lines. Back in France. It was after seven weeks of very heavy fighting.
There was nothing to do except to barricade the trench and hold the flank as best they could. And for the next two days they held it, shelled with every sort of gun and trench mortar, although fresh companies of the Prussian Guard Reserve constantly filed in to the gap which existed between this point and Mouquet Farm.
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