2nd Division

If you haven't checked out the previous four episodes, then it'll be a good idea to go and have a listen to them, otherwise this one will make very little sense, which is the same as could be said for probably 90% of the episodes I put up.

Now, if you remember from the last episode, the 1st Division had been replaced by the 2nd Division, which was to continue the assault north and northwest of the village of Pozières, with the intention of evicting the Germans from the troublesome OG, Old German Trenches 1 and 2.

A number of attempts had already been made, but although some of the southern sections of those trenches had been taken, the rest was still firmly in German hands.

These trenches needed to be taken so that the general advance over the Poziers Plateau and down into Mukave Farm could be made.

This would then secure the high ground from Poziers to Tjapal and give the British forces a panoramic view across to Corsley, where the majority of the German artillery had taken up residence.

Pressure had been applied to the 2nd Division Commander, General Legge, to get things moving at his earliest possible convenience, but the trouble was that his 5th and 6th Brigades had only been in the line for a couple of days, and his 7th only just moved into the ground between these other brigades on the evening of the battle.

28 July 1916.

Two days before, elements of his 5th Brigade had been involved in an attack launched by British troops on the south-eastern end of OG1 and had fought fiercely but suffered relatively heavy casualties.

converting for the time being our position at Maricourt into a salient.

Fighting of the same character continued next day, August 10th.

The attack was continued on the morning of August 10th, says Sir Arthur Currie, with the 3rd Canadian Division on the right and the 4th Canadian Division on the left, the 1st and 2nd Divisions being held in Corps Reserve.

after the third canadian division had taken the village of le quesnoy the thirty-second british division which had come under the canadian corps on the night of august ninth to the tenth passed through it and advanced the line somewhat further from the old british trenches west of parvares and damrebrae The 4th Canadian Division during the day succeeded, after very hard fighting, in occupying Fort Westcourt, Marquardt, Chilly and Hallou.

the capture of fouquet's court was particularly valuable in view of preparations in progress for an attack on the strong enemy positions between that village and the roye road desperate fighting took place on the fourth canadian divisional front where our left flank still presented a pronounced salient On the divisional right, the 10th Brigade fought its way forward through a maze of enemy machine gun positions in face of intensive artillery fire.

This counterattack was beaten off, but owing to general conditions, the line at the point was slightly withdrawn to the railway embankment immediately to the west of Hulu.

Subsequent upon this slight withdrawal, and with a view to reducing the existing salient forward to Chile, the line was further withdrawn to the eastern outskirts of that village.

On October 11th at 9.30 a.m., he goes on, the 32nd Division launched an attack against Danbury, but was not successful.

Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Ewan MacDonald, speaking at this year's Anzac Day Dawn service at the Bomana War Cemetery.

Also in attendance at this year's commemorative service was Commander of the 2nd Australian Division, Major General Matt Baer.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, veterans, serving members, elders, community leaders and friends.

We gather this morning on Anzac Day at Bermana War Cemetery, a place of great significance.

Men who'd trained part-time, who'd stepped forward when required and endured conditions that few could imagine.

That lineage matters.

Today, the 2nd Australian Division carries forward some of that same citizen-soldier tradition.

Like those who had fought on the Kokoda Tract, soldiers of the 2nd Division balance their civilian lives with their military service.