Lonesome Memorial #9: Cobbers Statue at the Australian Memorial Park, Fromelles

Cobbers

Dedicated in 1998, the Australian Memorial Park Commemorates the Australians killed during the 1916 Battle of Fromelles. Located at the position of the German Army's front line, its centerpiece, designed by Australian sculptor Peter Corlett,  is known as Cobbers (buddies or pals). It was inspired by the heroics of Sergeant Simon Fraser in rescuing a wounded compatriot from no man's land after the battle. The title comes from a letter that Fraser, a farmer from Byaduk, Victoria, wrote a few days after the battle and that was widely quoted in Australia's official history of World War I.

The Memorial Park

We found a fine haul of wounded and brought them in; but it was not where I heard this fellow calling, so I had another shot for it, and came across a splendid specimen of humanity trying to wriggle into a trench with a big wound in his thigh. He was about 14 stone weight, and I could not lift him on my back; but I managed to get him into an old trench, and told him to lie quiet while I got a stretcher. Then another man about 30 yards out sang out "Don’t forget me, cobber." I went in and got four volunteers with stretchers, and we got both men in safely.

German Frontline Bunker at the Park

Background on the Battle of Fromelles:

Fromelles was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. Directed against a strong German position known as the Sugar Loaf Salient, the attack was intended primarily as a feint to draw German troops away from the Somme offensive then being pursued farther to the south. A seven-hour preparatory bombardment deprived the attack of any hope of surprise and ultimately proved ineffective in subduing the well-entrenched defenders. 

When the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked at 6 p.m. on 19 July 1916, they suffered heavily at the hands of German machine gunners. Small parts of the German trenches were captured by the 8th and 14th Australian Brigades, but, devoid of flanking support and subjected to fierce counterattacks, they were forced to withdraw. By 8 a.m. on 20 July 1916, the battle was over. The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 casualties, rendering it incapable of offensive action for many months; the 61st British Division suffered 1,547. The German casualties were little more than 1,000. 

Visitor's Map

Finding the Memorial:

The Australian Memorial Park is 6 miles northeast of the Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle, a 10-minute drive via D171 and a right turn at D22. A visit to the site  should also include the nearby VC Corner Cemetery, plus the small but quite excellent Musée de la Bataille and the new Pheasant Wood Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in the village of Fromelles. Above is a helpful tourist map of the area I discovered online. Click on it to view it in full size.

Sources: Wikipedia, Australian War Memorial, Nord Pas de Calais Tourism Board