Superimposed black and white image of the "Cobbers" monument carrying his mate across the fields with the battlefield in the background

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In the First World War, on 24 April 1918, Villers-Bretonneux was the site of the world's first battle between two tank forces: three British Mark IVs against three German A7Vs. The Germans took the town, but that night and the next day it was recaptured by two brigades of the First Australian Imperial Force at a cost of some 1200 Australian lives. The sculpture of two figures is by Peter Corlett from Melbourne, Australia. It was commissioned by the Office of Australian War Graves. It was cast by Meridian Sculpture Founders of Melbourne, Australia, in 1998. The sculpture is dedicated to the men who fought and fell in the Battle of Fromelles on 19th and 20th July 1916. The figure carrying his comrade is based on the Australian soldier Sergeant, later Second Lieutenant, Simon Fraser. He was known as being one of the many Australian soldiers who bravely went out over three days and nights to bring in their wounded comrades from the field of battle after the Battle of Fromelles. The sculpted figure being carried by Fraser is based on a man from the 60th Battalion, a battalion which suffered very heavy casualties by the end of the battle.

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Size: 6036px × 4020px
Location: Somme, France
Photo credit: © mcnovies / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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