Introduction

The Battle of Fromelles, fought on July 19-20, 1916, during World War I, remains one of the most tragic and significant episodes for Australian and British forces on the Western Front. It was part of a diversionary attack aimed at preventing German reinforcements from moving south to the Battle of the Somme. Despite its intended strategic value, Fromelles became synonymous with disaster.

The Allied forces, primarily Australian and British, faced well-entrenched and fortified German positions. The battle plan involved a frontal assault across a flat, open battlefield, which left soldiers vulnerable to machine gun fire and artillery bombardment. Poor planning, insufficient reconnaissance, and a lack of coordination between units contributed to the failure of the attack.

Australian forces, in particular, suffered immensely, with over 5,500 casualties (killed, wounded and captured) in less than 24 hours — the highest losses for Australian troops in a single day. British losses also exceeded 1,500. The aftermath revealed the futility of the assault, as the amount of ground gained was not significant.

Fromelles holds a deep emotional and historical significance, particularly for Australia, as it marked the nation’s first major engagement on the Western Front. The battle epitomizes the horrors of trench warfare and the human cost of poorly executed military strategies. The rediscovery of mass graves in recent years has further emphasized its enduring impact, serving as a reminder of the sacrifices made and the importance of remembering this tragic chapter in history.

The Battle of Fromelles is often regarded as a textbook example of poor planning in World War I, marred by several key strategic and tactical failures. These included:

• inadequate reconnaissance
• poorly defined objectives
• poor timing and delays
• command overconfidence in troops unfamilar with tactics and conditions
• poor communication with artillery support

In essence, the Battle of Fromelles was an example of poor planning, unrealistic expectations, and a failure to adapt to the harsh realities of trench warfare, resulting in catastrophic losses.

Transcription of Harold Balcomb's Talk
"I was brought up in a family that celebrated the 19th July as a significant day. My father, Horace Balcomb, mostly reminded us at breakfast. It was on that day in 1916 that he and four other Cranbury men went into battle at a place called Fromelles: Horace Balcomb, Keith Davis, Clarence Nash, Harold Whitmee and James Jones. Of the five, only two returned to Australia and Dad was the only one to stay in the district. Fromelles has the doubtful honour of being the battle where the most Australian men were killed in 24 hours. At the time it was not even called battle but rather a diversionary tactic to relieve other forces further south in the Battle of the Somme.

"Today we remember those five men, three of whom made the supreme sacrifice. In July it will be 100 years since that battle. They all enlisted about the same time. They were medically examined at Lithgow and were eventually members of the 13th reinforcements of the 1st Division of the AIF. After partial training at Liverpool in Sydney they were shipped to Egypt. Gallipoli was evacuated and the new 5th Division was created. The Cranbury men became members of that Division.

"Further training included a rapid and disastrous route march in the heat of summer from Tel-el-Kabir for a stint at the Canal defences at Ferry Post. Keith Davis’s diary has a good description of this route march. He backs up what my father said of the rescue by the New Zealanders, already at Ferry Post, of many Australian men who collapsed in the heat.

"After a stint defending the Canal and further training they were shipped to Marseilles aboard the HMT Caledonia.

"My father often recalled the beauty of the countryside as they travelled up the Rhone Valley, a virtual paradise after Egypt. He recalled the strawberries and cream that the French provided. He often said that Clarrie Nash was ‘a beggar for strawberries and cream’.

"They were rushed into battle with no time to learn the realities of trench warfare. Dad had contracted mumps in Egypt and then put in another company. He always said the Army bureaucracy saved his life. His three close mates went over in the first wave and were either killed or wounded. He went over the top when the first German trench was in Australian hands and the artillery had found their range accurately.

"His company had orders to proceed to the next German trench. No such trench existed in that section and they were forced to improvise and ‘dig in’ during the night. The Germans counter attacked and cut them off. The next morning only 29 out of 200 answered the roll call.

"Dad reported to the Red Cross when he returned to England after the War that he witnessed the death of Lieutenant Sheridan, from Orange, shot in the head by a German sniper. Dad’s words were, ‘He crumpled like a steer shot in the forehead’. Sheridan was very tall and the trench was not deep enough to give protection from behind.

"With no further ammunition, the remaining men, cut off by the Germans, were told to split up into twos or threes and try to regain the Australian line. Most were captured, including my father.

"The prisoners went to the Ruhr Valley and spent two years as prisoners of war until the end of the War in 1918. Dad praised the Red Cross parcels for keeping him from starving. He said he was lucky he could use a cross cut saw and was put to work cutting down pine trees for pit props for the coal mines.

"Some men from Newcastle were coal miners and were put down the mines. The casualties down the mines were nearly as bad as in the front line, as safety was not a high priority for prisoners.

"After two failed escape attempts, Dad was finally returned to England in 1919 and then back to Australia.

"A bit of trivia! I was intrigued to learn that Corporal Hitler, on the German side that opposed them, created quite a name for himself in later years.

"I was named after my mother’s favourite cousin, Harold Whitmee, who was wounded at Fromelles. He walked back to the dressing station. After recovering he was returned to his unit and wounded again by shellfire in the left leg and side. After having his leg amputated, he died in France and was buried at Dernancourt in 1917.

"Clarence Nash was killed in action in the first assault. There are conflicting reports that he was directly hit by an exploding shell and blown to pieces. His name is one of the missing.

"My Dad asked his brother, Reg Nash, to be best man at his wedding. Reg served with the Medical Corps and was studying to be a doctor when he enlisted. When he graduated after the War he went to Queensland to practise.

"Another cousin of my mother, Keith (Barney) Davis was wounded at Fromelles. He walked back to the dressing station by himself but died of wounds a couple of days later. Dad was one of the last to see Barney alive, with his tunic soaked in blood. Dad directed him back along an old railway embankment that offered some protection. He always said, ‘Barney died game’. The Ned Kelly myth, ‘to die game,’ was the highest compliment one soldier could pay another. Keith Davis was buried at Boulogne.

"A memorial tablet in Cranbury Uniting Church includes the names of Clarence Nash, Keith Davis and Harold Whitmee. Erected by the Cranbury Rifle Club, it has a quotation from Saint John’s Gospel:
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

"The Canowindra Historical Museum has a similar memorial that was placed in Barragan All Saints Church near Cranbury. That church has since been demolished. There is also a photo in the museum of the 13th Reinforcements with all the names underneath, probably taken at Liverpool.

"In 1920, when Samuel Whitmee visited his son’s grave with his sister, Anna, his brother, William and his niece, Ethel Fleming, my mother, he took a bunch of flowers. A photo of them standing behind the stark wooden cross behind his grave helps me to understand the trauma my mother went through, losing two cousins and having her boyfriend missing for 3 months before hearing he had been taken prisoner.

"Jim Jones, the other Cranbury soldier at Fromelles, was wounded twice but came though the War. Although only a corporal, he was selected for officer training in 1919 and came home a lieutenant. He sold his farm after the War and I believe became a well known Holden dealer at Bankstown. I met his son, Vernon, briefly when he visited Cranbury.

"Today, we remember them."

The Australian Memorial Park