Charles lays wreath on centenary of key battle in France
THE PRINCE of Wales has paid tribute to the bravery of men who fought and died in a battle which marked a turning point in the First World War.
Charles, speaking during early-morning commemorations to mark the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, where Australians fought alongside British troops to free the French town from German capture, told descendants that the courage of their ancestors was “amazing” and that they must continue to be honoured.
Thousands of volunteer soldiers took part in the surprise night-time attack to save the little town near Amiens from capture in 1918. The battle was the second there in as many months and was notable for being the first major use of tanks by Germany.
Some 3,900 Australians in the 13th and 15th Brigades fought alongside three British battalions in the simple but dangerous plan which saw troops encircle the town to trap the enemy. By morning they were virtually surrounded. Its success effectively put an end to the Germans’ 1918 spring offensive.
Charles, on behalf of the Queen, joined the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his French counterpart, Edouard Philippe, at the Australian National Memorial just outside Villers-Bretonneux.
The Australian Army Band and the Voices of Birralee choir greeted an 8,000-plus crowd with traditional wartime music and anthems as they arrived in their droves in the early hours.
The audience, many wrapped in blankets, listened in the darkness as a roll of honour for soldiers was read and their pictures were projected on a tower.
Wearing an array of medals and a tie representing the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, of which he is Colonel in Chief, Charles read from the diary of Australian Private Frank Purnell, who described life in the trenches and the heroes he met.
The Prince was first to lay a wreath on the steps of the memorial ahead of hundreds of members of the public. He later met descendants of those who fought.