Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Adelaide Cemetery at Villers Bretonneux is one of the most visited sites by Australians on the Western Front battlefields of France and Belgium.  It is situated to the West of the town on the main road to Amiens. About 500m to the west towards Amiens in a valley below the cemetery is a road which formed part of the 'start line' for the counter-attack by the 13th and 15th Brigades on the evening of 24/25 April 1918 which famously liberated the town and halted the German advance on Amiens during the major offensive called 'Operation Michael' in March / April 1918.

A full description of the cemetery is contained at the CWGC link in the sidebar.

Of particular interest are several graves, including that from which the Unknown Soldier was disinterred in 1992 to be repatriated to Australia for interrment in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Australan War Memorial Canberra.

Another is that marking the fact that a 50 year old soldier of the South Australian 50th Battalion, Private John Anderson (warmemorial.erato.vm.e2.com.au) is buried in the cemetery but his actual grave has been lost.  The 50th Battalion attacked around the southern flank of the town as part of the 13th Brigade during the famous counter attack on ANZAC Day 1918 which re-captured the town and halted the German advance on Amiens.

Another is a much decorated soldier, Company Sergeant Major Philip Bonhote (/explore/people/243988) of Tasmania, a member of the 52nd Battalion which was a composite WA / SA / Battalion and  part of the same Brigade as the 50th Battalion  Aged just 25, he had already been awarded  awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal, but his luck ran out on the evening of 24th April 1918.  The headstone is marked "Believed to Be" meaning the remains were not able to be positively identified as his. He is therefore also listed on the Wall of Remembrance at Villers Bretonneux.

 Steve Larkins - 2 January 2014