Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From François Berthout

Pte 6941 Kurt John Hansen
26th Australian Infantry Battalion,
7th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division
 
In the fields of the Somme red with millions of poppies undulating in peaceful waves under a light spring breeze stand in silence, row after row, the white graves of thousands of young men who more than a hundred years ago, on the front line and in the trenches, stood bravely and determinedly under fire, their knees deep in the mud and blood of their friends and brothers in arms and who, side by side, lived, fought and fell together for their countries and for France and who, for peace and freedom, for our tomorrow gave their today and their lives which are told and transmitted to us in their eternal epitaphs. Young forever, they walk in silence where they shed their blood and solemn, proud they hold out their hands to us so that we remember who they were and what they did for us who live thanks to their courage and their sacrifices and it is with eternal respect that I will always watch over them to honor their memory so that their names live forever.

Today, it is with the deepest respect and infinite gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow. I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 6941 Kurt John Hansen who fought in the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division, and who was killed in action 104 years ago, on May 24, 1918 at the age of 19 on the Somme front.

Kurt John Hansen was born in 1899 in Brisbane, Queenslans, and was the son of William and Rosa Marie Hansen, of Hastings Street, New Farm, Brisbane. Before the outbreak of the war he was educated at Valley State School, Brisbane, served for four years in the Senior Cadets then worked as a labourer.

Kurt enlisted on May 15, 1917 in Brisbane, in the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion, 20th Reinforcement, battalion whose motto was "Nunquam Non Paratus" (Never Unprepared), and under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Ferguson. After a very short period of less than a month's training in Ennogerra, near Brisbane, Kurt embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A20 Hororata on June 14, 1917 and sailed for England.

On August 26, 1917, Kurt arrived in England and was disembarked in Liverpool, he joined the 7th Training Battalion the next day in Rollestone then was transferred to the 12th Training Battalion in Codford on October 25. On November 7 he joined the 5th Training Battalion, was appointed Acting Lance Corporal on November 29 but reverted to the rank of Private on December 27, embarked the same day from Southampton and proceeded overseas for France.

On December 28, 1917, after a short trip up the English Channel, Kurt arrived in France and was disembarked at Le Havre, proceeded to join unit on December 30 and was taken on strength with the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion on January 1, 1918 near Ypres where the battalion remained until the end of the month.

On February 1, 1918, the 26th Battalion marched to Henneveux, Pas-De-Calais, for reorganization and reinforcement followed by a period of training, but the following month, on March 21, 1918, the German army launched its spring offensive, its last attempt to break through the Franco-British lines and on April 6, the 26th was sent to the Somme to stop them before the Germans could take the railway junction of the city of Amiens, which was for them a priority objective.

On April 6, 1918, Kurt and the men of the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion arrived in the Somme, in the small village of Allonville then marched through Bonnay, La Neuville, Baizieux, and entered the trenches on April 11 between Bray and Albert, were relieved on April 18 and moved to the "St Lawrence Farm" near Baizieux then on April 24, went to the front line south of Villers-Bretonneux.

On May 1, 1918, Kurt and the 28th Battalion were relieved and marched through Behencourt, Franvillers, Pont-Noyelles and arrived at Bresle on May 12 then occupied the trenches of the Bonnay-Heilly-Mericourt line then fought near Ribemont where unfortunately on May 24, 1918, Kurt met his fate and was killed in action by a shell, he was 19 years old.

Today, Kurt John Hansen rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at the Ribemont Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription: "Sadly missed and in silence mourned."

Kurt, brave, strong and determined, it is with the ardor and in the prime of your life that alongside your friends you answered the call of duty and with your heavy but proud heart, after a last farewell in the arms of your mother, you walked with conviction to join your brothers in arms in the fields of northern France, in the trenches of the Somme in which so many young boys lost their childhood, their best years of their lives but also their innocence in the face of the fury of a world at war which was only death and destruction through the fields of poppies which were lacerated by kilometers of barbed wire in which so many young souls fell. Far from home, terrified by the hell that rose up before them, they endured day and night hurricanes of fire and steel under the hiss of bullets and the terrifying howl of shells but found in camaraderie and brotherhood the strength and the courage to fight, to stand and to move forward alongside their mates through the putrid quagmires, under the crackle of bullets that flew all around them and which, without mercy, tirelessly, mowed down their brothers, their best friends.Bayonets forward and their eyes on their destinies, they did their duty with incredible bravery without ever backing down and stood alongside the heroes of an entire generation who gave their today in the name of the peace and freedom for which they fought relentlessly without ever giving up despite their fears on the battlefields which were nothing more than slaughterhouses in who were shed so much tears and blood and every step forward was paid for by the sacrifices of thousands of men who had hopes and who wanted to live but who in this endless nightmare had to kill young men like them who had families, mothers, loved ones who were also broken when they received the terrible telegrams announcing that their sons, their husbands were killed in action on the grounds of a distant country.They were young, but these heroes who lived far from France came with pride and determination to save our old country, they knew they might not return home but nothing stopped them, they were determined to do what was right and fought like lions through villages that were no more than fields of ruins like Pozières whose soils are forever marked by the bravery and sacrifices of the brave Diggers who moved forward under deluges of lead,they fought fiercely at Amiens, under the spire of our cathedral which they liberated. Always in the front line, they were the spearhead of the counterattack of Villers-Bretonneux where they definitively stopped the Germans and through our bruised cities, they were seen with admiration and were quickly but deeply loved and admired by the French people who wrote in gold letters on the destroyed walls "Do not forget Australia". Many of these young soldiers were adopted by many French families and were loved like our sons, young men who, for us, went through hell and for many, remained forever lying on these sacred grounds where their graves stand today in the silence and peace for which they gave their lives. Young they were and young they will always be alongside their brothers in arms who rest in peace together and over whom I will always watch with love and respect so that their memory never fades, so that their sacrifices are never forgotten and so that their names live forever. Thank you so much Kurt, for all that you and your comrades have done for us who don't know you all but who owe you all so much. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.