SAVIOURS OF AMIENS

Evening Star, Issue 18175, 16 January 1923, Page 6

SAVIOURS OF AMIENS

MARSHAL FOCII’S 1 TRIBUTE. “THEIR (MEMORY IS EVER GREEN.” Major-general Sir Tom Bridges received on tho ovo of his departure for .South Australia (says tho Melbourne ‘Argus’) tiro following letter from Marshal Foch ;—“.My dear general, at tho moment of your departure for Australia please carry with you from Franco an expression of the grateful memory which' wo have for tho bravery of Australia’s soldiers. From tho time they appeared in tho ranks of tho Allied armletiij, 1916 they acquitted themselves manfully Their engagements in front of Ypres in 1917, their advance beyond Zounebeke and capture of Polygon Wood after a bloody struggle, and at the price of heavy losses, arc well known. In 1918 they took part in the defence of Ainiene, and when that city was seriously threatened by the penetration of tho Germans into Villers-Billtonnetn: it was the Australians who retook tho village on April 25 in a, magnificent attack. I cannot think without emotion that by their action they saved Amiens, assured the junction of the British and French armies, and rendered magnificent service io our cause On August 8 they took part in tho victorious offensive of the Sommo, which dealt a decisive blow to our enemies. At the end of that month ihey continued to strike hard, capturing Mount St. Quentin by a brilliant feat of arms. They then attacked tho liiudenburg position with tho same energy. Lo Catelot saw their exploits. The formidable wall crumbled, and the Germanic power crashed to tho ground. Say to_ those valiant warriors of Australia that their memory is ever green in Franco, and that wc will witness to this by tho reverent care with which we will cherish the graves of their dead.