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World War 1, Europe, HOBBS, 5 Division Memorial, 1919

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1919

Overview

Surveyors in the wet

Historical information

The memorial obelisk crowns the Butte, the mound of a pre-1914 firing range, in Polygon Wood, Belgium. During heavy fighting in September 1917 the 5th Division recaptured the wood. On the Ieper (Ypres) /Zonnebeke road, a grassy path through the wood from the road reaches the memorial.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P2004.96.2b

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 1

Contextual Information

The 5th Division was formed in February 1916 as part of the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades. From Egypt the division was sent to France and Belgium, where they served along the Western Front until the end of the war in November 1918. After the war ended, the division was demobilised in 1919.
From 1917 to the Armistice, the Division was commanded by Major General JJ Talbot Hobbs. Hobbs succeeded Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash in command of the Australian Corps in November 1918. Hobbs played a central role in the erection of memorials for the AIF. In 1918 he designed the headstone that was subsequently erected for fallen Australian soldiers. He was then appointed to select sites and oversee the erection of memorials to four Australian divisions, and had a share in other important works in connection with Australian graves and cemeteries, the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, and the memorial tablet in Amiens Cathedral. This work became a devoted and deeply personal endeavour for Hobbs, which he continued for the remainder of his life after returning to Australia. Later he designed the Western Australian War Memorial.
Of the six divisional memorials, five were of his simple design. He chose Polygon Wood as the site for the 5th Division memorial, and Villers Bretonneux for the national memorial. The memorial to the 5th Australian Division stands on the site of the Butte at Polgyon Wood, Ypres, overlooking the military cemetery there. On 26 September 1917, in fighting that became known as the Battle of Polygon Wood, the Australian 1st, 2nd and 5th Divisions took part in the attack and the following actions.

Year

1919

Geotag

50.856154374333, 2.9922139441604

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Links to additional resources

1920 Movie Footage

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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