Apologies

Having failed in their initial attempt to seize the German positions, the Australian 2nd Division made preparations for another attempt. However the date for this attempt was to be determined by the rate of preparation. As numbers of engineers went forward to prepare the jumping off and approach trenches, the casualty toll continued to rise. Some Brigade commanders chaffed at the delay, but General Brudenell White would not commit the Division until all efforts were made to ensure success.

Bram Connolly is a former infantry and Special Forces soldier, joining the Australian Army in 1991. In his new book 100 Ways I Almost Died, Bram covers the sometimes amusing, often terrifying ways his life was held in the balance both in training and on operations.

Last episode we briefly covered the fate of the 2nd Division's attack on the 28th July 1916, based upon the information which trickled back to Brigade HQ. This time, we look in depth to examine the front line solider perspective and see what went wrong.

Major Hashida's Notebook tells the story of a newly trained Japanese intelligence officer's time in Australia prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the 1st Division exhausted after capturing Pozieres village, the 2nd Division took over the line and prepared for the next phase of the attack - taking and holding the heights. General Legge was charged with setting the time for this next attempt, but even before he could begin working on the plan, his 17th Battalion was dragged into the fighting in support of a British attempt to seize OG1. Over the next two days, plans were formulated, despite suffering serious losses from German artillery. But by dusk of the 28th July 1916, all was in place.