In just under seven weeks, from 23 July – 9 September 1916, the Australian Imperial Force suffered almost as many casualties as they had in the torturous Gallipoli campaign. The Battle of Pozières was one of the AIF's bitter introductions to fighting in the Somme Offensive on the Western Front. The goal was to break the German Army defences along the Somme River, capture the high ground and break through their formidable front line. The cost of the attacks and counter-attacks during the Somme Campaign was so high that both sides lost over a million lives each in what has been described as one of history's worst bloodbaths. For the volunteer Australians, this battle was part of what some survivors called a 'bloodthirsty war'.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Mat McLachlan, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours
Editor: Kyle Watkins
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