Summary
Small Christmas card produced for the Australian Comforts Fund, Christmas 1918. Christmas & New Years Greetings, 1918-19, with scenes of battles at Villers-Brettonneux and Hamel, and views of a captured tank and a 14cm. gun. Produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons, Publishers to the King and Queen.
Physical Description
Christmas card with blue and black lettering Australian Comforts Fund Christmas & New Years Greetings, 1918-19, Produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons, Publishers to the King and Queen. The card depicts four scenes from the First World War: Australians Advancing from Villers-Brettonneux August 8th 1918, A German tank captured by the Australians near Villers-Brettonneux, Capture of Hamel Village July 4th 1918 by Australians assisted by a detachment of Americans, Captured by The Australians a 14 C.M. German Naval Gun intact with its Train & Equipment.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation
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Date Made
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Inscriptions
Australians Advancing from Villers-Brettonneux August 8th 1918 from original specially painted for the Australian Comforts Fund by Captain Will Longstaff A.I.F. War Artist, Villers- Bretonneux- The start of the Great Attack. On the night of 24th April 1918 the Australians made a daring and claver counter attack in the darkness, recaptured Villers-Bretonneux, stopped the German advance and saved Amiens. This, and the battle of Hamel, were only a prelude to the smashing advance which commenced on 8th August. Extract from Australian Corps Order, issued on 7th August:-"for the first time in the history of this Corps all five Australian Divisions will tomorrow engage in the largest and most important battle operation ever undertaken by the Corps" 85,000 Australians were engaged (with Canadians on their right and British Divisions on their left), supported by powerful artillery, tanks and aeroplanes. In this battle 7,000 prisoners, 150 guns with an immense number of Machine Guns and War material were captured. On August 31st and September 1st and 2nd Mont St. Quentin and Peronne fell to the Australians in three days, defeating the flower of the Prussian Guard. In the centre of the picture a dead German is seen behind a captured gun. During the months following many important pitched battles were fought and won, over 20,000 prisoners taken, and over 250 guns, heaps of munitions, machine guns and stores, together with over 120 villages.(Picture A German Take Captured by the Australians near Villers-Bretonneux.) Capture of Hamel Village July 4th 19118 by Australians assisted by a detachment of Americans, From original painting specially executed for the Australian Comforts Fund by A. Pearce, War Artist. Australian Comforts Fund Christmas & New Years Greetings, 1918-19. "The Glorious Fourth." The battle of Hamel on the 4th July 1918 was the first occasion on which Americans fought side by side with Australians or other British Troops. The picture shows Aeroplanes of the 3rd Squadron, A.F.C., dropping ammunition to the assaulting troops by parachute, (an Australian idea put to practice for the first time). The village burning on the left is Hamel, while the wood behind the barrage in the centre background is Accroche Wood. The tracks in the right foreground are made by the caterpillars of the Tanks, the white mound is part of an old trench which had just been cleared of the enemy. The Battle of Hamel paved the way for the great advance of 8th August 1918 from Villers-Brettonneux. Captured by the Australians a 14 C.M. German Naval Gun intact with its Train & Equipment. Greetings From (not filled out) Produced by Raphael Tuck& Sons, Publishers to the King and Queen.
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Classification
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
16.2 cm (Length), 12.2 cm (Width)
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