SPECIAL REPORT: How the Germans captured 1170 Diggers in just a few hours.

AS THE sun rose across an idyllic snow-covered field in northern France on April 11, 1917, thousands of Australian Diggers calmly began walking toward the German enemy line some 2km away.

By the end of the day, that beautiful stretch of pristine fertile ground a short distance from the village of Bullecourt would be known as "the blood tub".

The first Battle of Bullecourt was an unmitigated disaster that saw the might of the German army mow down 3300 Australians with a barrage of bullets and explosives in just a few hours.

The Germans also took 1170 of the Australian soldiers as prisoners of war by day's end.

The previous evening, British and Australian defence leaders ordered the Aussies - including 10 Bundaberg men from the 15th battalion - to attack the German defence of the Hindenburg Line on the opposite side of the field.

The Aussie infantry moved forward, expecting to be protected by at least 12 British tanks.

But the behemoths of the battlefield were so slow that they did not get to there on time and when the tanks eventually crawled past the Aussie trenches, they were quickly destroyed by the enemy's strong wall of field artillery.

That same arsenal of German weapons ripped the approaching Diggers to shreds.

Among the dead was Southern Downs labourer Edwin Hindmarsh who was 21 years old.

Albert Edward Jolly was Stanthorpe-born labourer who was held by the Germans as a prisoner of war. He died 10 days after the battle on April 21, 1917.

Hindmarsh died fighting alongside other men from our region including Joseph Eckersley, Gordon Smith, Arthur Norman Brunton, Joseph Lawer and Robert Johnston.

All of these other men survived Bullecourt but succumbed to wounds or disease or were killed in action within 20 of that fateful day.

"No doubt exceedingly important strategic objects lay behind the British (led) attack, but I have never been able to discover what they were," German General Eric Ludendorff wrote shortly after the killer skirmish that barely impacted his own battalions.

Battle of Bullecourt expert Captain Andrew Craig said wave after wave of Diggers moved across that icy field, never faltering to follow in the footsteps of their mates despite the unrelenting mass of bodies falling before them.

"The Australians advanced over 2000m of pretty flat ground," the retired Royal Australian Navy officer told ARM Newsdesk.

"They walked up. There was no running or jumping.

"They just walked in to face the shells and bullets.

"It took a particular mindset just to keep at it.

"I think what held them together was their resilience, courage and mateship.

"You had to be able to have such confidence in your mates on either side and know that they were there to protect you the best they could and you were there to protect them the best you could and you just got on with it."

Australia War Memorial senior historian Aaron Pegram said the Battle of Bullecourt was over-shadowed by bigger and bloodier campaigns elsewhere including the Somme, Pozières and Passchendaele where more than 62,000 allied soldiers were killed.

"Bullecourt - with 3000-plus casualties in one unsuccessful assault - it is on its own staggering, but in the context of those other losses it's also a drop in the ocean," he said.

On April 25, Warwick residents will remember the sacrifice of these soldiers during the Anzac Day dawn services.

Our region will also commemorate the lives lost in the second Battle of Bullecourt.

That battle started on May 3, 1917, and by the time it ended two weeks later on May 17, 7482 Australians were dead.

Both Bullecourt battles accounted for the deaths of almost 11,000 Australians, about one sixth of the 62,000-plus Australian casualties in the First World War.

Soldier's life saved in the blink of an eye

IN A blink of an eye, John Herbert Green went from facing certain death at Australia's infamous "blood tub" to being one of the luckiest Diggers to emerge from the First World War.

The Australian Imperial Forces private was one of the few soldiers to survive the first Battle of Bullecourt on April 11, 1917.

In just a few hours, the Germans slaughtered 3300 of Green's comrades and took a further 1170 prisoners of war as the Australians tried to breakthrough the Hindenberg line near the village of Bullecourt in France.

The enemy shot Green in both legs.

Determined to survive, the 23-year-old coal worker crawled across the body-strewn battlefield, trying to get his comrades to pull him into their trenches.

But the soldiers battened down the hatches, turning their back on the young man for fear he would draw the attention of the enemy.

Eventually he collapsed and the Australians, believing him dead, left his body where he fell.

Twenty-four hours later, a group of Canadian soldiers stumbled across him.

He mustered enough strength to blink his eyes to get their attention and he was a saved.

It's a brave story often retold by the Darling Downs born and raised soldier's daughters, Mary McCarthy, 77, and Cathy Kelly, 87.

Mrs McCarthy, who lives on Bribie Island, and Mrs Kelly, a Sunshine Coast residents, are incredibly proud of their father who awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

They are also proud of their uncles, Francis Peter and James Thomas, who also enlisted in the AIF.

Francis served in the 12th Light Horse Regiment and James served in the 11th Light Horse Regiment and were decorated for their heroism in France.

Mrs McCarthy and Mrs Kelly said their father never spoke about the war and never complained about the ongoing pain from the bullet wounds in his legs.

Mrs Kelly said her father kept crawling until he could go no further because he did not want to be captured by the enemy.

"The Australians had put the white flag up and the Germans just kept shooting," Mrs Kelly said.

"He was determined to not become a prisoner a war."

Mrs McCarthy said her father was a kind and gentle man who was extremely protective of his daughters.

"I think his war experience made him protective of us," she said.

"I was proud of him."

Southern Downs region 15th Australian Infantry Battalion soldiers who fought at the Battle of Bullecourt during the First World War:

Edwin Hindmarsh was a Lyra labourer who died in action on April 11, 1917. He enlisted on September 28, 1915 and embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A73 Commonwealth on March 28, 1916 at the age of 30.

Joseph Eckersley (aka Joseph Gregory) was a Warwick labourer who died of wounds on June 13, 1917. He enlisted on September 22, 1916, and embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A55 Kyarra on November 17, 1916 at the age of 34.

Gordon Smith was a Southern Downs labourer who died of wounds on September 18, 1918. He enlisted on September 22, 1914 and embarked from Melbourne .on board Transport A40 Ceramic on December 22, 1914 at the age of 20.

Arthur Norman Brunton was a Killarney farmer who was killed in action on August 9, 1917. He enlisted on October 23, 1916 and embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A33 Ayrshire on January 24, 1917 at the age of 25.

Albert Edward Jolly was Stanthorpe-born labourer who died whilst a prisoner of war on April 21, 1917. He enlisted on February 7, 1916 and embarked from Sydney on board HMAT SS Hawkes Bay on April 20, 1916 at the age of 18.

Joseph Lawer was a Stanthorpe labourer who was killed in action on September 24, 1917. He enlisted on January 19, 1916 and embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A36 Boonah on October 21, 1916 at the age of 18.

Robert Johnston was a Lyra labourer who died of wounds on August 18, 1917. He enlisted on January 4, 1916 and embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on May 4, 1916 at the age of 18.

Source: Australian War Memorial

- ARM NEWSDESK