Memories of VillersBretonneux

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Memories of Villers-Bretonneux

• 1rst Remembrance
• ANZAC

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At the Beginning

• Villers-Bretonneux History has had a link with
  Australia for the 1rst World War. On April 1918,
  Australian and New-Zealander voluntary soldiers
  had to stop the German attack from Amiens. In the
  night from 24th to 25th April, the 13th and 15th
  brigades took the control but with a lot of dead
  soldiers. This victory made a real end of the
  conflict. A limit was created by Paul
  Moeau-Vaulthier at the Villers-Bretonneux entry
  where the last german soldier was killed. This
  place was designed by the General PETAIN. So the
  25th April became the Australian Day Remembrance

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The National Memorial

• In memory of the fellow countrymen who died for
  Freedom, the Australian Government decided the
  construction of a National Memorial in Villers
  where the names of 11 000 soldiers are written.

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The Inauguration

• The National Australian Memorial was inaugurated
  on 22nd July 1938 by president Albert Lebrun,
  King George VI with Queen Elisabeth.

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Whats happened on 22nd July 1938 ?

• The Royal train arrived at 130 pm in the Villers
  railway station where the most important french
  officials were waiting.

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• The car which had to drive the King and the Queen
  from the station to the Memorial was in the Bled
  Garage and was protected against the population.

When the Royal Couple arrived at the garage, they
were driven up to the Memorial with one soldier
every meter.
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• A crowd of several thousand people was in the
  Memorials court when the King and the Queen
  arrived.

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• General Sinclair presented the Honour Guard to
  the King whereas a young Bretonvillois, Yves
  Lefebvre, gave a bouquet of roses to the Queen.

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• The Royal stand was in front of the Memorial
  tower. The King spoke about the bravery and the
  sacrifice of 46 000 Australians dead for our
  Liberty during that bloody conflict.

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• The King and the Queen placed a spray of flowers
  on the Monument.

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Why this Ceremony ?

• Links were established at the end of the conflict
  by the  adoption  of Villers-Bretonneux by the
  Melbourne town in 1920 and by the participation
  of the Victoria state to the reconstruction of
  the school (every student of the state gave 1
  for this project) the first stone of which was
  placed on 16th June 1923 by Mr Mac Whae and Mr
  Franck Tate who represented the Victoria state.

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The School Victoria

• There was a big ceremony for the inauguration of
  the school on May 1927. On the picture, children
  are singing  la Marseillaise  and  God save
  the King 

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The Australian delegation of the Victoria state
are in front of the commemorative plaque.

• A Republican Meal with 120 people put an end to
  the inauguration. It took place in the School
  reception room.

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Anzac since 1938

• The Relationship between Villers-Bretonneux and
  Australia has continued generation after
  generation and after the 2nd World War, a
  welcoming committee was created in 1955 by
  MarcelGrené (president of the Old Soldiers),
  Pierre Huguet (school director) and Léon Rinet
  (industrial) to receive australian visitors who
  want to discover places of conflict and to see
  the tombs. In 1975, Léon Rinet and Marcel Pillon
  created a museum into the Victoria school to
  present all the memories of the conflict. It was
  inaugurated on 25th April 1975 by Mr Anderson
  (Australia Ambassador) and the name of the museum
  is  Sir William Legatt . In 1980, Allan Wood (a
  state minister) proposed to twin
  Villers-Bretonneux with Robinvale, (the name of
  an aviator killed near Villers)

This is Robin Cuttle
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• This soldier who died at 23 years old was an
  image for all these young Australians who came in
  Picardy to fight bravely. On this picture we can
  see the twinning ceremony on 5th May 1984 at
  Villers with a charter signature of the
  authorities of the two towns.

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• On this picture Allan Wood (State minister),
  Roland Blondelle (president of twinning
  Committee), Hubert Lelieur (VIllers-Bretonneux
  Mayor), Mc Ginty (Robinval Mayor), Marcel Pillon
  (president of the franco-australian
  association), Coll Bennet (president of
  Australian twinning committee).

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• The return ceremony took place in Australia
  on 6th September 1985 with the inauguration at
  Robinvale of the Villers-Bretonneux walk

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• Every year, on Saturday the closest to the
  25th April, VIllers-Bretonneux celebrate the
  Anzac Day with the Australian Ambassador, with
  ministers of the two countries and with the
  inhabitants who show they are grateful respecting
  the inscription which is on the Victoria School
  Never Forget Australia

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• Every 4 years, alternately, the Bretonvillois
  go to Australia and Robinvale citizens are
  accomodated in French families. Above, the
  picarde delegation at Robinvale in 2003