Aussies on Pozieres Heights

[AndyMacdonald]

Hi all,

I'm writing a book about the Somme and am currently working on a chapter about Australians at Pozieres. In particular, I'm looking for personal stories or diaries/letters that have not been published before. Perhaps you can offer some advice? For the record, I do not want to receive original items: verified copies or transcripts are quite fine for my purposes. Obviously I've read Bean, Charlton, Keech and Edmonds, plus a number of other published narratives so please don't suggest these. I've also consulted the war diaries etc. I'm soon to walk over the battlefield again and hope to do so with all information in hand, which should help throw those events of 1916 into some kind of relief.

Feel free to email me at: andymacdonald_nz@yahoo.co.nz

Regards

Andy Macdonald

author of On My Way to the Somme: New Zealand and the bloody offensive of 1916 (HarperCollins 2005).

[ceebee]

Andy

I'm not sure how expansive your literature and archival research has been to date, particularly with material at the Australian War Memorial, so I'll send you an email later today.

Cheers

Chris

[Ozzie]

By other published books I take it you mean the Battalion Histories. such as Silent Voices?

Cheers

Kim

PS I may be going to the AWM in a week or two, I'll let you know for sure soon. Then if you have any specific look ups I'll see what I can do.

[Auimfo]

Andy,

Are you interested in my Grandfather's diaries. He served with the 4th Field Ambulance during the battle for Pozieres. His experiences for every day are recounted and make reasonably interesting reading (especially from the start of August). He actually mentions that Albert Jacka came through the Ambulance on 7th Aug.

If you want to read the diaries, they're on line at http://www.anzacs.net/Diary2.htm

Feel free to quote them if anything suits.

Tim L.

[Auimfo]

Also, if you haven't already thought of it, you could refer to 'Jacka's Mob' which gives a personal narrative of the Pozieres experience.

Tim L.

[Mat McLachlan]

Hi Andy,

Look forward to reading the book.

I have to say, if you are after archival sources about Pozieres (either primary or secondary) the Australian War Memorial archive is your one-stop-shop. They've got so much stuff there you are sure to find records that have hardly ever been read, let along published.

Call in and see them next time you are in Canberra. (Obvioulsy if you are in NZ this will be tough...)

Cheers,

Mat

[nilis11]

Andy,

I did research on a distant relative; private Henry John de Voogd, 51 st BN AIF, son of Dutch immigrants who fought at Pozieres and Mouquet farm in 1916. He was wounded during the attack. He was later courtmartialed for disobedience at Longueval. He was killed during the Passchendaele offensive and is buried at Tyne cot Belgium. If you are interested in more details, let me know. There is not a lot on his exploits at Pozieres, but then again he may be of interest tou you

Nilis

(de Voogd The Netherlands)

[Andrew P]

Hi Nilis

There's a historian in Western Australia who's doing a history of the 51st Battalion. He had one published on the 51st a few years ago but this year he's updating it with more detail.

Let me know if you want to get in touch with him.

Regards

Andrew