Saturday, 8 August 2026
Randwick Barracks
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you Paul^[1]

I join in the acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners of the lands we meet on here today, the Bidjigal and Gadigal of the Eora nation.

Colonel Watson^[2] representing Lieutenant General Coyle;^[3] General Brereton;^[4] Brigadier McCammon;^[5] Brigadier Armstrong;^[6] Brigadier Lording;^[7] Brigadier Denner;^[8] Colonel Dr McCarthy,^[9] who will present the Maitland Lecture, named in honour of our esteemed late Regimental Colonel and historian Major General Gordon Maitland; distinguished guests all, including two former Commanders of the 2^nd Division, General McGrath^[10] and General Campbell^[11]

Yesterday, the 7^th of August, was the 110^th anniversary of the Germans’ attempt to recapture the Pozieres plateau. In effect, it ended the Battle of Pozieres, the small village in the Somme valley in France, although the fighting would continue at nearby Mouquet Farm until early September.

The battle honour Pozieres was awarded to ten battalions whose lineage continues in the Royal New South Wales Regiment: the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th Australian Infantry Battalions in the 1^st Brigade, 1^st Division; the 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th Battalions in the 5^th Brigade, 2^nd Division; and the 13^th and 45^th Battalions in the 4^th Division.

Tonight, we will hear presentations from each of the Battalions of our Regiment on the part played by their antecedent battalions in that dreadful battle… the capture and retention of the village by the 1^st Division and then the two attacks – the first a costly failure but the second a brilliant success – by the 2^nd Division. Allow me to set the scene, drawing on General Maitland’s Battle History of the Royal New South Wales Regiment.

By 1916, a deadlock had developed on the Western Front. The battlelines had taken shape, with defensive lines stretching 740 kilometres, from the Belgian coast of the North Sea to the French border with Switzerland. The Allies’ line was held at its northern end by the small Belgian Army, then, for approximately 160 kilometres, by the British, with the French holding the remainder.

The Germans were able to establish their defensive line on ground of their choosing, along a succession of elevated landforms including the Passchendaele, Messines and Aubers Ridges. Defences were pushed out thousands of metres in front of the dominating ridges, so that the Allies were confronted by a considerable depth of low-lying ground, which was heavily wired, trenched, and studded with strong points. Behind this rose, in tiers, ridge after ridge… culminating finally in a feature that conferred command over kilometres of the adjacent terrain. The Germans capitalized on this by building concrete emplacements, developing strong earthworks, digging deep dugouts, and creating major obstacles.

It was to this scenario that, following the evacuation of Gallipoli and the reorganization in Egypt, the Australian Divisions came in 1916, led by the 2^nd Division, which left Egypt on the 13^th of March. Landing at Marseilles, they travelled north by train, and during the night of the 7^th of April took over a trench line southeast of Armentieres – a relatively quiet area – where they were soon joined by the 1^st Division.

On the 1^st of July 1916, the Allies launched their Somme offensive. On the first day, the British incurred 60,000 casualties. While the thrust took place 50 miles south of the Australians, General Haig looked to stage feints, in order to prevent the Germans moving troops to reinforce the areas under attack. One of these was at Fromelles, to which, on the 19^th to 20^th of July, the 5^th Australian Division was committed, incurring 5,500 casualties.

While the tragedy of Fromelles was unfolding, the three other Australian divisions in France – the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th – were marching through Picardy on their way to play their part in the Battle of the Somme. General Haig’s intention was to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun; to assist the Russians on the Eastern Front by stopping the transfer of German troops from the Western Front; and to wear down the strength of the enemy.

The initial assault by 11 French and 18 British divisions on the 1^st of July was a holocaust. Haig then decided to endeavour to advance by piecemeal attacks.

One of the features which denied progress was Pozieres, which four costly attacks had failed to capture. Haig decided to employ the British 5^th Army under General Gough to capture Pozieres, and the task was given to the 1^st Australian Division, which moved into the front line on the 19^th of July.

As we will hear in more detail tonight, the village was captured initially by the 1^st Division, with the 1^st, 2ⁿd, 3^rd, and 4^th Battalions of the 1^st Brigade playing a conspicuous part, on the 23^rd of July 1916. Despite suffering heavily, the Division clung to its gains despite almost continuous artillery fire and repeated German counterattacks. By the time it was relieved on the 27^th of July, it had suffered 5,285 casualties.

The 2^nd Division took over from the 1^st and mounted two further attacks, attempting to capture the heights beyond the village. The first attack, on the 28^th of July, was a costly failure, with the battalions in the NSW 5^th Brigade bearing the brunt of it. But a more thoroughly and carefully planned and prepared second attack, on the 4^th of August, swept the enemy away and won the strategic heights where the ruins of the Pozières Windmill stood. Again, the Australians suffered heavily from retaliatory bombardments. The Division was then relieved on the 6^th of August, having suffered 6,848 casualties.

Finally, the 4^th Division was next into the line. It too endured a massive artillery bombardment. On the 7^th of August, a strong German counterattack stormed in on a 365-metre front, making considerable progress and threatening a breakthrough. However, a determined charge led by Lieutenant Jacka rallied the Australians, who went on to capture many Germans, regain lost ground, and then, taking more, ending German attempts to retake Pozières.

The vicious fighting to capture Pozières and Mouquet Farm took a terrible toll on the three Australian Divisions. In the just over 6 weeks of the battle, including as many as 19 attacks against German positions, the Australians suffered 23,000 casualties – almost as many as during the 8 months of the Gallipoli campaign[12]. Both campaigns resulted in immense loss of lives – 8,709 estimated for Gallipoli and 6900 for Pozières – either killed in action or dying of their wounds or other illnesses due to conditions on the battlefield. Gallipoli, as we know, was for many soul destroying; but those who survived continued on… many to fight at Pozières.

And after Pozières, it is said, the Anzacs were never the same. As Scott Bennett wrote (in his book Pozieres: The Anzac Story), the men who had gone “marching and singing and laughing their way to Pozières in the middle of a glorious summer were gone forever”.

But, as Maitland records, the Australians had earned a unique reputation. In the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

Down through every unit of their divisions there ran an indomitable spirit, united to an individuality and readiness of resource which made them soldiers of the highest type

After the fighting, temporary wooden crosses marked the graves of Australian soldiers on the Pozières ridge. When permanent cemeteries were later established, some original crosses were rescued by surviving men of the battalions that had fought there, and sent back to Australia, often inscribed with unit details or the names of soldiers originally buried under them. They were often placed in local communities, churches, and RSL halls as tangible relics of the battlefield and local memorials and used in early Australian remembrance practices. The 19^th Battalion’s cross is in St Luke’s Church, Clovelly; the 18^th Battalion’s is in St John’s, Gordon; the 17^th Battalion’s is in St Thomas’, North Sydney; and the 1^st Battalion’s is in St Columba’s, Woollahra, where, to this day, it provides the centrepiece of a commemorative service held each year supported by the 1^st/19^th Battalion.

Pozières was a seminal battle for our Regiment, for the 5^th Brigade, for the 2^nd Division, and for our Nation and for the Allied war effort.

In respect of the latter, once the Ridge was secured by the Allies, the German army were denied a prime observation point. Conversely, the British and Australian Imperial Force (AIF) gained clear lines of sight for their artillery. Once in control of the Plateau, the Allies were in a superior position to menace the rear of the heavily fortified German bastion at Thiepval, and the Village itself, provided the Allies with a stepping stone to push towards the Bapaume. The Battle of Bapaume becomes another story in the Annals of Australian war history.

 The official historian Charles Bean famously observed that Pozières ridge “is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth”. It is fitting that that these lines in Randwick Barracks, occupied by the Headquarters of the 2^nd Division, are designated 'Pozières Lines'. 

This morning you will first hear from Colonel Dayton McCarthy CSC, who will deliver the Maitland Lecture. Colonel McCarthy is the Colonel Campaigning at Headquarters 2^nd (Australian) Division. In his civilian career he is a defence analyst and the author of several books, including The Once and Future Army: A History of the Citizen Military Forces, 1947-1974. His latest book on the history of the 2^nd (Australian) Division will be released later this year.

Next, you will hear perspectives from Director Plans, Army, Colonel Benjamin Watson CSC, representing the Chief of Army; and Deputy Commander Second Division, Brigadier Mark Armstrong CSC. Head of Corps, Brigadier David McCammon AM DSM and Bar, will provide an update on infantry issues.

This afternoon, you will receive a presentation by Battery Commander, 7^th Battery, 9 Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, on integrating 9 Regiment capabilities into RNSWR Operations for Theatre Mission 1. Following that will be a joint presentation by the four battalions of the Regiment on ideas for how your training could be synchronized and coordinated to capitalise on efficiencies and leverage collective training horsepower.

I wish you well in your deliberations and thank you for your service in our Regiment.