Bullecourt 1917: The book of Gilles Durand is available for sale.

En avril et mai 1917, le village de Bullecourt, près d'Arras, dans le Pas-de-Calais, a été le théâtre d'une des grandes boucheries de la Première Guerre mondiale. La terre de l'ancien champ de bataille conserve encore aujourd'hui des centaines de corps australiens, britanniques et allemands portés disparus...
Le souvenir des combats meurtriers aurait été également enseveli si un couple d'instituteurs, dans les années 1980, ne s'était intéressé au martyr de ces soldats.
Pendant plus de trente ans, Claude et Colette Durand ont récolté des dizaines de témoignages d'anciens combattants australiens qui permettent aujourd'hui de retracer les horreurs de la bataille de Bullecourt. Ils ont ainsi noué des liens profonds avec l'Australie autour du sacrifice de ces hommes venus du bout du monde.
Mais ce livre dévoile aussi la face cachée des cérémonies commémoratives qui marquent le centenaire de la guerre 1914-1918, car une réalité moins glorieuse se dresse derrière les hommages officiels.

PDF : Extrait du livre version Française
PDF : Excerpt from the book English version

Acheter sur le site de l'éditeur

we learned of the death of Judi, the wife of Ian Watson. Ian was with Ambassador John Rowland and all defense office of the Australian Embassy in Paris, one of the initiators of everything which has been done at Bullecourt in the years 1980.Without them certainly nothing atBullecourt for remembering those Australians who died at Bullecourt in 1917.We present Ian and all his family our deepest sympathy . Ceremony at Riencourt Chapel On Sunday 16 May we attend a small ceremony at the chapel of Riencourt for the end of 2nd battle of Bullecour

We learnt that Victor Grieve has passed away on the 9th December,2009.Everyone in the area of Bullecourt knew him very well.Victor was the Director of music of “The Golden Kangaroos“. This band was playing at Bullecourt and Hendecourt very often .Victor founded the”Hornsby concert band” in 1970.The list of achievments of this great band is enormous;National Champions Senior & Junior(many times),competing World Championships,Show band Championships Japan,World Music championships Holland’twice),World Expo Nagoya International Festival,Chinese New Year-Hong Kong,Besana International Music Festival-Italy,performances at all 3 Disneylands,Sydney,London ,Arc de Triomphe,…. Victor was a good friend ,we will remember him RIP For more news about Victor see the website: WWW.GOLDENROOS.COM

During the battles of Bullecourt more of 2.400 Australian soldiers K.I.A have no known grave. According to some letters of soldiers who were witnesses of the death of their mates like the one below, writed by l/cpl Peachey, Lambis Englezos and some other friends of the 15th Brigade are searching for mass graves in the area. They found some places where soldiers were buried just after they were killed. These graves concern the second battle of Bullecourt and these places will be inspect soon.Perhaps the bodies were exhumed after the war or not! Above the map with the position of the supposed temporary graves.

This is a great sadness for his family and the people who have been knowing him. Claude Durand were passing on the 1st of march 2016. Her was the big artisan of the friendship between France and Australia. Hundred and hundred of australian soldiers’ descendants were visiting him and his wife Colette. He was the memory of the australians victims from the WWI in Bullecourt. Be his work never forgotten His family