HISTORY

On the 15th of September 1916 Flers became the first village to be liberated with the aid of tanks; the message that sped around the world was “ A tank is walking up the main street of Flers, with the British Army cheering behind”.

For a full history of the liberation of Flers I would recommend reading the late Trevor Pidgeon’ book “The Tanks at Flers”. At the centre of the village in the Place des Britanniques can be found the memorial to the 41st Division, a photograph of which can be found on the cover of “Before Endeavours Fade” by Rose Coombs, an excellent photographic guide to the battlefields. The name of the house, Otago View, reflects our interest and reverence for the men who came from New Zealand to fight and die in the battle for Flers.

Bulls Road Cemetery is to be found on the edge of the village and within its walls lie many of the men who died during the battle to re-take the village and the Australians who fought here during the terrible winter of 196-17 prior to the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

AIF cemetery Grass Lane, the only cemetery on the Western Front  to carry the name AIF, (Australian Imperial Forces) is a short walk outside of the village.

A memorial can be found near to the church commemorating the men of the village who laid down their lives in the defence of France. A new memmorial, unveiled in 2011, pays tribute to the service and sacrifice made by players of Clapton Orient Football Club. There also a stone obelisk on the Longueval road which remembers the French divisions defending the village in 1914.

Australians in Flers – Winter of 1916/1917

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