The battle for Mont St. Quentin & Peronne.pdf

THE BATTLE FOR
MONT ST. QUENTIN
AND
PERONNE
Mont St. Quentin
L’ Historial De La Grande Guerre 1914 - 1918
Peronne
Matt Walsh

Table of content
Topic
Preamble
The Battle (Mont St. Quentin)
- The enemy troops
- Why was it necessary to capture Mont St. Quentin
Peronne
Memorials
Victoria Crosses
Profiles
Page
1
1
1
1
2
3
4
5
This booklet is an initiative of the Defence Reserves Association (NSW) Inc and the Military Police
Association of Australia Inc as part of their Schools Military History Program.
Written and compiled by Matt Walsh JP. MLO ALGA (MCAE) Dip Bus & Corp Law (CPS)
© 2008 Matt Walsh

Preamble
On the 21 st March 1918 General Ludendorff commenced a formidable offensive of the war from the
Hindenburg Line (Siegfried Line). This offensive was along a 70 km front with a two fold aim of
splitting the British and French Armies and capturing the City of Amiens. Part of this offensive was
the opening of a large front around St. Quentin.
The Battle (Mont St. Quentin)
The enemy troops
The Germans occupied Gottlieb Trench on the summit and the Brasso Redoubt on the approaches to
Mont St. Quentin. Ludendorff had instructed his 2 nd Prussian Guards Division to hold the hill “to the
death”.
The battle for Mont St. Quentin began on the night of the 31 st August 1918. The Australian 2 nd
division which included the 53 rd Infantry Battalion moved towards Mont St. Quentin taking a position
on the high ground overlooking Mont St. Quentin.
Why was it necessary to capture Mont St. Quentin
The area of Mont St. Quentin was the high point north of the Somme and had been referred to as ‘a
Gibraltar commanding the passage of the Somme and access to Peronne and was considered the key
to the whole region’.
Its importance can be gauged by the Germans using some of its elite troops- 2 nd Prussian Guard
Division to occupy the area.
The battle commenced at 5.00am (0500h) with the Australians crossing the Somme after an Artillery
Barrage and attacked Mont St. Quentin from the North West. The Australians had to advance uphill
over open ground to dislodge the Germans.
The Australians attacked the Brasso Redoubt and then headed towards the Gottlieb Trench. The attack
by the Australians by its sheer ferocity of yelling and shouting and a bayonet charge by the 20 th Bn
demoralised the Germans who thought that they were being attacked by a superior force allowed for the
capture of the Gottlieb Trench causing a large number of the Germans to flee down the slopes.
By 7.00am (0700h) a period of two hours from the commencement of the attack by the Australians they
had occupied the village of Mont St. Quentin. Unfortunately due to their small numbers they were
unable to hold the high ground against a counter attack by the reserve element of the 2 nd German
Guards Division and they were force to withdraw from the summit to positions just below it.
On the 1 st September 1918 the 6 th Brigade took the summit in their second attempt and by the 2 nd
September the 2 nd Brigade of the 2 nd Division had captured Mont St. Quentin.
The Australians at Mont St. Quentin had succeeded in taking a fortress, repelled five counter attacks
and captured 800 prisoners. The capture of Mont St. Quentin by the Australians has been described as
the ‘finest of the war’.
- 1 -

Peronne
Having gained control of Mont St. Quentin the Australian14th Brigade of the 5 th Division on the 1 st
September moved towards the woods north of Peronne which they captured encountering a short lived
attack by the Germans they took part of the town of Peronne
Peronne after the Battle
Peronne had originally been captured by the Germans in 1914. Peronne being a walled town it was
necessary for the Australians to move to the northern side of the town where they were stopped by
heavy fire from the ramparts.
By the evening of 2 nd September the Australian 7 th Brigade and the 1 st Brigade had gained substantial
ground by the 3 rd September Peronne was held by the Australians.
- 2 -

Members of 54 th Bn in Peronne
after its capture.
Australian sentry on duty in
front of a German barricade in
Peronne after its capture
It is interesting to note that tanks also played an important part in the recapture of Peronne.
Memorials
A Memorial was erected in Mont St. Quentin to the men of the 2 nd Division. This memorial depicted
an infantry man of in AIF Battle Dress powerfully thrusting down with his bayonet into the belly of an
eagle that lay on in back on the ground. As might be expected the Germans pulled it down and
destroyed it during WWII when they again occupied Mont St. Quentin and Peronne. This was the only
known monument to receive this treatment.
- 3 -

In 1971 it was replaced by the current Memorial.
Victoria Crosses
During the battle for Mont St. Quentin and Peronne (31 st August -2 nd September 1918) Australians
were awarded 8 Victoria Crosses.
Private George Cartwright VC, 33 rd Battalion 31 st August 1918 Rood Wood,
north west of Mont St. Quentin.
Private William Currey VC. 53 rd Battalion 1 st September 1918 Peronne
Sergeant Albert Lowerson VC. 21 st Battalion 1 st September 1918 Mont St Quentin
- 4 -

Private Robert Mactier VC. 23 rd Battalion 1 st September 1918 Mont St. Quentin
Lieutenant Edgar Towner VC. 2 nd Machine Gun Battalion 1 st September 1918
Mont St. Quentin
T/Corporal Alexander Buckley VC. 54 th Battalion 1 st September 1918 Peronne
Corporal Arthur Hall VC. 5 th Battalion 1-2 September 1918 Peronne
T/Corporal Lawrence Weathers VC. 43 rd Battalion 2 nd September 1918
north of Peronne
Profile
Private Dalbert Isacc Morris Hallerstein born Heidelberg Germany 15 th August 1893 of Jewish
parents.
After his arrival in Australia he served in the Cadets the 64 th Infantry Battalion (Militia).
He enlisted in 1915 and served in the 5 th Battalion at Gallipoli on moving to France he served in
The 57 th Battalion, 5 th Motor Cycle Company, 14 th Machine Gun Coy, 55 th Battalion and
5 th Machine Gun Battalion he was killed in action at Peronne on 2 nd September 1918. He was
finally laid to rest in Peronne Military Cemetery.
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