July 19

Synopsis

July 19, 1916. Dearest Mother, Father and Helen, Today I lead my Battalion in our assault on the German lines and I pray God I may come through alright and bring honour to our name. If not I will at least have laid down my life for you and my country which is the greatest privilege one can ask for. Farewell dear people the hour approacheth. Love from Geoff. In a little over 14 hours, Geoff McRae and 5533 of his countrymen would be dead or wounded, fighting for a stretch of muddy farmland near the German occupied town of Fromelles. A disaster from the outset, these men (many of whom had survived the horrific fighting on Gallipoli) were needlessly sent to their deaths against a well fortified enemy of far superior numbers. It was a battle that should never have happened. Following the battle the Australian soldiers laid the blame for their misfortune at the feet of their commander, Major General McCay, a man who they saw as being totally obsessed with his own ambitions, to the detriment of his men. This disdain was heightened after the war when McCay’s powerful friends made sure that Fromelles was never examined or spoke about in any detail, and when it was, all blame was placed upon the British. This un-official policy of misinformation meant that the Australian public remained largely in the dark as to what had actually happened. Even today, the name Fromelles is still relatively unknown and rarely appears on memorials, a terrible slight on those brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful July day. Correcting the mistakes of the past, July 19 presents the battle of Fromelles to the Australian public using the words of the soldiers who were there along with expert commentary. From the humour to the heartbreak, this realistic portrayal ensures these brave “19th of July Men” are never forgotten and take their rightful place in our collective conscious.