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Visiting Fromelles

Location
Fromelles village is 16 kilometres west of Lille and VC Corner Australian Cemetery is 2 kilometres north-west of Fromelles on the road to Sailly. The Cobber's Memorial can be seen at Parc Memorial Australien a little further along the road. The new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery is also nearby. When arriving in Fromelles the cemetery is located on Rue de la Basse Ville opposite the church and civil cemetery. It is sign posted from the main N41 Lille—La Basse road.
Latitude
50.619556 (50° 37' 10.4"N)
Longitude
2.833706 (02° 50' 1.3"E)

Fromelles

A photo of green fields. Two ponies look on. A church can be seen in the distance.

Fromelles across the fields [DVA]

Fromelles is about two and a half kilometres by road to the east of the Australian Memorial Park along the D22C and then the D22. In 1916, the village was behind German lines and occupied for nearly the whole of the war. The village population suffered accordingly as most of their houses were destroyed and they were forced to evacuate in favour of the German military. The Musée de la Guerre (War Museum), formerly housed in the Mairie (Town Hall), has been reopened as the Battle of Fromelles Museum in a dedicated new building, as part of the Australian Remembrance Trail. It tells the story of Australia's first battle in France in 1916. Australians are generally unaware that this area was also the scene of heavy fighting in 1915 at places like Aubers Ridge, Neuve Chapelle and Loos. The Fromelles museum is run by a dedicated group of local people known as the 'Association pour le Souvenir de la Bataille de Fromelles' (ASBF) which is also very active in trying to excavate and preserve significant World War I sites in the area such as underground bunkers and defensive positions.

Street sign reads "FROMELLES"
Photo of a residence, possibly from the WWI era.
A typical street with residences from the WWI era—two-story, tiled roof, red brick homes.
A local shop front, housed within a building likely from the WWI era.
Photo of an intersection at Fromelles. Trees line the road and the turret of a church is in the background.
Photo of the public memorial at Fromelles for conflicts during 1914–18 and 1939–1945
Street signs, all pointing right. From the top, (1) Sailly-sur-la-Lys Laventie (2) Bois Grenier Armentières (3) Salle du Temps Libre Stade (4) Dechetterie (5) Memorial Australien
A memorial with names of casualties from 1914–1918 & 1939–1945
Plaque remembering the Battle of Fromelles: "Square de la Bataille de Fromelles 19 et 20 Juillet 1916. Square of the Battle of Fromelles on 19th to 20th July 1916"
A large lump of a brick structure, old and decayed, in the middle of a field. Trees to the left and right and a church in the background.
An old German concrete bunker which is being used as a garden shed. It has pallets and other materials leaning against it.
Sitting in stark contrast to the lovely green rural setting, are the remains of a Germal 'blockhouse' or 'pillbox', built to survive massive bombardments.

Town Hall: A two storey red-brick building with 11 windows on the top storey and a mixture of windows and red doors on the ground floor.

The Mairie (Town Hall), Fromelles. [DVA]

This area of the old Western Front is dotted with cemeteries and memorials as well as other fascinating reminders of the 'Great War'. Along roadsides, in the middle of fields and sometimes as part of the architecture of private homes are the remnants of German concrete bunkers. A drive has been developed for visitors around the Fromelles-Aubers area which features these structures.

Part of an exhibit. Shows two soldiers, their equipment and other objects in their environment.
Part of an exhibit. A candle lantern.
First World War period British gas rattle. Used in the trenches to warn about the presence of gas.
Part of an exhibit. A Pickelhaube—was a spiked helmet worn in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by German military, firefighters, and police. It is black with a gold spike on top.
Part of an exhibit. A small-headed shovel, presumably for digging trenches. It has curved sides with a wooden curved socket and/or handle.
Part of an exhibit. A Pickelhaube with a canvas cover—a spiked helmet worn in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by German military, firefighters, and police.
A bottle from the early 20th century. Possibly Hershey's Tomato Sauce
USA World War One Doughboy Steel Combat Helmet with Strap
Part of an exhibit. A collection of hand-to-hand combat weapons. A variety of hand-held instruments with injurious attachments.
A set of long-handled wire cutters. Stamped "H.V. McKay Australia 1915"
Part of an exhibit. A soldier's boot (cut at the ankle?)