By CASEY NEILL
A RUSTED and battered piece of metal will take pride of place in the Dandenong Cranbourne RSL.
Sub-branch president John Wells said a farmer recently dug it up in a French paddock where the Battle of Pozieres took place in July and August 1916.
“Some guy went over the top with that on his gun and he didn’t come back,” he said.
“In one sense it’s a rusted piece of metal but it means so much more.”
Mr Wells said Australia lost 3500 men on the night of the main attack of Pozieres.
“It was the worst conflict casualty situation we ever had,” he said.
“We were under constant artillery bombardment for a fortnight. It’s just mind shattering to endure.
“We held it and the Germans gave it up.
“For many people that was the beginning of the turn of the war. It was an incredibly courageous thing.”
The RSL donated $5000 towards a memorial at Pozieres.
“That’s a huge battlefield and Australians don’t even know about it,” he said.
“The mayor of Pozieres sent us that bayonet as a thank you.
“It has a particular resonance with me because I had a great uncle, who I never met. He disappeared on the battlefield.
“His body was never recovered. There were a lot of bodies not recovered.
“When you’re in deep mud with artillery the body gets obliterated fairly quickly.”
