AUSTRALIA & UnITed STATeS CeLeBRATInG THe fIRST 100 yeARS of

No one embodies the spirit of mateship between Australia and the United States more than

Australian Army Corporal Leslie “Bull” Allen. This image has been chosen to symbolise the enduring friendship between Australian and American servicemen and women. During the Second World War, on 30 July 1943 at Mount Tambu, New Guinea, Corporal Allen safely rescued twelve United States soldiers from

the front line. For his bravery he was awarded the Silver Star by the United States. The photograph captured of Allen’s actions

on that day, carrying to safety an American soldier who had been knocked unconscious by a mortar bomb, has become one of Australia’s iconic war-time images.

Mateship personified: The “Bull” Allen StoryMoUnt taMBU, neW GUinea. 30 July 1943 2/5th Battalion stretcher bearer corporal leslie (Bull) allen, age 26, of Ballarat, Vic, carrying to safety an american soldier who had been knocked unconscious by a mortar bomb. allen carried out twelve american casualties while under fire on Mount Tambu. For this gallantry he received the United states silver star.

Mateship forged in battleAustralian General, Sir John Monash, was

the first non-American to command U.S. soldiers in an offensive action – at the Battle of Hamel on the Western front in France in 1918. It was also the American troops’ first offensive action of the First World War. Four American companies were under Monash’s

command, which proved to be a turning point in the Battle of the Somme. In honour of the Americans he was leading, Monash chose 4 July 1918 for the assault on the strategically important town. His precise battle plan was radical for its time – it marked the first time tanks had been used on a battlefield to bring supplies rapidly behind the advancing infantry and the first time aircraft has been deployed to drop ammunition to ground troops.

‘A perfect modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.’- G e n e r a l J o h n M o n a s h

The plan was described as a brilliant success. In only 93 minutes, just three minutes longer than Monash’s plan, all objectives were achieved. The town of Hamel was captured by the Allies. Fourteen Americans were decorated by the British as a result of the battle. Among them was Chicago born Corporal Thomas Pope – who also received the Medal of Honor.

‘His company was advancing behind the tanks when it was halted by hostile machine gun fire. Going forward alone, he rushed a machinegun nest, killed several of the crew with his bayonet, and, standing astride his gun, held off the others until reinforcements arrived and captured them.’- P o P e ’ s c i tat i o n

When he passed away in 1989, Pope was the last surviving US Army Medal of Honor recipient from WW1. Sir John Monash is considered one of the best Allied Generals of the First World War and is Australia’s most famous military commander.

But Hamel is only the beginning of a century-long story. Throughout the 20th century, servicemen and women from Australia and the United States have served side by side, as friends and allies, in every major conflict, from WW1 to Iraq. The fine tradition forged in the mud of the Somme continues into a new century, as Australians and Americans continue to fight for freedom in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

100 years of mateshipAustralia and the United States have fought side by side in every major conflict since 1918.

1914-18 First World War1939-45 second World War1947-91 cold War 1950-53 Korean War1962-75 Vietnam War1990-91 Gulf War i1992-95 somalia2001- War on terror2003-11 Gulf War ii2001- afghanistan 2014- counter-isil in iraq/syria

In 2018 we will commemorate “100 years of mateship”. A unique bond forged in blood and shared sacrifice that endures through mutual respect and shared values.

sir John Monash

chUnchon, Korea 13 June 19531/7518 Captain K. Hatfield, of 3rd Battalion, the royal australian regiment (3rar), sits on the wing of his aircraft and discusses flight plan with pilot Lieutenant J. J. sullivan, Us air Forces prior to take off for an air strike mission on the enemy positions. Hatfield was serving as an air observer with american 6148 tactical control squadron.

soMalia, MaGaDishU 1993sergeant Peter Watson, 1 Military Police company, of rochedale, Qld, at the main gate of the Us embassy with Us Marine lance corporal Darren Moore.

In 2018 we will commemorate “100 years of mateship”. A unique bond forged in blood and shared sacrifice that endures through mutual respect and shared values.

australian corporal Dianne cuttler of the 1 aviation regiment attached to the United states army, seated in the door of a Black hawk medical evacuation helicopter during operations in afghanistan.

In 2018 we will commemorate “100 years of mateship”. A unique bond forged in blood and shared sacrifice that endures through mutual respect and shared values.

a United states military convoy of Bradley tanks drives past leading aircraftman (LAC) Scott Ryan, RAAF Airfield Defence Ground Guard (aDG) while on patrol at Baghdad international airport. Foot patrols were undertaken throughout the australian section of the airport. Part of the raaF combat support Unit, the aDG provided protection to the RAAF air traffic controllers and support staff who operated at Baghdad international airport.

hMas sydney arriving in new York city in support of exercise northern trident in 2009

In 2018 we will commemorate “100 years of mateship”. A unique bond forged in blood and shared sacrifice that endures through mutual respect and shared values.

Honouring our heroes The centenary of the Western front battles of 2018 will be a significant occasion for Australia. From a population of fewer than 5 million, 60,000 Australians lost their lives in the First World War. 45,000 of those were on the Western Front, where Australians were exposed to the front line in enormous numbers. Another 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Their sacrifices, made so early in our nation’s history, helped shape Australia’s modern identity. Our bond on the battle ground also forged an enduring partnership with the United States that would be formalised in September 1951 in the ANZUS Treaty. To this day, the ANZUS Treaty remains the cornerstone of Australia’s national security.

The Australian Government will mark the centenary of the Western front through a series of commemorations, culminating in July 2018.

‘It is an historic event of such significance that it will live forever in the annals of our respective nations.’– G e n e r a l J o h n M o n a s h to Us General Bell about the battle of hamel, 5 July 1918

Background Photo:lae area, neW GUinea. 1943australian troops disembarking from american landing ships, tank (lst), including lst-456, east of lae in preparation for the assault on that town. 20mm oerlikon aa guns are mounted in the bows of the lsts. note the method of stowing fuel drums on the deck of LST-456, ready for rapid jettisoning in case of fire.

Sharing our historyTo continue to highlight the long history of Australia and the US in battle, the Australian Embassy will host as a series of major events, including a “Mateship” gala ball, commemorations and guest lectures in the lead up to 4 July 2018.

Each commemoration will focus on one of the battles in which Australia and the US have fought together side by side over the past century.

2017

28 February 75th anniversary of the Battle of sunda strait (loss of the Uss houston and hMas Perth)

29 april 65th anniversary of the anZUs treaty coming into force (cold War)

4 May 75th anniversary of the Battle of coral sea (WW2)

4 July 99th anniversary of the Battle of hamel (WW1)

9 august 75th anniversary of the Battle of savo island in the Guadalcanal campaign (WW2)

11 september 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the invoking of the anZUs treaty (Global War on terror)

16 september 50th anniversary of the opening of the australian/Us Joint communications facility harolD e holt at exmouth (cold War)

14 october 74th anniversary of the commissioning of the Us navy heavy cruiser Uss canberra (WW2)

2018

17 January 27th anniversary of the commencement of Gulf War 1

16 February 64th anniversary of the australian-american memorial, canberra – symbolising “Comradeship in Arms” during the Pacific War 1941-1945 (WW2)

15 March 75th anniversary of the forming of the Us navy 7th Fleet in Brisbane (WW2)

28 May 50th anniversary of the award of the Presidential Unit citation to Delta company 6rar for “extraordinary heroism in battle” during the Battle of long tan. (Vietnam War)

4 July 100th anniversary of the Battle of hamel (the first 100 years of mateship)

cover Photo:a wounded american (right), waits for an ambulance, supported by an unidentified Australian corporal.

WWi, France, MonUMent WooD. 11 July 1918. australian and american soldiers in a trench examining a German tank trap, filled with powerful explosive, and a periscope of a type much used by the enemy at that time. the tank trap was so devised that any heavy weight upon it would shear two pins and detonate the fuses.