More than 5,000 Australians made their way to the Australian National Memorial to attend ANZAC Day commemorations at Villers-Bretonneux in 2008. The special Dawn Service on 25 April marked the significant 90th anniversary of the battles on the Western Front that led to the Armistice.The local communities of Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt have remembered those Australians for many years who fought to recapture and defend their villages against German forces 90 years ago. ANZAC Day commemorations are held annually on the closest Saturday to ANZAC Day. It was on 26 April 2008 at the Australian National Memorial, the town centres of Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt, and at the Australian “Digger” Memorial on the Bullecourt village outskirts. The Australian Embassy in Paris and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs support the local commemorations and the details of these are available on the website closer to ANZAC Day.
The Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux in 2008 was a special commemoration to remember the counter-attacks by Australian forces on 24-25 April to liberate the town of Villers-Bretonneux. The response to the service was very positive and it is clear that Australians would welcome the opportunity to honour our 295,000 First World War servicemen and women who served on the Western Front, and the 46,000 who died, at future ANZAC Day Dawn Services at the Australian National Memorial. The following outline programs have been agreed with the local communities for 2012.
ANZAC Day Programme in Villers-Bretonneux:
The Prime Minister, has given a commitment to holding an annual Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux, and the following outline programs have been agreed with the local communities for 2012 ANZAC Days.
25 April, Wednesday 2012:
05:30 - ANZAC Day Dawn Service Commences at The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux
10:00 - ANZAC Day Community Service at The French Monument in the town centre, next to the Town Hall.
