Bullecourt: the search for tanks with Alex Sotheran

Find out about the excavations at Bullecourt, one of the key tank battles in WW1 from archaeologist Alex Sotheran

The plan given to Australian commanders for the First Battle of Bullecourt (10-11 April 1917), relied on a "surprise concentration" of tanks that would lead the infantry advance without the support of artillery bombardment. In the event not all the tanks arrived and those that did were quickly knocked out. Amazingly, the Australian infantry broke into the strong defences of the Hindenburg Line, but not surprisingly they were unable to hold their gains. The Australian war correspondent Charles Bean, who was assigned the role of official historian during the war, wrote that,

"Bullecourt, more than any other battle, shook the confidence of Australian soldiers in the capacity of the British command; the errors, especially on April 10th and 11th, were obvious to almost anyone."

This talk focuses on recent (2017, 2018 & 2019) excavations at Bullecourt, in France where Mark II tanks attacked German positions whilst supporting Australian soldiers in 1917. The site was excavated and revealed some surprising and clear evidence for the tank attack which over turned the previous commentary about the battle. The project was also staffed by volunteers made up of ex-forces veterans suffering from various physical injuries and PTSD and helped their recovery through the Operation Nightingale programme of archaeological works.

About the speaker:

Since 2003 Alex has been involved with excavations in Belgium and France on First World War battlefield sites, which have also included the recovery and naming of soldier’s remains. This work has also seen him involved with the MoD programme of works under the Operation Nightingale banner, which involve introducing veterans suffering from physical and mental injuries to archaeology as a pathway of recovery.

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