2014 Australians at War - The Western Front Red Poppy 50 cent Uncirculated Decimal Coin

The Western Front was the major battle zone for British and Dominion Forces during the First World War and the location for many of Australia’s greatest contributions to the war effort.

The Western Front was an unbroken stretch of land running 760 kilometres from the English Channel near Ostend, Belgium, to Belfort, France.

This narrow war zone was the site of many gruelling battles, fought back and forth often to acquire as little as a few inches of land at a time. Here, Australian troops spent three years fighting Imperial Germany.

They fought at Fromelles, Pozières and Mouquet Farm on the Somme in 1916. In 1917, they pursued the Germans to the Hindenburg Line, and fought them in a third battle of Ypres in Belgium. In 1918, they defended the city of Amiens, battling alongside American troops at Hamel. The last Australian action of the war was at Montbrehain on 5 October 1918.

Dr Peter Pedersen, author of Anzacs on the Western Front said, “The Western Front has always stood in Gallipoli’s shadow,” despite many of Australia’s greatest contributions to the war occurring there.

Part of the Royal Australian Mint’s Official Anzac Centenary Coin Program and the Australia at War Program.