Lamotte-Warfusée: The First Village Liberated by Australian Forces

On 8 August 1918, the villages of Warfusée-Abancourt and Lamotte-en-Santerre (now Lamotte-Warfusée) were the first two villages to be liberated by the Australian Army Corps. The ‘Green Line’, the offensive’s primary objective, lay to the east of both villages.

Sheltered by thick fog, the Australians, accompanied by tanks, managed to liberate the villages by 7.00 am. Taken by surprise, the Germans offered little resistance. Nearly 1,200 prisoners were taken, whilst the Australians lost 150 men.

Although there had been no preliminary bombardment to maintain the element of surprise, both villages lay in ruins after five months of German occupation and fighting.