On April 24th, Myriam Boisbouvier Wylie, accompanied by her 2 interns, Estelle and Mary, attended the annual commemoration of  the Villers-Bretonneux Battle at the Shrine of Remembrance.

French Flag in the middle

As per every year, the Friends of the 13th and 15th Brigades of Australia commemorate the battle of Villers-Bretonneux in which they stopped the German advance in 1918. Indeed, it’s by a surprise attack during the night from 24 till 25 April 1918 that the 13th and 15th Australian Brigades took back this village from the hands of the Germans. This victory played a pivotal role in the defeat of the German army and the end of the First World War.

After the laying of a wreath and the traditional minute of silence in honor of the war victims, the French and Australian national anthems were sung. The children of Strathewen Primary School also attended the ceremony. In 2009, after the devastating fires in Victoria, there had been a fundraising from the municipality of Villers-Bretonneux to rebuild their playground, a matching gesture to the one done 100 years before, when the children of Victoria had raised monies to build the School Victoria in Villers-Bretonneux.