Parliament House Canberra ACT 2602
Telephone 02 6277 7820 Facsimile 02 6273 4140
The Hon Alan Griffin MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
VA103
Friday 7 November 2008
BILATERAL SUPPORT FOR HONOURING AUSTRALIANS ON THE
WESTERN FRONT
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, today met with French Secretary of State for
Veterans’ Affairs, Jean-Marie Bockel, to reaffirm the two nations’ strong relationship and
commitment to commemorating Australian service on the Western Front.
In France for activities marking the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, Mr Griffin
said he was pleased to meet with Mr Bockel to discuss key Australian projects on the Western
Front including an annual Anzac Day service at Villers-Bretonneux.
Mr Griffin said discussions on opportunities to raise awareness of the service and sacrifice of
Australians on the Western Front were welcomed by Mr Bockel.
“The Western Front is a major part of our wartime history. Some 295,000 Australians fought in
France and Belgium between April 1916 and November 1918 in a campaign where more than
46,000 Australians lost their lives,” he said.
“This year more than 5000 Australians gathered at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-
Bretonneux for the first Australian-led Anzac Day Dawn service, an activity that I am pleased
will now be an annual event,” he said.
“The cooperation of the people of France, both nationally and locally, has been imperative to
ensuring this event continues and I thank them for their continued support.”
Mr Griffin said he had raised the issue of the new Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at
Fromelles and noted that the French authorities and local communities had been very
accommodating.
Ministers Griffin and Bockel will attend the re-dedication of the Australian Corps Memorial at Le
Hamel on Saturday 8 November.
Editor’s Note: Background information on Remembrance Day, Australia in the First World War,
the Australian Corps Memorial and the Battle of Le Hamel, is available from
Media inquiries: Laura Ryan 0437 863 109
The VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a
week on 1800 011 046.
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