PM Transcripts

TEL: 11. Nov. 92 14: 47 No. 019 P. 01/ 01
PRIME MINISTER 1123/
STATEMENT BY THlE PRIME MINISTER, THE HION P J KEATING MP
COMMEMORATIVE MISSION TO FRENCH BAT1TLEFIELDS
On this anniversary of Armistice Da I am pleased to announce that the Federal
Government will fund a commemorative mission to the French battleficlds in 1993.
1 envisage this journey involving a number of FirstWorld War veterans as a national
tribute to the sacrifices of Australian service personnel.
The visit, likely to take place in August or September next year, will be a forerunner to the
anniivcrsary of thc end of the First World War, in November 1993.
Thbousands of young Australians participated in WWI, and therefore thcrc was a great
impact on most Australian families. The casualty ratc was very high, particularly in France
in the final years of the war.
Of the 313,000 soldiers who embarked from Australia, 53,00X) died in France and
Belgium. About 18,000 have no known grave.
Because of the success of the pilgrimage to Gallipoli in 1990, we now propose that a
limited number of veterans travel to theSomme, an area where Australians fought with
valour in 1918. The number might be of the order of onc or two from each Statc. The
delegation would be accompanied by administrative and support staff.
Thc mission will coincide with the anniiversary of Australian attacks onMiont St -Quentin.-
and Peronne in 1918. This fighting is held by many historians and Australian veterans to
be a brilliant action which effectively removed five German Divisions from the fighting. It
resulted in 3,000 Australian casualties.
It is expected that the group will also travel to Ville rs-Bretonneux and Bullecourt, where
Australian veterans have longstanding links with the French people.
This year's Fedcral Budget provided $ 2 million for support of military commemorations
for the period 1992-3 to 1995-6.
CANBERRA November 11, 1992