The Unseen Anzac: how an enigmatic explorer created Australia's World War I photographs by Jeff Maynard

Author:Jeff Maynard [Maynard, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BIO006000, HIS027090, BIO023000, PHO011000, BIO001000
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Published: 2015-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

THE PHOTOGRAPHS March–April 1918

The German Spring Offensive

The Defence of Amiens

Wilkins’ photographs of the retreat of the British Fifth Army, the confusion that followed, and the defence of Amiens start at E01834 and continue to E01887. Then there is a break in the order, and the photographs that follow include many from September and October 1917. The defence of Amiens resumes at E01920; but, from then on, photographs from the previous year and from before the German offensive are mixed with the photographs of March and April 1918.

Wilkins went looking for the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company, which was assisting the retreat by blowing up bridges, roads, and ammunition dumps (E01886).

He also located the AFC Flying Squadrons Nos. 2 and 4 as they tried to slow the German advance by dropping bombs. E01877 to E01883 is a series of photographs of the squadrons.

Despite the confusion as hundreds of thousands of troops moved hurriedly about the countryside, Wilkins still took the time to frame his shots and record the names of the men. An example is E01951, where he photographed a line of engineers moving to the front to defend Amiens. E02026 to E02044 show the Anzacs during April, as they dig in to defend Amiens.

The German airman Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, was shot down on 21 April. Wilkins witnessed the dogfight, and saw Richthofen’s plane descend. He hurried to the scene, and photographed the wreckage (E02044). A few days earlier, he had managed to photograph shrapnel bursting in the air beside an AFC RE8 plane (E02038).

E01934 shows a farmhouse used by the AWRS. Bean and Joyce are among the men standing out front. During April, artist Will Dyson often travelled with Wilkins, sketching scenes. The two were to become close friends. Dyson can be seen inspecting damage in E02107, and sketching in E02437 and E02439.

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