IT’S the greatest story never told, according to Pozieres Remembrance Association president Barry Gracey.
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And he has been travelling the country to sell bricks, raising money to build a memorial for those Australian soldiers who died in the six-week Battle of Pozieres during World War I.
Mr Gracey is going all out to sell 7000 bricks, the number of Australian soldiers who were killed at Pozieres.
“As well as 7000 killed, 16,000 were wounded,” he said.
“There were 4116 bodies not found because they were destroyed by artillery.”
Mr Gracey, from Coffs Harbour, said there was no memorial for these fallen soldiers and he found it hard to understand why they had been forgotten for so long.
He is so passionate about honouring them, he will sell his house if not enough money is raised this year.
The ex-serviceman was a warrant officer Class 2 when he retired in 1996 — after more than 28 years, some of them spent at Bandiana.
“About 13 per cent of Australian men who died in World War I were killed at Pozieres,” Mr Gracey said.
Next year will mark 100 years since the Battle of Pozieres.
It started on July 23, 1916, and some of the war’s fiercest fighting raged until September 3.
Mr Gracey plans to have the memorial built for next year’s commemoration.
He has been working to sell the bricks for about four years but so far has been disappointed.
He has managed to win the support of only 13 federal and 23 state politicians — four in NSW, three in Victoria, five in Queensland, six in Western Australia and five in Tasmania — despite sending all of them letters with a plea for help.
“In the past 99 years, these men have become forgotten, with all attention thrown on Gallipoli, Villers Brettonneux and Fromelles,” he said.
Victoria Cross recipient Albert Borella was one soldier who fought in the Battle of Pozieres, along with Berrigan soldiers Private Edward James Powell and Private John Samuel Butcher.
He hoped people on the Border would honour these soldiers by buying a brick for $50 to make sure the memorial project becomes a reality.
Those wanting to support Barry’s cause can visit pozieresremembered.com.au.