Bapaume church

Following the German Army's strategic withdrawal from the Somme in early 1917, British forces advanced cautiously towards the new German defensive positions. These were dotted along what was known as the Hindenburg Line, named after Germany's then Chief of the General Staff, Paul von Hindenburg. On entering many of the towns and villages that the German Army had evacuated Allied soldiers were confronted by scenes of sabotage and destruction. Building and infrastructure that had hithertofore survived artillery and aerial bombardment was destroyed by the withdrawing army so as to frustrate the progress of the Allied troops and to deny them any material assistance.

In Bapaume, the withdrawing German troops had even planted a timed explosive that detonated just before the Australians entered the city. Dyson's serene portrayal of the destruction and devastation that greeted the Australians at Bapaume conveys a sense of melancholy far removed from the the sense of achievement many of the soldiers expressed on finally reaching the city.