Just 90 minutes from Paris you can find yourself exploring the battlefields of the Western Front – Flanders Fields, the Ypres Salient, and the Somme. Today, the picturesque countryside is peaceful and the European towns and villages full of great food and culture, but marks from the Great War are never far away. Australian battlefield historian Mat McLachlan, founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, is a regular on the Western Front, and has shared some stories of the Olympian Anzacs who served in France and Flanders so close to the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics stage.
Mat McLachlan said: “This month marks some significant anniversaries in Anzac history, and this history includes incredible stories of Australian Olympians. August 2024 is the 110th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI (August 1914), as well as the anniversary of Australia’s first enlistments to serve – with Olympian Anzac Keith Heritage credited as being the first Australian to enlist. Olympian Anzac Thomas James ‘Rusty’ Richards also enlisted in August 1914 and was among the Anzacs who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, remaining at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December 1915 before serving on the Western Front. August also marks the anniversary of Australia’s most famous Olympian Anzac, Cecil Healy, being killed in action on the Western Front (29 August 1918).”
“In total, 40 Olympians enlisted in WWI – this includes Australian Olympians who competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, and those who returned and went on to compete in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics,” said Mat McLachlan.
“A visit to the Western Front to uncover the stories of the Anzacs on the very ground the served is an incredible experience, which also allows you to connect with the modern culture of northern France and Flanders and enjoy delicious cuisine, and of course, Belgium beer. One of my favourite places to visit is the town of Ypres in Flanders (Belgium) with its medieval town square surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops – as well as its nightly Last Post service under the Menin Gate. It’s hard to believe that a century ago this town with it’s incredible Cloth Hall was completely destroyed, and then completely rebuilt after the Great War,” Mat McLachlan added.
Olympian Anzac stories Cecil Healy (28 Nov 1881 – 29 August 1918), a freestyle swimmer from Manly, NSW won silver in the 100 metre freestyle at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, and gold together with his Australian teammates in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay. He enlisted for WWI in 1915 and served on the Western Front (Flanders and northern France). On 29 August 1918, just 74 days before the end of the war, Healy was killed in action near Peronne on the Somme. In the 1912 Olympics, Healy could have gone home with two golds, with the USA team – including race favourite Duke – initially disqualified from the 100m freestyle after failing to turn up for the semi-finals. But Healy refused to swim without the Americans and protested until the Olympic Committee relented. After US Duke Kahanamoku won the gold, he declared Healy the “the true Olympic champion” and this is still recognised as one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship ever seen at the modern Olympics. Keith Heritage (16 September 1882 – 26 July 1916), a rower from Tasmania, was in the crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup at the Royal Henley Regatta in 1912, and was selected as reserve for the rowing eight at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Heritage is credited as the first Australian to volunteer for WWI in August 1914 and took part in Australia’s very first action of WWI on 11 September 1914 in Rabual, New Guinea. He served at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front, where he received a Military Cross a month before he was killed in July 1916. Thomas James ‘Rusty’ Richards (29 April 1882 – 25 September 1935) was an international rugby player for Australia and part of the London Olympic 1908 gold-medal winning team. He enlisted for WWI in August 1914 at the outbreak of the war and landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. As part of the 1st Australian Field Ambulance, Richards was a stretcher bearer evacuating wounded and was at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December 1915. In March 1916, Richards was sent to the Western Front and served in Flanders and France. Richards was awarded the Military Cross for bravery and in May 1918 he was invalided and eventually returned home to Australia.
Sydney Albert ‘Syd’ Middleton (24 February 1884 – 2 September 1945) excelling in both rugby and rowing and representing his country at the Olympics in both sports, winning a gold medal as part of the London 1908 Olympics team. Syd enlisted in May 1915 and served at Gallipoli, then France and Flanders – including in the battles of Menin Road and Poelcappelle, among many others. He was a distinguished soldier whose service in WWI brought great praise for leadership and bravery. After the war, Syd was summoned to Corps Headquarters and tasked with keeping the hundreds of soldiers busy with sport while they waited to be repatriated. As the Secretary and Organiser of the AIF Sports Council, Syd organised various sporting competitions throughout 1918-19, the two years it took Australia to repatriate its soldiers back home.
Mat McLachlan and his team of historians have been leading Australians to the battlefields of the Western Front to connect with this history since 2007, visit www.battlefields.com.au. Or, tune into Mat McLachlan’s Living History podcasts and YouTube documentaries.
