The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt have been brought to life in a special presentation at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross.
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Journalist and author Ross Coulthart discovered the stunning photographs of Australian World War I soldiers in a French farmhouse 10 years ago.
Along with artist George Petrou, who created the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt Exhibition, currently on display at the museum, Coulthart took guests on a special journey into the discovery.
He told of the hunt across northern France for the rumoured treasure trove of antique glass photographic plates.
Husband and wife Louis and Antoinette Thuillier lived in the town of Vignacourt, not far from the front lines of the Western Front.
“It was realised you could not keep men in the frontline of trench warfare for more than seven to eight days before they’d break,” Coulthart said.
“No one could withstand the artillery bombardments, the machine gun fire and of course the cold.
“They needed a quick and easy way to rest. Britain and Australia developed a reserve area, a rest area if you like at Vignacourt. There was also a big military hospital there.
“So Aussies troops would come and go. They would come in from the front line, get new uniforms, have a bath, rest and recuperate and then head back into battle.”
Looking for a way to make some extra money, Louis and Antoinette Thuillier set up a photographic business and would take photos of the Diggers and their mates.
Many of the photos were sent home to loved ones as postcards.
“The haunting images show Diggers enjoying a brief respite from the horror of the trenches,” Coulthart said.
Many had their portraits taken for a lark, for a keepsake or to send to loved ones.
Word of the collection came to light in the mid 1980s.
French amateur historian Laurent Mirouze tried to alert the Australian Embassy in Paris and British historians to the collection's existence but inexplicably, his approaches were ignored.
He even published an article in a military magazine, but nothing happened.
The most exciting moment of my life.
- Ross Coulthart
In 2010, more pictures surfaced in a British newspaper, which sparked the interest of Coulthart and Channel Seven’s Sunday Night to try and find the lost photos.
Through dogged perseverance the collection was eventually found in an attic of a French farmhouse in three trunks.
Described as a treasure trove, the find included almost 4000 glass-plate negatives depicting British, French, Australian, US and Indian soldiers, Chinese Labour Corps, and French civilians.
“It was incredible,” Coulthart said.
“The house was due to be sold. The owner told us there was nothing there but we asked to have one last look.
“As we climbed the stairs to the attic we were met with a wall of World War II jerry cans. With the camera crew we managed to empty the space.
“And there, way in the back of the attic, where Antoinette had left them in grief after the death of her beloved Louis were the three treasure chests.
Way in the back of the attic, were the three treasure chests.
- Ross Coulthart
“The story really was preposterous but we opened the chests and there they were - thousands of glass plate negatives.
“We looked even further in the attic rafters and found a canvas roll, the backdrop to so many of the photos.
“We knew we had found the missing collection. It was the most exciting moment of my life.”
Many of the photographs were of soldiers from the 1st and 5th Division in November and December 1916, survivors of the carnage of Pozieres and Fromelles.
In just four days at Pozieres, 5285 Australian soldiers were killed or wounded.
Included in the collection was a photo of Victoria Cross winner Joe Maxwell.
The incredible story of the discovery went to air on Seven. A Facebook page for the Lost Diggers was also set up.
“We had no idea how we were going to figure out a way to identify who were in the photographs,” Coulthart said.
“We put them all up on Facebook and had more than 14.5 million page views and within a short period of time tips started coming in. Families were identifying people in photos.”
Coulthart released a book The Lost Diggers about the discovery and has since released a second edition.
I put a modern spin on them, with some artistic licence but at the same time being respectful of these amazing people
- George Petrou
Artist George Petrou first came across the exhibition of The Lost Diggers at the Australian War Memorial.
He said Coulthart’s book, which brought many of the amazing stories of the Diggers to life, inspired him to paint some of the portraits.
“I contacted Ross and we spoke about some of the work I had done and he agreed to let me paint, to do something, put a modern spin on them, allowing me some artistic licence but at the same time being respectful of these amazing people,” Petrou said.
The result is the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt Exhibition which is currently on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Following the presentation, Brian Kenny and Nowra RSL Sub-Branch secretary and Digger Day co-ordinator Rick Meehan spoke about their recent French Battlefield pilgrimage and the planned 2018 trip.
- The Louis and Antoinette Thuillier Collection of The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt have been donated to the Australian War Memorial by Kerry Stokes on behalf of Australian Capital Equity Pty Ltd.