The Military History Society of NSW

Military History Society of NSW group visit to the Australian Army Infantry Museum, Singleton, 29 September 2019 The latest event in the Society’s excursion program was a group visit on Sunday, 29 September 2019 to the Australian Army Infantry Museum at Singleton, 200 kilometres north-west of Sydney. A sizeable party of Society members climbed aboard the private bus driven by our President in York Street, Sydney CBD at 8:00 am. The chilly morning turned into a beautiful spring day as we proceeded up the Pacific Highway and other routes to arrive at Singleton just before 11:00 am. The museum is located alongside Lone Pine Barracks, an Australian Army base hosting the Australian Army School of Infantry and other army support services. On arrival we were treated to a warm reception from the AAIM’s assistant manager Warrant Officer Warren Barnes, who led us on an informative and entertaining tour of the facility.  The museum has a long history. Starting as a

The Somme campaign between July and November 1916 is widely regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in British and Imperial military history, costing a total of 420,000 casualties, around 57,470 of those on the first day alone. The causes of the disaster have been examined and re-examined ever since, but a few myths persist in the popular imagination. Having studied the offensive closely, Major John Hitchen (Australian Army Reserve) will challenge some of the common misconceptions. Amongst other things, he will discuss governance of the British Empire’s defences, omissions of political and military leaders, foibles of some officers at General Headquarters (GHQ), lost opportunities to monopolise the acquisition of Maxim machine guns, techniques to clear barbed wire obstacles, recruitment and training of personnel in the use of artillery, and British training in general, particularly of officers. Time & Venue: Saturday, 5 October