Hangard Wood is a locality south of

Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway. Villers-Bretonneux bord ...

northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It was the site of

Hangard Hangard () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The commune is centered on Hangard village. Gallery File:Hangard.JPG, saint-Martin Hangard File:Map commune FR insee code 80414.png, Map of the commune Ge ...

village and a battle in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The battle of Hangard Wood was part of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

offensive

Operation Michael Operation Michael was a major German military offensive during the First World War that began the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was t ...

, in the Arras - St-Quentin-La Fére sector of the Somme fought in March 1918. The battle of Hangard Wood was more specifically part of the larger second battle of Villers-Bretonneux, fought between

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

/ Australian/French and German armies. The

second battle of Villers-Bretonneux The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (also Actions of Villers-Bretonneux, after the First Battles of the Somme, 1918) took place from 24 to 27 April 1918, during the German spring offensive to the east of Amiens. It is notable for being the ...

on the 24th of April 1918 was significant as the first tank on tank battle in history, and the

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

was shot down 21 April. Today the wood lies adjacent to a British cemetery, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and known as Hangard Wood British Cemetery. The Australian Remembrance Trail
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John Croak John Bernard Croak VC (May 18, 1892 – August 8, 1918) was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry "in the f ...

VC is buried there. File:Map commune FR insee code 80414.png, Map of Hangard

Units involved in the battle

173rd Infantry Brigade (Great Britain) * 2/2nd Battalion London regiment * 2/4th Battalion London regiment *

4th Division (Australia) The Australian 4th Division was formed in the First World War during the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) infantry brigades in February 1916. In addition to the experienced 4th Brigade (previously in the original New Zealand ...

12th Brigade (Australia) The 12th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army. Formed in 1912 as a Militia formation, it was later re-raised in 1916 as part of the all volunteer First Australian Imperial Force that was raised for overseas service during the Fir ...

5th Brigade (Australia) 18th Battalion (Australia) *

19th Battalion (Australia) The 19th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although the unit's numerical designation was bestowed upon it during World War I, the unit can trace its origins back to 1860 when a Volunteer Rifle corps was raised in South ...

20th Battalion (Australia) * 33rd Battalion (Australia) *

34th Battalion (Australia) The 34th Battalion was an infantry unit of 1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which was established in World War I for overseas service. Formed in Australia in 1916, the battalion fought on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919. I ...

35th Battalion (Australia) The 35th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in late 1915 for service during the First World War, the battalion saw service on the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in 1919. In 19 ...

36th Battalion (Australia) The 36th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force during World War I. Throughout World War I the battalion served on the Western Front as part of ...

* 1st Moroccan Infantry Division (France) *

13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF The 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was an active service battalion during the First World War. History The battalion was formed from volunteers from the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (The ...

Victoria Cross recipients

Percy Storkey Percy Valentine Storkey, VC (9 September 1893 – 3 October 1969) was a New Zealand-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonw ...

Herman James Good Herman James Good (29 November 1887 – 18 April 1969) was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awa ...

Military Medal recipients

* John Charles Barnett

References

{{coord, 49, 50, 18, N, 2, 30, 34, E, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Battles of the Western Front (World War I) Villages in France