With Guts and Bayonets

Australians and Americans on the hindenburg line 1918

Yves Fohlen

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With Guts and Bayonets describes the Hindenburg Line battles of 1918, when the newly-arrived and untried Americans went into action. In support were the battle-weary Australians of the 3rd and 5th Divisions who were supposed to act only as a support force. The Americans were too eager and their failure to mop up behind them left their rear vulnerable. Inevitably, the Australians had to save the situation but between the two armies, they broke the German defence line.

The 'Diggers' and the 'Doughboys' had a mutual liking for each other, both having similar characteristics of independence and dash, and their co-operation was to be repeated just 24 years later.

Yves Fohlen is a Frenchman who writes about WW1 Australians, and now Americans, at war in northern France. He was born in Morocco in 1961 and is now a war historian, author and battlefield guide. He has proved of immense value to Australian historians and visitors and has been given the title of 'The Most Aussie Frenchman'.

Yves comes from a military family and his own service was with the French Navy in Senegal, Africa. His parents made him aware of the sacrifices that the British, Australian and American Forces made in both World Wars and instilled in him a deep gratitude and admiration for the 'Aussie Diggers' in particular. He has tremendous knowledge of the Australian battles in France, particularly in his own Picardy area. His earlier book, He Came From Australia, was about Lieutenant Percy Ralph, MM, 53rd Battalion.