I have posted the story below on behalf of my father , he told me about Villers Bretonneux and I would like to thank them , I have also passed the story on to other people in the burnt out areas . I was one of the firefighters working inside the fire storm on the 7th of February , and in a small way got a sense of what the ANZACs and the local population when through on a daily bases during WWI and WWII . I don't know how anyone could ever get over the experience if they survived . One day I hope to visit Villers Bretonneux for myself . Ian Shiel Mernda Victoria Australia

In April this
year (2009) , while we were staying at Peronne in the north of France, we visited
Villers Bretonneux, a town liberated by Australian soldiers at the end of
World War 1. For this reason the townsfolk have a great affinity with
Australia Australians. Especially as the local school, that was
completely destroyed during the war, was rebuilt with money that was a gift
from the school children of Victoria. When we visited the school we were
amazed to see a huge banner reading RENCONTRES AUSTRALIENNE ' Share the
Australian Spirit' hanging across the front of the building. A wide
variety of wooden sculptures of Australian animals, and, pictures of
Australian places, like Sydney Harbour, Ayres Rock the Seven Apostles,
decorated the Assembly Hall where the Australian flag hung beside the
French flag. On the large shelter shed at the side of their asphalt
playground, written in bold letters is "DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA" .
We were told, very proudly, that recently the community of the school had
raised 4,500 euros ($9,000 approx) to be sent to aid the two schools
destroyed in the Victoria fires.
Park Shiel Somers Victoria Australia

A museum of the Australian forces in France during the First World War, housed in the Villers-Bretonneux schoolhouse, the building of which was funded by the state of Victoria in the 1920s.