Just six soldiers escaped injury out of more than 200 Otago Regiment soldiers who took part in a diversionary raid on German positions 100 years ago this week at the Battle of the Somme.
Former Dunedin man Evan Everest, of Adelaide, leaves for France today to visit the grave of his great-uncle who died in the July 13-14 raid.
On Thursday, Dr Everest and wife Sandra will place a poppy on the grave of Private James Beale Everest, and on the graves of other Otago Regiment soldiers.
The raid on German positions west of the French town of Armentieres resulted in 54 deaths and 106 injured.
The casualties represented up to a quarter of the first battalion of the Otago Regiment, Dr Everest said.
Little was known about James Everest, who grew up in Dunedin and was 25 when he died, Dr Everest said.
No formal ceremony was planned to mark the centenary.
"These raids have been diversionary tactics that were done by the overall high command to divert the Germans' attention away from the [main action of the] Battle of the Somme, which started about the beginning of July, but that was further south.
"This would have been one of the most costly fights in terms of lives lost for the Otago Regiment during World War 1.
"What a lot of Australians and New Zealanders don't appreciate is the carnage that occurred in the Western Front in northern France.''
Dr Everest, an intensive care specialist who has served in the Australian Army Medical Corp, has visited the grave twice previously.
"It is exceptionally well kept and is incorporated into a small French town surrounded by a school.''
The campaign in northern France tended to be overshadowed by the Gallipoli campaign.
"It's almost been the forgotten war ... we've been concentrating too much on the Anzac campaign.
"The NZ Division remained in this area for three months suffering around 2500 casualties, including 375 killed.
"Most are buried in the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, including a memorial to 47 men who have no known grave.''
James' brother, Frank, had died in the Gallipoli campaign.
Dr Everest's father, Bill (89), of Dunedin, said James and Frank were two of seven Everest brothers in a family of 11 children.
Between them, the Everest brothers served in three major conflicts.
The oldest, Bill, served in the Boer War, and the youngest, Tom, served in World War 2, Mr Everest said.
