 The Battle of Aubers Ridge was fought in the area to the northwest of the village on 9 May 1915 as part of the Second Battle of Artois.The Battle of Fromelles on 19–20 July 1916 was the first occasion on which the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) saw action on the Western Front.The battle is widely regarded as a disaster for the Allies, and has been described as "the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history."