following this, it moved to belgium where it saw service on the hindenburg line, participating in the battles at messines and polygon wood in 1917. in early 1918, it assisted in the repulse of the major german offensive on the western front following the collapse of russia. on the morning of 24/25 april 1918—anzac day—the battalion took part in an allied counter-attack at villers-bretonneux, in france, where they suffered 389 casualties in two days of fighting. following this, the 51st battalion took part in the last major allied offensive of the war—the hundred days offensive—between august and september 1918. after that the battalion, along with the rest of the australian corps, was removed from the line having been severely depleted and suffering manpower shortages and it was out of the line training when the armistice was declared on 11 november 1918, effectively bring an end to the war.