The Bailey Bridge at Amiens, France

The Bailey Bridge is an iconic military bridge that was designed by Sir Donald Bailey in the 1930s and brought into broad scale use by the British Army in 1942. It was described by General Dwight D Eisenhower as the one device that shortened World War II because it could be rapidly assembled, in the face of the enemy, and was able to carry heavy loads such as tanks in a very short space of time.It is a bridge that is made up of component pieces that can be assembled using simple hand tools and the strength of soldiers to assemble the pieces together. The component pieces of the bridge are fastened together with pins and bolts.The symbolic icon of the Corps of Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is a bridge otherwise described as the “Lazy E” as it looks like the letter E turned on its side. This is worn on the combat uniform of every Sapper in RAE.Members of the 1st Field Squadron Association researched the background to the Corps of Australian Engineers in 2013 and were stunned by the evidence that demonstrated the outstanding contribution to WWII made by their forebears. There was no monument to these Sappers to honour and recognize their service. So, a monument was needed and the design of it was an easy decision. It would be a bridge. A bridge that looked very military. A Bailey Bridge!Three locations for such a monument were selected which are Amiens in France (due to historical reasons), Amiens Queensland and Anzac Park Toowong in Brisbane.The monument in Anzac Park Toowong was built by Sappers from the 7th Combat Engineer Squadron based at Enoggera and the bridge in Amiens France by Sappers of the 3rd Regiment du Genie.Join Lieutenant Colonel George Hulse OAM (Retd) as he discusses the reasons behind the monument to WWII Australian Engineers and shows the component pieces of the Bailey Bridge at Amiens in France, its construction and some amusing information contained in its background story.After the talk, visitors are invited to explore the Memorial Galleries, embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.

Image of Bailey Bridge memorial at Amiens, France. Photograph courtesy of Lieutenant Colonel George Hulse OAM (Retd).