Historical Information (Wikipedia)

The memorial is on the site of a windmill on the northern edge of Pozières village.

From 27^th September 1914 the German Army arrived in Bapaume and fought the French Army down the main road towards Albert during the next few days. Blocking the way to Albert, the French managed to hold off the advance of the 26th and 28th Reserve Divisions in this area. The German Army stopped its further advance a few kilometres south of Pozières on the main road at the village of La Boisselle. With the high ground at Pozières securely behind its forward line the German Army here had magnificent views of the countryside for 360 degrees.

During 1915 and into early 1916 the German divisions in this sector of the Somme battlefield constructed a fortified Front Line between the villages of Gommecourt, Beaumont-Hamel, Thiepval, La Boisselle, Fricourt, and Mametz to Curlu on the Somme river. An Intermediate Position consisting of barbed wire defences and strongpoints was constructed behind the Front Line, and behind that a Second Position was built up. This Second Position comprised a series of strongpoints and observation points on good sites of high ground.

The windmill on this high ground was used from September 1914 as a German field artillery observation post and command post. The views were magnificent to the front and rear of this position. The site was built up as a strongpoint just to the north of the fortified village of Pozières.