The Battle of Fromelles - until recently largely forgotten in the accounts of Australia's experiences in World War One - remains the single bloodiest day in terms of numbers of soldiers killed, wounded or missing, in Australia's military history. The battle now is also one of the most controversial military episodes in Australian history. Unsurprisingly, Australians in the Twenty-First Century find the loss of over 1,700 soldiers killed in one 24 hour period confronting. Inevirably, some have reacted by seeking to find individuals to blame or accusing authorities of a 'cover up'. The commanders during the battle, especially senior British commanders, are always a tempting target. Long dead and unable to defend themselves and clearly from a different age in which attitudes and social values are removed from our own, they are an easy target, especially to modern day critics who have never served in the military, let alone been in command of troops under enemy fire.