On July 4, 1918, a united Australian Corps supported by American infantry surprised the Germans at the village of Le Hamel near Amiens in a 93-minute battle that cemented the reputation of Australian commander General John Monash.

Germany suffered substantial losses of around 2000, including 1600 prisoners captured.

Australian casualties were light compared with earlier battles - about 1400 dead and wounded.

Monash's meticulously planned assault combined infantry, armour, artillery and aircraft, and was a sign of things to come.

The commander went on to lead the Australian Corps in a succession of triumphs, culminating in the Armistice on November 11, 1918.

Joan Glastonbury, 75, of Adelaide, is among those to have made the journey to France ahead of Wednesday's ceremony at the Australian Corps Memorial in Hamel.

Her grandfather William Drummond was 28 when he fought at Hamel and was awarded a medal for his courage and initiative under fire.

"I really wanted to honour him by coming to this one hundredth ceremony and I've been planning it for a couple of years," Ms Glastonbury told AAP.

"I think it'll be a very emotional day."

Brisbane teacher Kristine Broadway's great-uncle Robert Bowness survived the battle only to be killed by a German shell the following day, aged 22.

The exact location of Private Bowness' final resting place remained a mystery until 2011, when a grave in nearby Villers-Bretonneux was identified as his.

One hundred years after the young soldier's death, a tombstone bearing his name will finally be laid at the grave in a separate formal ceremony on Wednesday.

"It's very special for our family," Ms Broadway told AAP.

"I think about my great-grandmother and great-grandfather and it's going to be wonderful that a family member is going to be there because they never had that resolution."

Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove will head a delegation of Australian dignitaries at the Hamel ceremony on Wednesday.

Australian Associated Press