Coordinates: 50°36′25″N 2°51′21″E / 50.6069°N 2.8558°E / 50.6069; 2.8558

Fromelles is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. In 2004 it had a population of 907; its inhabitants are called Fromellois. It is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the west of Lille.

The village of Fromelles was captured by advancing German forces on 9 October 1914 during the "Race to the Sea". Throughout almost the whole of the war, the front line was stable, running through the territory of the commune and leaving the inhabited area in German hands. The Battle of Aubers Ridge was fought in the area to the northwest of the village on 9 May 1915 as part of the Second Battle of Artois.

The Battle of Fromelles on 19–20 July 1916 was the first occasion on which the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) saw action on the Western Front. The battle is widely regarded as a disaster for the Allies, and has been described as "the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history." It resulted from a plan to divert German attention from the Battle of the Somme, but historians estimate that 5,500 Australians and 2,000 British troops were killed or wounded. The Australian losses were equivalent to the combined total Australian losses in the Boer War, Korean War and Vietnam War: although later World War I actions would be more deadly for the AIF, Fromelles was the only one to achieve no success.

Henry Victor (2 October 1892 – 15 March 1945) was an English-born character actor. Raised in Germany, Victor is probably best remembered for his portrayal of the strongman Hercules in Tod Browning's 1932 film Freaks. He originally was a leading figure in UK silent films. Later in his career, he mostly portrayed villains or Nazis in both American and British films with his trademark German accent. He died at 52 of a brain tumor. He is buried in Chatsworth, California at the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery.

Victor Edward Willis (born July 1, 1951) is a singer, songwriter, actor; and most known as the original lead singer of the disco group Village People. His persona was the Cop and Naval Officer.

The son of a Baptist preacher, Willis developed his singing skills in his father's church. With training in acting and dance, he went to New York and joined the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company. He appeared in many musicals and plays, including the original Broadway production of The Wiz in 1976 and subsequently, the Australian production.

Willis also had written and recorded several demos of music in the mid-1970s and was eventually introduced to French disco producer Jacques Morali. Morali, who dubbed Willis the "young man with the big voice", approached Willis and said, "I had a dream that you sang lead vocals on my album and it went very, very big".

Willis agreed to sing lead and background vocals under the auspices of Village People, a non-existent concept group which included the hits "San Francisco (You've Got Me)" and "In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)". The album became a huge hit in the burgeoning disco market. After an offer from Dick Clark for the group to perform on American Bandstand, Morali and Willis were pressed to develop a "real" group around Willis to perform live. They did so by placing an ad in music trade papers for "macho" singers who "could also dance" and "must have a mustache".