First World War home front and the recruitment drives for Australian Imperial Force
At the outbreak of war in August 1914 the Australian Government pledged a force of 20,000 Australian troops in support of Britain, with more to follow, while the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was immediately placed under the command of the British Admiralty.
Thousands of men rushed to enlist. So early in the war the newly formed Australian Imperial Force (AIF) could impose high physical standards for recruits. Only the fittest of the early volunteers were accepted, and in the first year of the war, almost one-third of volunteers were rejected. As the war progressed and casualties mounted, these standards were relaxed.
Many men from country areas travelled hundreds of kilometres to enlist, by themselves, with a group of friends or, in some cases by joining marches in the war’s middle years. Almost all of these marches began in New South Wales country towns, the original group picking up additional volunteers as they walked hundreds of kilometres to major cities like Sydney. Many others presented themselves at recruitment depots in cities and towns around Australia.
About 50,000 Australians joined the AIF in the first four months of the war and around 4000 joined the RAN. Between April and October 1915 a further 100,000 Australians enlisted.
In towns across the country, farewell functions were held to say goodbye to the ‘boys’ who were leaving for training camps and eventually the front. Speeches were made, and gifts given, as communities shared their hope that those who were being farewelled would return.
At Weld Hall in Busselton, Western Australia, people gathered to farewell Dudley Anderson and Vernon Bovell. The local paper reported the mayor’s words of farewell:
'Just as they were obedient footballers in years past, he knew they would prove valuable soldiers. The wish, or perhaps the prayer, of the people of Busselton was that God would protect her boys, and bring them safely home again covered with glory’.
Dudley and Vernon would never return to Busselton. Dudley died of wounds in a military hospital in Egypt in May 1915 after sustaining a gunshot wound at Gallipoli on 25 April, and Vernon, although also wounded at Gallipoli one week later, was killed in action in the Ypres sector on the Western Front in September 1917.
First Convoy
In the week leading up to October 1914, transports carrying troops from the eastern Australian states and New Zealand left for Albany, where the first AIF and New Zealand Expeditionary Force assembled and began the long voyage to the war. The voyage to Albany from the east coast took up to a week. The Queensland ships had been docked in Melbourne for almost a month before finally leaving for Albany.
This beautiful seaside town on the West Australian coast would be the last sight of Australia for thousands of departing servicemen and contingents of nurses. This first convoy comprised 38 transports, including 10 from New Zealand, most of which left Albany on 1 November 1914, though two transports departed from Fremantle the following day to join the main body of the convoy in the Indian Ocean. Together they carried some 21,500 Australians, 8,500 New Zealanders, and 12,000 horses and equipment.
This first troop convoy to leave Australia was provided with a strong naval escort due to the threat posed by enemy warships of Germany’s East Asia Squadron (including the light cruiser SMS Emden). The Allied naval escort comprised the cruisers HMAS Sydney (I)’ HMAS Melbourne (I), HMS Minotaur and the Japanese battle cruiser HIJMS Ibuki.
Private Archie Barwick of the 1st Infantry Battalion AIF, who served with this battalion throughout the war, was wounded in action three times, and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre in July 1918 for conspicuous service on the Western Front. He recorded impressions of his departure from Albany when he wrote:
“... all that day we watched the Australian coast fading away, till darkness shut it out, and when we got up in the morning we were out of sight of land, and nothing but the calm blue sea all around us, like a sheet of shimmering glass, and at last we felt we were fairly on the way to England.”
Most of those aboard were not used to being at sea and initially suffered sea sickness. Nevertheless, they were occupied by the routines of military life including daily exercise, cleaning and guard duties, and drill. Those aboard transports with horses were kept occupied caring for the horses.
Diary entries, letters home, the newsletters printed on the transports, and a photograph here and there further illustrated what life was like for those making the voyage via Albany for overseas service.
Previously a draper, D’Arcy Johnson enlisted on 17 August 1914, at 24 years of age. He joined the 7th Infantry Battalion and embarked aboard HMAT A20 Hororata in Melbourne on 19 October 1914. In letters, D’Arcy described life aboard the ship, including the sleeping arrangements – ‘At 7 we swung hammocks, of course, we sleep in the hammocks,’ what they ate – ‘we have boiled mutton, beef and stew, beans, potatoes and soup’ and what they did to pass time – ‘the soldiers occupy their time playing games, but gambling is not allowed, as they have military police all over the ship watching’. D’Arcy was killed in action on the Western Front 16th/17th May 1918.
For a few who enlisted, Albany was their final destination. Private Leslie White enlisted on 22 August 1914, aged 19. He was posted to the 1st Light Horse Regiment and sailed from Sydney to Albany in His Majesty’s Australian Transport (HMAT) A16 Star of Victoria on 20 October 1914. On arrival off Albany, Private White was found to be suffering from typhoid fever, so on 31 October was sent ashore and admitted to hospital. Despite the care of the local doctors and nurses, he developed meningitis and passed away on the morning of 12 November 1914.
Although originally destined for training camps in Britain, the first convoy was ordered to Egypt. The main body of the convoy arrived off Suez on 1 December. From there they sailed from Port Said to Alexandria, where the first transports to arrive commenced unloading troops and horses on 3 December 1914.
Second Convoy
The second convoy comprised 17 vessels, along with the RAN submarine AE2, which was towed across the Indian Ocean by the former auxiliary cruiser, now converted troopship, HMAT A35 Berrima. This convoy included three New Zealand transports as well as several former enemy ships seized in Australian harbours at the outbreak of the war, renamed and placed in Australian service.
This second convoy did not require the naval escort as the threat from German surface raiders had been largely eliminated.
Sixteen ships of this convoy departed Albany on 31 December 1914 and were joined by a transport from Fremantle two days later. This second convoy carried some 13,000 Australian and New Zealand troops, and more than 5,000 horses.
The ships of the second convoy entered the Suez Canal on 29 January and arrived at Port Said in Egypt shortly after. They departed at various times on 31 January for Alexandria where the first troops were disembarked on 1 February 1915.