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The AIF was initially intended for service in Europe. [6] Meanwhile, a separate 2,000-man force—known as the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF)—was formed for the task of capturing German New Guinea. [7] In addition, small military forces were maintained in Australia to defend the country from attack. [8]
The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War I. The First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the Army's main expeditionary force and was formed from 15 August 1914 with an initial strength of 20,000 men, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany.
The 28th Battalion came into existence on 16 April 1915 when it was raised at Blackboy Camp, in Western Australia.Formed as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), an all volunteer formation raised for overseas service during the First World War, the 28th Battalion's first batch of volunteers came from personnel who had originally been allocated to the 24th Battalion. [1]
About 2,100 women served with the 1st AIF, mainly as nurses. 18% (61,859) of those who served in the AIF were killed or died. The casualty rate (killed or wounded) was 64%, reportedly the highest of any country which took part in World War I. The AIF remained a volunteer force for the duration of the war—the only British or Dominion force to ...
Meanwhile, as the war continued overseas the AIF sustained heavy losses, and although it expanded considerably during the war, with the voluntary recruitment system unable to replace its casualties by 1918 most of its units were significantly undermanned.
The 1st Pioneers were raised in Egypt, on 10 March 1916, from volunteers drawn from New South Wales who were subsequently assigned to the 1st Division. [1] [2] The battalion was formed in the aftermath of the failed Gallipoli campaign when the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was expanded as part of plans to transfer it from the Middle East to Europe for service in the trenches along the ...
On 14 September Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that 40,000 members of the Militia would be called up for training and a 20,000-strong expeditionary force, designated the Second Australian Imperial Force, would be formed for overseas service. Like its predecessor, the Second AIF was a volunteer force formed by establishing entirely new ...
This force was known as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and it was used to fight overseas in Europe and the Middle East, while the militia remained in Australia on home service. Nevertheless, many members of the militia joined the AIF and were allocated to AIF units on a territorial basis.