Skip to toolbar
  • Home
  • Browse All
  • Search
  • My History
  • Login
  • Upload
  • More
  • Contact Us
  • Featured Sites
  • Login
  • Register
13
Open/Close Toolbox
    Format: Theme
    Linked To
    Theme
    • South Australia at the outbreak of war
    Event
    • World War One
    Photograph
    • Related photograph (7)
    Publication
    • Related publication (7)
    Artwork
    • Related artwork (5)
    Recollections
    Add
    no stories yet
    Tweet this on TwitterShare this on FacebookShare this on LinkedInShare this on TumblrShare this via email
    Tools
    DownloadAdd to My CollectionContact us about thisCitation for this item
    Welcome GuestLogin
    • Help
    • Letters and Diaries
      • -1850
      • 1851-1900
      • 1901-1950
      • 1951-2000
    • Oral History
      • 1951-2000
      • 2001-
      • Living in Woomera
      • S. A. Speaks: An Oral History of Life in South Australia before 1930
      • Treading out the vintage
      • Yara: wisdom of reciprocity oral history project
    • School Resources
    • Themes
      • Emigration to South Australia
      • Exploring Antarctica
      • Federation
      • From clay tablet to iPad
      • Gold Rush and Emigration
      • Sport
      • Time, continuity and change
      • Toys and games
      • Women's suffrage in South Australia
    • Treasures
      • -1850
      • 1851-1900
      • 1901-1950
      • 1951-2000
      • 2001-
      • All treasures
      • Artwork
      • Audio
      • Manuscript
      • Map or plan
      • Object
      • Photograph
      • Publication
      • Video
    • Featured Collections
      • Clara Serena: from Lobethal to the London stage
      • Remember my story: COVID-19
      • Right Wrongs: The 1967 Referendum, Our Constitution and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lives
      • Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, pioneer aviators
      • South Australians at War

    Menu

    • Help
    • Letters and Diaries
      • -1850
      • 1851-1900
      • 1901-1950
      • 1951-2000
    • Oral History
      • 1951-2000
      • 2001-
      • Living in Woomera
      • S. A. Speaks: An Oral History of Life in South Australia before 1930
      • Treading out the vintage
      • Yara: wisdom of reciprocity oral history project
    • School Resources
    • Themes
      • Emigration to South Australia
      • Exploring Antarctica
      • Federation
      • From clay tablet to iPad
      • Gold Rush and Emigration
      • Sport
      • Time, continuity and change
      • Toys and games
      • Women's suffrage in South Australia
    • Treasures
      • -1850
      • 1851-1900
      • 1901-1950
      • 1951-2000
      • 2001-
      • All treasures
      • Artwork
      • Audio
      • Manuscript
      • Map or plan
      • Object
      • Photograph
      • Publication
      • Video
    • Featured Collections
      • Clara Serena: from Lobethal to the London stage
      • Remember my story: COVID-19
      • Right Wrongs: The 1967 Referendum, Our Constitution and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lives
      • Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, pioneer aviators
      • South Australians at War
    Previous: South Australia at the outbreak of World War OneNext: Conscription during World War One

    Recruitment and enlistment

    Details
    Description

    As in the South African war, initially South Australian volunteers flocked to the colours. In the remaining five months of 1914 after the declaration of war, 4,812 men enlisted, and in 1915 a further 13,597 joined. This was the peak. In 1916 the numbers fell to 10,043; in 1917 to 4,298 and in 1918 to 2,209. The total volunteers, 34,597, comprised 38 per cent of the state's men aged 18-44 years, and approximately one ninth of the Australian forces.

    Despite this response, the authorities were not satisfied. In a letter dated 15 December 1915, Prime Minister WM Hughes appealed directly to all eligible men, 'Australia turns to you for help. We want more men. Fifty thousand (50,000) additional troops are to be raised to form new units of the Expeditionary Forces'. The pressure on eligible men to enlist was enormous. This took many forms, including posters, poetry, newspaper editorials and letters, the activities of organisations such as the Win the War League, and pressure from private individuals.

    By 1916 there were insufficient recruits to meet the numbers required for reinforcements. Prime Minister Hughes attempted to introduce conscription through a referendum of August 1916. A majority of South Australians, along with New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland voted no to the proposal. A second referendum of 1917 was also defeated, and enlistment remained voluntary.

    One response of the authorities was to modify requirements for service. Initially only men between the ages of 19 and 38, at least 5 foot 6 inches tall with chest measurements of at least 34 inches were accepted. Many rejected in the first wave of enlistments were later accepted when standards were revised. Victor Voules Brown, a South Australian who served in France, wrote to his father on 22 May 1918:

    My Dear Dad I was sorry to hear that Uncle Will had had news of Douglas Lakie dying in France of consumption Dad there is one of the little arguments come nearer home as regards conscription in Australia Was it right to send that lad to France being in the stage he must have been in With any fair examinations from a fair minded Dr do you think he could have been ligitimately sent into a winter in France.
    I know your views Dad on conscription but Dougs case is one of many more we know of but Australia knows nothing.
     





    Photograph
    Light Horse Regiment

    Light Horse Regiment

    New recruits for the Australian Army

    New recruits for the Australian Army

    Group of Light Horsemen

    Group of Light Horsemen

    Tenth Battalion Officers

    Tenth Battalion Officers

    Soldiers of the 20th Reinforcements, 9th Light Horse, Adelaide

    Soldiers of the 20th Reinforcements, 9th Light Horse, Adelaide

    First Expeditionary Force

    First Expeditionary Force

    Members of the Australian Army Medical Corps

    Members of the Australian Army Medical Corps

    Publication
    Australia's answer to Kaiser Bill : dedicated to Australian loyalists

    Australia's answer to Kaiser Bill : dedicated to Australian loyalists

    Fifty points against conscription : the case in brief

    Fifty points against conscription : the case in brief

    Volunteers or quitters?

    Volunteers or quitters?

    Enlist! Enlist! : keep our wicket up!

    Enlist! Enlist! : keep our wicket up!

    ...Only the brave deserve the fair: postcard

    ...Only the brave deserve the fair: postcard

    The cry for recruits

    The cry for recruits

    Mate ! Be a sport...

    Mate ! Be a sport...

    Artwork
    My daddy bought me a War Loan Bond. Did yours? : World War 1 poster

    My daddy bought me a War Loan Bond. Did yours? : World War 1 poster

    Oppression, freedom : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Oppression, freedom : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Remember ANZAC! : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Remember ANZAC! : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Britain's strong arm and yours will carry us through. Enlist now : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Britain's strong arm and yours will carry us through. Enlist now : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Coo-ee! : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Coo-ee! : World War 1 recruiting poster

    Theme
    South Australia at the outbreak of World War One

    South Australia at the outbreak of World War One

    Recruitment and enlistment
    Relates to
    ThemeSouth Australia at the outbreak of warEventWorld War One
    Recruitment and enlistment. State Library of South Australia, accessed 22/09/2023, https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/13
    Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
    Content on this site may be subject to Copyright, please contact State Library of South Australia before any reuse if you are unsure.
    RECOLLECT is Copyright © 2011-2023 by Recollect Limited | Page rendered in 0.5808 seconds