Australian Infantry

Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the Commonwealth Military Forces were formed with a small regular army and a larger component of reservists in the Citizens Military Force (CMF). The CMF could not be deployed overseas.

Under the provision of the Defence Act 1903, enlistment for service overseas was voluntary. Australia (and South Africa) remained the only countries in the war which did not resort to conscription.

In 1914 the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was formed. This was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during the First World War. The AIF disbanded 1st April 1921 and then reformed in 1939 for World War II to provide troops for overseas service.

The two AIFs are distinguished by referring to the World War I contingent as the "1st AIF", and the World War II contingent as the "2nd AIF". During World War I, the Australian Flying Corps, the precursor of the Royal Australian Air Force, was part of the 1st AIF.

Members of the First AIF went on to serve in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920 and many Australian First World War Memorials are to the Great War of 1914 to 1919 in recognition of this service.

Of the 290,000 Australians who served during WW1 in the "1st AIF”, approximately 46,000 were either killed in action or died of their wounds. The Australians fought from the first battles of the war through to the last events in 1918 and the Treaty of Versailles.

Australian Infantry

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