After being evacuated to Egypt the AIF was expanded to five infantry divisions, forming part of the I and II ANZAC Corps, which were committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front in March 1916.

[7] Yet despite significant reorganisations of the post-Federation Army in 1903 and 1906, the force-in-being was increasingly seen as dysfunctional and inadequate, suffering from perceived institutional problems regarding structure, command, and administration, as well as limited financial resources, lack of modern equipment, and poor training.

[21] Steps had also been taken to expand the pre-Federation network of coastal defences to provide protection against raids from Japanese or German warships prior to World War I.

"[27] Within days, Brigadier General William Bridges and his staff officer, Major Brudenell White, had completed plans for the creation of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).

[31][Note 2] During the precautionary stage on 2 August 1914 prior to the outbreak of war, Citizen Forces units were called up to guard key infrastructure and essential points and man coastal forts and harbour defences.

[53] Due to the provisions of the Defence Act 1903, which precluded sending conscripts overseas, upon the outbreak of war it was realised that a totally separate, all volunteer force would need to be raised.

After being evacuated to Egypt the AIF was expanded to five infantry divisions, which were committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front in March 1916 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

[89] Predominantly a fighting force based on infantry battalions and light horse regiments, the AIF had a high proportion of close combat troops to support personnel.

[94] Regardless, the AIF mainly relied on the British Army for medium and heavy artillery support and other weapons systems necessary for combined arms warfare that were developed later in the war, including aircraft and tanks.

[95] Although operationally placed at the disposal of the British, the AIF was administered as a separate national force, with the Australian government reserving the responsibility for the promotion, pay, clothing, equipment and feeding of its personnel.

[96] The AIF was administered separately from the home-based army in Australia, and a parallel system was set up to deal with non-operational matters including record-keeping, finance, ordnance, personnel, quartermaster and other issues.

[109] The Australians first saw combat during the Senussi Uprising in the Libyan Desert and the Nile Valley, during which the combined British forces successfully put down the primitive pro-Turkish Islamic sect with heavy casualties.

[111] Following this victory the British forces went on the offensive in the Sinai, although the pace of the advance was governed by the speed by which the railway and water pipeline could be constructed from the Suez Canal.

[117] I ANZAC Corps subsequently took up positions in a quiet sector south of Armentieres on 7 April 1916 and for the next two and a half years the AIF participated in most of the major battles on the Western Front, earning a formidable reputation.

[126] Individual actions took place at Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and Passchendaele and over the course of eight weeks of fighting the Australians suffered 38,000 casualties.

[135] The offensive continued for four months, and during the Second Battle of the Somme the Australian Corps fought actions at Lihons, Etinehem, Proyart, Chuignes, and Mont St Quentin, before their final engagement of the war on 5 October 1918 at Montbrehain.

[143] The position of Chief of the General Staff (CGS) had been established in 1909 and was responsible for maintaining the war organisation of the Army, preparing defensive plans, the training and examination of officers, and the collection and interpretation of intelligence.

[166] Meanwhile, in the years prior to the war basic defence industries had been established in Australia for the production of uniforms, webbing, boots, small arms and explosives and ammunition.

[167] Despite this, the majority of the equipment initially issued came from British Army stocks until Australian production was able to be increased to meet the demand that resulted from rapid military expansion at the start of the war.

[168] Although Australia had a relatively limited industrial base during the war, it was ultimately able to supply the majority of the Army's more simple requirements; however, the remainder of the more complex equipment had to be purchased from suppliers in Britain.

[174] In time though these shortfalls were overcome, and as additional AIF divisions were raised the Australian field artillery was also expanded and was equipped from British Army depots on their arrival in France in 1916.

[175] The pre-war Australian Army uniform formed the basis of that worn by the AN&MEF and the AIF, which both adopted the broad-brimmed slouch hat and rising sun badge.

[188] Pre-war planning had largely seen the Australian Army focus on defending the continent from invasion with a relatively small force, and as a result any future war was thought to likely be a highly mobile one.

During the stop over at Palm Island the men went ashore almost every day, and although the shingle beach, rocky ground and bush made the terrain unsuited to tactical manoeuvres, they were able to practice maintaining contact in dense jungle, a skill which later proved important during the fighting at Bita Paka.

Ultimately though this lack of training did not end up being costly as German resistance proved only limited, with the fighting over in less than a day and resulting in fewer than a dozen Australian casualties.

[82] While the AIF's initial senior officers had been members of the pre-war military, few had any substantial experience in managing brigade-sized or larger units in the field as training exercises on this scale had been rarely conducted before the outbreak of hostilities.

These formations were later sent to the United Kingdom and were absorbed into a large system of depots that was established on Salisbury Plain by each branch of the AIF including infantry, engineers, artillery, signals, medical and logistics.

[198][199] Like the British Army, the AIF sought to rapidly pass on "lessons learned" as the war progressed, and these were widely transmitted through regularly updated training documents.

[223] Meanwhile, following the end of hostilities in November 1918, the role of the AN&MEF in the former German colonies in New Guinea had become primarily one of civil administration, although it continued to provide a garrison for the next two and a half years.

[225] Despite the AN&MEF having seen no further action following the initial seizure of the colony, in the years that followed the climate and a range of tropical diseases, such as malaria, had resulted in dozens of fatalities before the deployment concluded.