Groomed for War

One of the many myths about Australia’s involvement in World War I is that when the call to battle sounded in 1914, the cream of the nation’s manhood responded enthusiastically. Droves of young volunteers rushed to the battle standard, militarily naïve and innocent, unfamiliar with weapons and battle skills. Those with previous experiences of gun handing and shooting tended to come from the farms and bush, skills developed in the contexts of rural life and work.