To date, any inquiries have met with a dead end, so it is hoped that someone reading this article may recognise either one or other in the photo, which was found in a local op shop.

Britain declared war on Germany at 11pm on August 4, 1914, British time. The Australian Government immediately pledged its support and proposed an initial force of 20,000 men.

With more and more men needed to fight overseas during the Great War, the Commonwealth Government was always mounting advertising campaigns to fill the quotas needed to ship over as reinforcements.

Most of the young men had not been too far from the Bathurst district. Many had not even seen the ocean, let alone sailed overseas.

This meant that many viewed the idea of war as an adventure and an opportunity to fight for “king and country”.

Enlistments at Bathurst took place at the Army Drill Hall in Durham Street.

The young men would then be sent for an initial medical and would fill in a form with personal details such as age, height, complexion, eye and hair colour, next of kin and religion.

Having passed the local requirements, enlistments would be given a rail pass for Sydney, where a final medical was probably carried out at Holsworthy Army Camp. He would receive his pay book and be assigned an Imperial Infantry Force number.

The men lived under canvas, usually eight men to a tent. As much of a uniform would be issued as was available as Australia was not ready for war initially.

They were issued a grey flannel shirt and a four-pocket woollen tunic. Rising sun badges were affixed to each collar.

Khaki cord breeches (trousers) made of wool came to mid-calf down the leg. From this point, soldiers wrapped their puttees – they were wrapped around their calves like a bandage to help stop mud, water and stones getting into their boots, however, they were not that effective.

The men soon found out that their breeches tended to hold water if they got them wet and could be extremely heavy, weighing up to 44lbs.

The men found the hobnail leather boots a bit hard to get used to until they were broken in.

Each man was issued with a SMLE short magazine Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle that could have been made at Lithgow Small Arms Factory, though there were shortages of these too in the early days of the war.

Initial training began, but how much depended on troopship arrangements. Some men received just a week’s training, however, further training was given upon reaching England.

By the time they reached the front, they had also been issued with a steel helmet and a small pack which they carried on their back containing rations of bully beef and dry hard biscuits and extra ammunition.

A gas respirator in a canvas carry pack was on their chest and they had a small gas cape which the men would roll up at the back and which could double as a raincoat.

Most men carried a cast-iron entrenching tool, while every man had a water canteen which held two pints of water.

The volunteers were sent from Sydney as reinforcements and set sail on a troop convoy from Sydney Harbour bound to fight the enemy.

Many were never to return, with more than 60,000 Australian lives lost.

A further 156,000 were wounded and gassed, and more became prisoners of war.

If you have information about the photo featured in this article, please phone Alan McRae on 6331 5404.