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create a very strong bond and a sense of bravado. Boxing matches
between units strengthened the sense of unity between our troops.
The two to three week journey and its secret mission heightened
expectations as the troops sailed from any Australian state capital to the
Middle East through the Mediterranean Sea to southern France then to
either the Australian base at Armentieres in France or for more training
in England.
It should be noted at this time that most of our local soldiers enlisted in
1916 and had therefore missed the horrors of Gallipoli, where our
troops had been evacuated in December, 1915. Any soldier involved in
Gallipoli and arriving on the Western Front was aware that the heavy
artillery of the Western Front had a greater determinant on fashioning the
development of the “Anzac Legend” and the need to stick together in
terrible times.
While today we celebrate Anzac Day on the anniversary of the landing at
Anzac Cove, “Nigel Steel, senior historian at the Imperial War Museum
in London argues persuasively that many of our Anzac legends and
attitudes came from the Western Front, not Gallipoli - they were
“retrofitted onto the earlier conflict.” Nick Miller - The Sydney Morning
Herald 23-24th April 2016. I would agree.
In addition, to these strong bonds the AIF saw Egypt and Europe as
places of an exotic nature to be enjoyed; an adventure that separated
their mentality and practises from “professional” and “ disciplined”
European conscript armies.
The Australians, therefore gloried in recognition and a larrikinism that at
times separated them from the staid and disciplined practises of the other
British soldiers and allies of other Commonwealth countries.
Charles Bean, the official Australian reporter, had been aware of a
general dislike of the upper class British generals making decisions that
affected Australian soldiers. By contrast English soldiers, the majority of
whom had been brought up to consider themselves inferior, socially and
mentally, to their officers, were more pliant. In contrast, an Australian
soldier believed he was as good as his master, and in many cases “better
than their British leaders”.
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