[Osprey Men at Arms 478] • The Australian Army in World War I

The Australian contribution to the Allied war effort during World War I is worthy of celebration. Some 400,000 Australians volunteered for active duty, an astonishing 13 per cent of the entire (white) male population, a number so great that the Australian government was never forced to rely on conscription. Casualties were an astonishing 52 per cent of all those who served, ensuring that the effects of the war would be felt long after the armistice. In particular, their epic endeavours at Gallipoli in 1915 became the nation's founding legend, and the ANZACs went on to distinguish themselves both on the Western Front, and in General Allenby's great cavalry campaign against the Turks in the Middle East. Their uniforms and insignia were also significantly different from those of the British Army and will provide the inspiration for a unique set of artwork plates.