ENLISTMENT

When Australia became involved in World War I, patriotism was so high that there was no necessity for any recruiting organisation to function with the Defence Department. During 1914 there were 52,561 men who enlisted, and of this number, 31,881 had embarked for overseas service. This number actually exceeded the total envisaged as Australia's contribution in manpower when the war began.

Recognition for Australian soldiers had come in the Gallipoli campaign of April 1915, and it led to a remarkable increase in the numbers recruited around the Commonwealth. For the last five months of 1914 the average had been 10,512, but the figure had dropped back to 8,913 in March 1915. After Gallipoli, figures for the next three months were:
                      May            12,526
                      June            12,505
                      July            36,575

This latter figure was the highest for any month during the war, but as 1915 wore on the Australian Government stressed the need for more men to enlist