World War I Service
(L to R) George McPhail (courtesy Roger Freeman, Hurcombe's Hungry Half Hundred, 1991), Joseph McQueen and George Bickerstaff (courtesy State Library of South Australia ref. B46130/241) and Lewis Grant.
The First World War was declared in Australia on 5 August 1914, less than one month after the fourth contingent of boys arrived in Adelaide. Plans for further shipments were immediately cancelled.
Unable to travel back to Britain, the boys were obliged to enlist with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) if they wished to serve in the War. There is a strong likelihood that many enlisted to return home for good - see the 1914 drought page and article titled ‘Homeward bound?’ in the April 2008 edition of Wartime.
Approximately 128 or 74% of the farm apprentices enlisted in the AIF - their regimental numbers are recorded in the database. Most of the remainder were underage, unfit for service, or possibly stayed behind to serve on the home front.
A few soldiers maintained their correspondence with the Immigration Officer during the War. As James Pettigrew put it, they all experienced 'enough to last me the rest of my life'.
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