1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 1922  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/01/1922   
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AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENTS


1. General. - In previous issues of the Year Book an account was given of the composition, etc., of the Australian contingents despatched for service in the New Zealand and Sudan Campaigns, in South Africa, China, and the Great War of 1914-18 (see Official Year Book No. 12, pp. 1019 et seq.). Owing to limits of space, however, this information has not been repeated in the present issue.

2. Australian Troops (Great War).- (i) General. The troops despatched from Australia for service in the various theatres of the Great War numbered 329,883.

(ii) Percentages of Enlistments at each Age. The percentage at each age at enlistment of those who embarked for service overseas was as follows, viz:-


ENLISTMENTS - PERCENTAGE AT EACH AGE
Age at
Enlistment
Percentage
Age at
Enlistment
Percentage
Age at
Enlistment
Percentage
18
7.08
28
3.85
37
1.54
19
7.69
29
3.5
38
1.37
20
8.30
30
3.15
39
1.22
21
8.92
31
2.84
40
1.06
22
7.78
32
2.58
41
0.95
23
6.73
33
2.33
42
0.87
24
6.03
34
2.13
43
0.86
25
5.33
35
1.92
44
0.98
26
4.72
36
1.73
45
0.29
27
4.25


At the date of the Armistice approximately 210,000 members of the A.I.F. were abroad, and by June, 1920, the whole of these troops, with the exception of certain personnel remaining for hospital treatment, educational and other purposes, had been returned to Australia. On the 31st March, 1921, the Australian Imperial Force practically ceased to exist with the exception of 150 members of the Graves Service A.I.F. Cadres in Europe and the East. At that date the remaining members of the A.L.F. in Australia, chiefly hospital patients, were discharged and transferred to the Repatriation Department.

(iii) Casualties. The number of casualties announced by the Defence Department to the 31st March, 1922, was as follows

CASUALTIES IN AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE TO 31st MARCH, 1922
Particulars
All ranks
Deaths from wounds or disease
(a) 59,342
Casualties from wounds or gas (gross total)
166,819
Sick (gross total)
87,957
Casualties not specified
(a) 218
Total
314,336

(a) These figures represent actual net totals after all corrections consequent upon erroneous and later advice, etc., have been taken into account. The wounded and sick represent totals reported by cable and are in excess of the actual number of men affected, because many were admitted to hospital more than once.

(iv) The Expeditionary Force in the Pacific. The operations against the German colonial troops resulted, within two months, in the capture of the whole of the enemy's possessions in the Pacific. All former German islands south of the Equator (except the Samoan group) are now occupied and administered by the Commonwealth. Those north of the Equator are under Japanese administration.

(v) The Australian Nary in the War. In Year Book No. 12, pp. 1025 et seq., an account was given of the part played by the Australian Navy in the War, but owing to limitations of space it has not been possible to reproduce this matter in the present issue.

(vi) Honours and Decorations. Honours and Decorations were awarded to members of the Australian Imperial Forces as follows :-V.C., 65: G.C.M.G., 3: K.C.M.G., 9: C.M.G., 149: K.C.B., 9: C.B., 42: K.B.E., 2: C.B.E., 33: O.B.E., 125: M.B.E., 99: D.S.O., 619: R.V.O., 2: R.R.C., 147: M.C., 2,366: D.C.M., 1,756: M.M., 9,926: M.S.M.,1,176: A.M., 3: D.F.C., 58: A.F.C., 16: A.F.M., 2: French, 343: Serbian, 84: Belgian, 430: Russian, 25: Egyptian, 34: Montenegrin, 10: Italian, 37: Rumanian, 31:American, 17: Portuguese, 2: Hellenes, 18: Japanese, 1.

(vii) Engagements in Various Theatres of War. The Australian Imperial Forces were engaged in the following important actions in the various theatres of war, 1914-1918, viz.:-


1914
Capture of German New Guinea.


1915
Defence of Suez Canal: Operations in Western Desert: Mersa Matruh: Gebel Medwa-Landing at Anzac: Gaba Tepe: Krithia : Chessboard : Quinn's Post: Defence of Anzac : Walker's Ridge : Lone Pine : Sari Bair : Hill 60 : The Evacuation.


1916
Halazin: Bir el Jifjafa : Katia : Bir Salmana : Romani: Bir el Abd : Bir el Mazar : El Arish : Magdhaba-Fromelles : Pozieres : Mouquet Farm : Flers: The Somme.


1917
Rafa : Gaza : Beersheba : Tel el Sheria : Ramleh : Ludd : Jaffa : Jerusalem-Stormy Trench : Le Barque : Thilloy : Malt Trench : Grevillers: Bapaume : Beaumetz : Lagnicourt : Noreui l: Doignies : Boursies : Hermies : Demicourt : Bullecourt : Messines : Nieuport : The Windmill : Menin Road : Polygon Wood : Broodseinde : Passchendaele.


1918
Jericho : Jordan Valley : Es Salt : Jenin : Nazareth : Acre : Haifa : Amman : Damascus : Beirut-Dernancourt : Morlancourt : Villers Breto neux : Hazebrouck : Strazeele : Ville-Sur-Ancre : Hamel : Merris : Meteren : Amiens : Vauvillers : Lihons : Etinehem : Proyart : Herleville : Bray : Clery : Mont St. Quentin : Hindenburg Line : Le Verguier : Beauvoir : Le Catelet : Nauroy : Montbrehain : Landrecies.

A specially selected unit was also engaged in the expedition to Baku. In addition a small unit of the flying Corps, and wireless sections, were engaged in Mesopotamia. A small force went to Archangel and the Murman Coast in 1918, and details of the Army Nursing Staff were engaged in Salonica.