History - World War I - Year 9 - CGGS Library at Canberra Girls Grammar School

World War I

From 'Unidentified men of the Australian 5th Division enjoying a cigarette and rest by the side of the Montauban road, near Mametz, France, while en-route to the trenches', courtesy of the Australian War Memorial, n.d. (https://anzac100.initiatives.qld.gov.au/remember/western-front/index.aspx)

Life in the Trenches - Imperial War Memorial
Source: ANZAC Centenary Queensland
The Western Front, a 400-plus mile stretch of land weaving through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea, was the main location of the clash of powers during the First World War. Whichever side won there – either the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) or the Entente (Britain, France, Russia and their allies) – would be able to claim victory. Despite the global nature of the conflict, much of the world remembers the First World War through the lens of the Western Front. Read through the resources below to learn more about this theatre of war.
Letters to home from the First & Second World Wars - National Library
It goes without saying that during the First and Second World Wars, letters were extremely meaningful. Both for those overseas serving their country and for everyone back home, they were a way of sharing news and staying connected from miles apart. Today, looking back on these letters can help us understand the feelings and experiences of the time, in a different, more personal way. In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few of these letters, and one postcard, that have made their way into the Library’s collection.

Click on the tabs below to access information on each topic.

Background information & Secondary Sources

Add to your knowledge and understanding of the fighting in World War I on the Western Front in Europe and in other theatres such as the Middle East (theatre = area in which important military events occur).

Where Australians served during WW1 - Anzac Portal
Battles of the Western Front in France and Flanders - The Long, Long Trail
This website has a list of all the battles of the Western Front, with links to study resources about each battle.

Western Front

Western Front: World War I and Australia - State Library of NSW
Great site - Start here:
This website links to a number of great primary sources about the Western Front and is a great place for further research.
The Western Front – National Archive of Australia
This resource has primary sources. There are also sources for nurses and First Nations people.
History of the Western Front - ANZAC Centenary
The Western Front Campaign is often said to be one of the darkest periods of the First World War. In March 1916, after Gallipoli, the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) were sent to France to the conflict on the Western Front, where the war was bogged down in trenches and mud. Read through this resource to learn more.
Australians on the Western Front 1916 to 1918 - Anzac Portal
Over 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front between March 1916 and November 1918. Of those service men and women, 46,000 lost their lives and over 130,000 were wounded. Battle conditions were so dire that more than 18,000 of the fallen had no known grave. Read through this website to learn more.
Australia on the Western Front - ANZAC Centenary
The Western Front, which ran across the industrial regions of France and Belgium, was one of the most important battlegrounds during the First World War. It is where great battles were fought and where more than 295,000 Australians served between March 1916 and November 1918. Read through this website to learn more.
The Western Front - Alpha History
The Western Front was a 700-kilometre frontline, running from the North Sea coastline to the Swiss border and passing through (at various times) Belgium, north-eastern France and southern Germany. It was the main theatre of fighting in World War I and was the location of several major battles, including the Somme, Verdun and Passchendaele. Read through this website to learn more.
The Western Front - DK FInd Out
This website is an interactive guide to life serving on the Western Front.
Australians in wartime - Anzac Portal
Make sure you search for WW1 sources/information. The conflict dropdown menu may help you limit search results.

Wilfred Owen - Poetry Foundation
Wilfred Owen, who wrote some of the best British poetry on World War I, composed nearly all of his poems in slightly over a year, from August 1917 to September 1918. Read about him here.
Biographies - Anzac Portal
Click on the service person's photo to gain insight into their life and service in World War I.

The Western Front Diaries of Charles Bean by Charles Bean; edited by Peter Burness
Call Number: 940.43 BEA
ISBN: 9781742235868
Publication Date: 2018
Australia's official First World War correspondent Charles Bean saw more of the Australian army's activities and battles on the Western Front than anyone. Bean's private wartime diaries, held by the Australian War Memorial, form a unique and personal record of his experiences and observations throughout the war and were the basis of his monumental twelve-volume official war history. While his diaries relating to the Gallipoli campaign have been published in four editions, Bean's Western Front diaries are published here for the first time, edited by esteemed historian Peter Burness, and accompanied by over 500 incredible photographs, sketches and maps.
Somme Mud by Will Davies; Edward P. Lynch
Call Number: 940.4 LYN
ISBN: 9781741664522
Publication Date: 2010
Beautifully presented young readers' edition of the bestselling memoir of a young soldier on the First World War's Western Front. 'It's the end of the 1916 winter and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can't escape it, not even by dying.' Private Edward Lynch was just 18 when he enlisted in the army. When he returned to Australia almost three years later, he wrote Somme Mud, a vivid account of the horrific realities of trench warfare from an ordinary infantryman's point of view- the traumatised soldiers and ravaged landscapes, the curious mixture of hatred, empathy and admiration for the equally naive enemy soldiers, the disillusionment and the camaraderie. Lynch's candour and down-to-earth wit make Somme Mud engaging for any reader, while archival photographs, a full glossary and editor Will Davies' explanatory chapter introductions make this edition an illuminating text for students. As well as a memoir of one man's experience of war, Somme Mud is an evocative record of the language and attitudes of early twentieth century Australia.

The Military Conflict, 1914-18 – The National Archives
Provides both primary and secondary sources. Click on the images of primary sources to enlarge them. Click on the hyperlinked text to access additional resources.

A brief history of the Australian Army by Revised by Ian Finlayson
Call Number: 994 FIN
ISBN: 9781925520552
Publication Date: 2017
n overview of campaigns in which the Australian Army has been involved.
In Part 3 there is a chapter on the Western Front

WW1 Primary Sources Guest Lawrence Eshuy
WW! Causes, Course and Consequences.
This resource includes diary entries, images and other primary sources.
Western_Front_Source
From the book 'Experiences of the Great War 1914-1918 by Susan Johnston.
Various pages focusing on the Western Front.

The Boys Who Came Home: recollections of Gallipoli by Harvey Broadbent
Call Number: 940.425 BRO
ISBN: 9780733308734
Publication Date: 1990
In this book, the author persuaded the 'boys who came home' from both sides of the conflict to remember: to recall the horror, confusion, hardship, courage and humour of a campaign that is still marked nationally.
Last Man Out: a personal account of the Gallipoli evacuation by Louise Park
Call Number: 940.42 PAR
ISBN: 9781742036427
Publication Date: 2023
The evacuation from Gallipoli of Australian and New Zealand troops was a logistically incredible undertaking. The exhausted young men were to slip away by ship in the dead of night. But…Someone needed to remain behind to cover for their fellow soldiers. This was a mission that almost certainly meant death. Would it be you? Would you volunteer to be the last man out? And so, the rivalry begins. Who will be chosen to stay on until the end? Who will hold fast to the last to allow tens of thousands to slip away silently from Gallipoli? Only the fittest, the most gallant and capable will be chosen. The pick of the whole force, we are told. And the message is clear: the rear guard of honour will be killed or captured. The rear party, the most daring men of all, doomed. John Alexander Park grew up in England and served in Africa, the Afghan War, and the Boxer Rising before settling in Australia. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 sparked The Great War -- or World War I. On 1st March 1915, John joined the Australian Army in Sydney and was promoted to Sergeant before being assigned to the 19th Battalion. He was 36 years old and a seasoned serviceman when he arrived at Gallipoli. And he was the last man out.
War Diaries: A Chaplain at Gallipoli - the Great War Diaries of Kenneth Best by Gavin Roynon (Ed.)
Call Number: 940.42 BES
ISBN: 9780857202253
Publication Date: 2011
Padre Kenneth Best sailed with the 42nd East Lancashire Division to Gallipoli in early May 1915. He witnessed first hand the experiences of the Allied troops, which he describes through the pages of his extraordinary diaries.
Gallipoli 1915 by Richard Reid
Call Number: 940.42 REI
ISBN: 9780733310720
Publication Date: 2002
This book presents photographs from Australia's major archival collections. These images, often taken by the soldiers themselves, combined with illustrations created for the metropolitan newspapers, were the images responsible for creating the public memory of Gallipoli back in Australia. There are also moving extracts from soldiers letters and diaries, along with official dispatches of war correspondents present at Gallipoli.

First World War: Gallipoli - National Archives of Australia
This includes primary sources such as photographs and letters.
Gallipoli Campaign 1915 - Anzac Portal DVA
Gallipoli - World War I and Australia Research Guides - State Library NSW
This site contains background information and primary sources.

Nurses Experience in WWI

Nurses who served in World War One were exposed to the physical and mental strain of dealing with the huge number of casualties from the battles. Once a nurse enlisted, they had no choice but to serve for the duration of the war unless they got badly injured or married.

More than 3 000 Australian women served as nurses during World War One.

Most of the nurses served with the Australian Army Nursing Service, although some served as Royal Australian Navy Nurses and some served with allied organisations such as the Red Cross and Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service.

Nursing in World War I - Centenary of ANZAC
A group of unidentified officers, nurses and men of the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station - AWM
Diaries and letters of WWI nurses tell of the horrors and bravery of women who volunteered - ABC News
This ABC article provides an interesting overview of the contributions and experiences of five nurses who served in the Great War.
Western Front - National Archives of Australia
This has primary sources, including sources for nurses.

Devotion : stories of Australia's wartime nurses by Robyn Siers
Call Number: 994.04 SIE
ISBN: 9781877007835
Publication Date: 2013
Devotion explores the contribution and courage of Australian nurses in conflicts and peacekeeping operations from the Boer War to the present. Look for information on the WW1 experience. It features stories and images from the Memorial's rich collection, along with questions for discussion, a map and timeline.
Anzac Girls: An Extraordinary Story of World War I Nurses by Peter Rees
Call Number: 940.4 REE
ISBN: 9781760110062
Publication Date: 2008
Using diaries and letters, Peter Rees takes us into the hospital camps, wards and tent surgeries on the edge of some of the most horrific battlefronts in human history. But he also allows the friendships and loves of these courageous and compassionate women to enrich their experiences, and ours. There are accounts of nurses' experiences at Gallipoli, the Marquette and the Wester Front.

'I want to scream and scream': Australian nurses on the Western Front were also victims of war - The Conversation
This article talks about the different experiences of nurses during WW1. “Nurses were not warriors - they were caregivers. But they too suffered trauma as a result of their service.”

Australian women at war by Patsy Adam-Smith
Call Number: 994 ADA
ISBN: 9781760062637
Publication Date: 2014
When Patsy Adam-Smith wrote Australian Women at War in 1984, her aim was to tap into the memories of all the 'brave, modest, forgotten women' while they were still alive, in order to honour them. Now, for the first time, this iconic volume is republished for an entirely new generation of readers. This magnificent work is a history of how Australian women have responded to war.
Australian heroines of World War One : Gallipoli, Lemnos and the Western Front by Susanna De Vries
Call Number: 940.47594 DE
ISBN: 9780980621648
Publication Date: 2013
Australian Heroines Of World War One is the story of eight courageous women, told through diaries, letters, original photos, paintings and maps. In Belgium, Louise Creed, a Sydney journalist caught in the besieged city of Antwerp, made a hair-raising escape from a German firing squad and lived to tell the tale. Grace Wilson, ordered to establish an emergency hospital on drought-ridden Lemnos Island, arrived there to find no drinking water, tents or medical supplies. Grace and her nurses tore up their petticoats to use as bandages, survived for weeks on bully beef and biscuits and saved the lives of thousands wounded at Lone Pine and the Nek. These are just some of the inspiring stories in this book.
Australian Women in War by Department of Veterans' Affairs
Call Number: 994 AUS
ISBN: 1877007218
Publication Date: 2008
This text investigates the experiences and changing roles of Australian women in war and peace operations from 1899 to today. There is a section on Australian women in WWI. This includes: the experiences of nurses & other medical workers; women's experiences on the home front; and the continuing impacts of the war after 1918.

Women WW1
From the book 'Experiences of the Great War 1914-1918 by Susan Johnston.
Various pages focusing on women in WW1.

Prisoners of War

Neidell I (2016) 'Prisoners of War During World War 1'.

In this short video, a Youtube personality gives on overview of the hardships of being a prisoner and how the world powers used the POWs as leverage. He has an undergraduate degree in History and lists his sources in the description.

Prisoners of War - British Library
Written by a historian specialising in this topic for the British Library, this article explores the difference between propaganda and the realities of work and death for PoWs. It is supported by primary documents, photographs and illustrations from the library's collection.
Voices of the First World War: Prisoners Of War - Imperial War Museum
This podcast strings together short extracts from veterans who were PoWs or guards from the IWM collection. It emphaises the range of different experiences and covers many topics including capture, work, sanitation, resistance and regulations.
Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - The First World War - AWM
This is the AWM webpage for a special exhibition on PoWs. It has sections, including photographs and extracts from documents, on Turkey and Germany.

The Home Front 1914-1918: Enquiring into Australian History by Jan Bassett
Call Number: 994.04 BAS
ISBN: 0195544692
Publication Date: 1983
This easily readable book contains many primary sources relating to Gallipoli and the Western Front; Recruitment; The Role of Women; 'Enemies and Spies'; War Weariness; The Anzac Legend.
Schooling, Service and the Great War by Department of Veterans' Affairs
Call Number: 940.3 SCH
ISBN: 9781877007880
Publication Date: 2014
This inquiry-based resource investigates how the Great War affected Australian schools and local communities, and prompted service responses of different kinds. It contains many primary sources.
Australian Women in War by Department of Veterans' Affairs
Call Number: 994 AUS
ISBN: 1877007218
Publication Date: 2008
This text investigates the experiences and changing roles of Australian women in war and peace operations from 1899 to today. There is a section on Australian women in WWI. This includes: the experiences of nurses & other medical workers; women's experiences on the home front; and the continuing impacts of the war after 1918.
Women in World War I by Nick Hunter
Call Number: 940.475 HUN
ISBN: 9781406261400
Publication Date: 2014
This book shows how women played a vital role in the war effort of every nation, both overseas and on the home front. It shows the changes to many women's lives and what happened after peace was declared. It contains first-hand accounts "in their own words" from a range of primary sources.

Home Front: WWI and Australia - State Library NSW
There are links to primary source material on this site.
Voices of the First World War: Life on the Home Front - Imperial War Museums
Listen to the voices of those who were there or read the podcast transcripts of these first-hand accounts. This site explores the experiences of those on the home front in Britain and other countries during WWI.
Home Front in Australia during WWI - Department of Veterans' Affairs

Conscientious Objectors

Please note that the Australian Imperial Force (AIF - the Australian Defence Force) was entirely voluntary for the duration of the war. For this reason, this case study focuses on the experience of British and New Zealander conscientious objectors. Both countries instituted compulsory military service via conscription during WWI.

Voices of the First World War: Conscientious Objection - Imperial War Museums
This website, produced by IWM, provides a range of primary sources related to conscientious objectors including first-hand accounts, military-issued posters, and a satirical cartoon. There is also a large amount of background information that provides context to why people chose to object to military service during WWI.
Conscientious objection and dissent - NZ History
Specific to New Zealand conscientious objectors, this website highlights different factors that contributed to Kiwis opposing service in WWI. Primary sources featured on the website include cartoons, photographs, statistics, as well as a list of attached documents and personal stories. The Introduction gives an overview of conscientious objection in New Zealand.
'Remember conscientious objectors too' - BBC
Published by BBC News, this article explains the importance of recognising conscientious objectors during British memorial services for WWI. It includes photographs, documents, and short biographers of British objectors. There are also links to relevant articles and primary sources within the information.

Indigenous Servicemen

Australian Indigenous service during World War I - Anzac Portal
Many Indigenous Australians served overseas during World War I. At first, racist regulations prevented them from joining the army. Restrictions were relaxed in 1917 because the British Empire needed reinforcements.
This website provides information on discrimination and Indigenous women in the services. Make sure you click on the WW1 link in the text to access specific information.
Aboriginal Enlistment in the First AIF: useful when needed
Find here specific examples of Indigenous servicemen and lots of primary sources. Make sure you click on the links for each serviceman to get lots more information.
Imperialism, ANZAC nationalism and the Aboriginal experience of warfare
Click on 'view PDF' to access the full article.
This is a lengthy academic journal article about a variety of topics.
Use the headings to navigate to relevant sections on WW1.
Douglas Grant - AWM
Here you can learn about one Indigenous Serviceman, Douglas Grant.
There are excerpts from his diary and information about his life and service.
Indigenous Anzacs: Letters home from Aboriginal WWI diggers reveal humour, sadness - ABC News
"Letters from Aboriginal men who served Australia during the First World War are extremely rare." (Browning, 2017, para. 1) Find excerpts from these letters in this article along with general information about Indigenous servicemen.
Western Front - National Archives of Australia
This has primary sources, including sources for Indigenous servicemen.

Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War by Timothy C. Winegard
Call Number: 994.004 WIN
ISBN: 9781107449008
Publication Date: 2014
This book provides the first comprehensive examination and comparison of how indigenous peoples of Canada, Australia, Newfoundland, New Zealand and South Africa experienced the Great War.
By late 1915 the imperial government demanded their inclusion to meet the pragmatic need for military manpower. Indigenous peoples responded with patriotism and enthusiasm both on the battlefield and the home front and shared equally in the horrors and burdens of the First World War.
Tip: Look up Australia in the index to find the sections that will assist you.
Our Mob Served by Allison Cadzow (Editor); Mary Anne Jebb (Editor)
Call Number: 355.009 OUR
ISBN: 9780855750718
Publication Date: 2022
While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been largely ignored or marginalised in national histories of war and service, they have remembered their involvement in Defence service and the service of their relatives. Our Mob Served presents a moving and little-known history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander war time and defence service, told through the vivid oral histories and treasured family images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This unique book shares lively and compelling stories of war, defence service, and the impact on individuals, families, and communities, sometimes for the first time.

The War at Sea and in the Air by Peter Liddle (Editor)
Call Number: 940.4 LID
ISBN: 058222098 X
Publication Date: 1977
The documents in this booklet are largely primary sources, such as letters, diaries, reminiscences, photographs and official papers as well as particular case studies of families, individuals and localities.
The booklet contains a short general introduction and most documents have short explanatory notes, but editorial comment is kept to a minimum.
Independence: Stories of the Royal Australian Navy by Johanna Butler
Call Number: 355.3 BUT
ISBN: 9780645409314
Publication Date: 2022
This commemorative publication is a part of the Century of Service series. It explores the stories of several Australians who have served in the Commonwealth Naval Force and the Royal Australian Navy. Each person included had to overcome challenges and weather adversity during their service. The book focuses on the determination, resilience and commitment shown in navy life.
Australia's Navy by A.K. Macdougall
Call Number: 359 MAC
ISBN: 1741242800
Publication Date: 2005
This book traces our naval history over two centuries of war and peace, from the RAN's first battle in 1914 to the desperate years of the Second World War. It concludes with a summary of the remarkable range of service seen by the RAN from Korea and Vietnam to the Persian Gulf.
Chivalry: Stories of the Royal Australian Air Force by Angus Johnson and Nathan Rogers
Call Number: 358.4 JOH
ISBN: 9780645409338
Publication Date: 2023
The stories in this book are about people who served in the RAAF, either in the sky or on the ground in Australia and around the world. Whilst the book deals primarily with the RAAF which was formed in 1921, there is some information about service during World War I.
Australia's Air Force: the story of the RAAF by A.K. Macdougall
Call Number: 358.4 MAC
ISBN: 1741242835
Publication Date: 2005
Australia was the first Commonwealth nation to found her own navy and air force. This book relates the achievements of Australian airmen from the founding of the 'Australian Flying Corps' of First World War fame, and the subsequent birth of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1921, through the Second World War to the jet age of today.
Rare photographs show the aircraft Australian airmen flew, while the text recounts the battles they fought and the range of service seen by Australians from the Western Front dogfights of 1917 to the Second Iraq War.

Royal Australian Navy in World War I - Department of Veteran's Affairs
Life for Australians in the navy during World War I - Department of Veteran's Affairs
First World War Royal Australian Navy (RAN) - Australian War Memorial
War in the air: Air Battles of WWI - Imperial War Museums
This site has first-hand accounts of those who served: listen to the voices of those who were there or read the podcast transcripts.
Australian Flying Corps in World War I - ANZAC Portal
Australia was the only dominion of the British Empire to form a flying corps during World War I. Of 2694 men who served in the Australian Flying Corps, 178 of them died. Some Australians enlisted in Britain's Royal Flying Corps and Royal Navy Air Service.

Books

Library catalogue (Oliver)
Use the Library catalogue to search for books and other resources. Find out more on the Read page.

Print books

Candour : stories in the words of those who served 1914-18 by written by Karin Huckstepp and Carlie Walker
Call Number: 940.3 HUC
ISBN: 9780648282440
Publication Date: 2018
The Australian soldier and sailor frequently recorded in his diary or in his home-letters indications of the thoughts, hopes, and fears which were uppermost in his mind, and descriptions of his own and others' work and actions. Theses papers are often the most valuable human documents.
Commendation, Casualty and Captivity by Peter Liddle (Editor)
Call Number: 940.4 LID
ISBN: 0582220955
Publication Date: 1977
This booklet contains a wide range of primary sources, including letters, diaries, reminiscences, photographs and official papers. There is a short general introduction and most documents have short explanatory notes, but editorial comment is kept to a minimum.
This booklet contains material relevant to a number of the topics listed on your task sheet.
The RSL book of World War I by edited by John Gatfield with Richard Landels
Call Number: 940.4 RSL
ISBN: 9780732299651
Publication Date: 2015
A collection of 100 true stories of Aussie courage in World War I. The stories have the human element: intimate, eyewitness accounts across the breadth of Australia's war from Gallipoli to the Western Front, related with humour, pathos and vivid detail.
It includes two stories from nurses.
Their spirit, our history. by Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs
Call Number: 940.4 THI
ISBN: 9780975190494
Publication Date: 2007
Their spirit, our history is a memorial booklet written to help young Australians to understand the historical significance of ANZAC Day. It also includes commemorative classroom activities and an outline for planning your own commemorative ceremony.
Audacity : stories of heroic Australians in wartime by Written by Carlie Walker
Call Number: 355.009 WAL
ISBN: 9781877007934
Publication Date: 2014
Audacity is the second book in the Century of Service series, and highlights the personal stories of individuals serving in Australian units who have demonstrated extraordinary boldness or courage. The book tells a wide range of stories: soldiers helping their mates, prisoners of war enduring the challenges of captivity, nurses protecting their patients, airmen defending their country and the Empire, and sailors facing the dangers of mines. This image-rich publication draws on the Australian War Memorial's diverse collection, including private records, and combines stories with interesting fact boxes, educational questions, and research activities.
Comradeship : stories of friendship and recreation in wartime by Written by Kathleen Cusack
Call Number: 355.009 CUS
ISBN: 9780987615107
Publication Date: 2017
The stories in this book are about comradeship. Corporal Leslie "Peter" Chitty EM provided a welcome distraction on the sporting field for those longing for home; Lorrae Desmond MBE took the stage, drawing smiles from a grateful crowd; and Trooper David "Poppy" Pearce provided comforting words and a listening ear. Some friendships lasted well beyond the war years. Many of these men and women travelled across the world for reunions, while others held onto mementoes, a lasting reminder of the bond they had once shared. The individuals in these stories share many qualities: an unshakeable optimism, a sense of humour, and a determination to help others. Even in the darkest days, these men and women found joy and laughter through simple pleasures like sport, music, games, and conversation. This sense of comradeship brought comfort, strength, and hope for a brighter future.
The story of Australia. 1915-1932 by William Finch
Call Number: 994.04 FIN
ISBN: 9781922388179
Publication Date: 2022
A new Australian history curriculum-linked, multi-volume set telling the story of Australia in chronological sequence from pre-colonial times to the present.
Australian War Memorial by Nola Anderson
Call Number: 994.04 AND
ISBN: 9781742660127
Publication Date: 2013
A book for the shelf in every Australian home, showcasing the extensive collection of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and telling the story of Australia's involvement in all theatres of war.