Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Photographs
- Maps
- Tables and figures
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- British military ranks
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 In the beginning
- Chapter 2 Organising for battle
- Chapter 3 Sinews of war
- Chapter 4 Already half a soldier
- Chapter 5 Into battle
- Chapter 6 Learning the hard way
- Chapter 7 Hitting the peak
- Chapter 8 The year of victory
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Divisional activities
- Appendix 2 Activity and location summaries
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Conclusion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Photographs
- Maps
- Tables and figures
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- British military ranks
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 In the beginning
- Chapter 2 Organising for battle
- Chapter 3 Sinews of war
- Chapter 4 Already half a soldier
- Chapter 5 Into battle
- Chapter 6 Learning the hard way
- Chapter 7 Hitting the peak
- Chapter 8 The year of victory
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Divisional activities
- Appendix 2 Activity and location summaries
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The Armistice struck the 1st Division like a bolt of lightning out of the clear autumn sky. While all ranks recognised that the later campaigns of 1918 had gone well, few anticipated that hostilities would end so abruptly, and most suspected that a respite over winter would be followed by another spring campaign in 1919. Many joked that the war would still be raging for another decade. Unexpected or not, the Armistice spelled the beginning of the end for the 1st Division. With the decision not to employ the AIF as part of the occupation force, the Australian Government was anxious to repatriate the troops as quickly as possible. Likewise, most diggers saw themselves as temporary soldiers and, once the job of beating the Germans was done, most just wanted to return home and get out of uniform.
Although it took time to confirm that hostilities were not to resume, demobilisation began soon after the Armistice. This period, from 12 November 1918 until the division was dissolved, amounts to just 133 days. This is only slightly longer than the phase required to mobilise back in 1914, while the break-up of time reflects a similar activity pattern with effort being divided between general operations related to demobilisation (twenty-one days), collective training and education (twenty-one days) and administration (ninety-one days). During this time, like an old soldier, the division faded away, then disappeared.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- To Win the BattleThe 1st Australian Division in the Great War 1914–1918, pp. 209 - 219Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012