Private Australian Imperial Force (AIF)

Private Albert Stanley Scott (see Appendix 1, Source 1) throughout the duration of his time in the Great War served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which partook in numerous campaigns and battles throughout Europe. Formed on the 15 August 1914, the AIF was an expeditionary force utilized solely for providing service overseas during the Great War (Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), 2014). All its members volunteered to serve beyond the limits of Australia for the Commonwealth (Mallett, 2005). Overall, 328,583 Australian men and 2,131 women enlisted in the First AIF (Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), 2014). For service overseas enlistment was voluntary and until 1916 Australia and South Africa remained the only countries which did not

Formed in 1914 as part of the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force sourced from Queensland and Tasmanian recruits, the battalion fought during both the Gallipoli Campaign and later on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War (Chataway, 2010). On the afternoon of the 25th of April, 1915 the 15th Battalion landed on the shores of ANZAC cove. (Devil, 2006). There they were assigned to Quinn's Post where they performed numerous assaults on the Turkish enemy. However with its strength having fallen to below 600 men in early June, the 15th was withdrawn from Quinn's Post to recover in a sector known as "Rest Gully". (Devil, 2006). When the fully recuperated battalion finally returned to the front on the 6th August, the Allies launched an offensive, attempting to end the stalemate at "Hill 971". Unfortunately the Battalion suffered heavy casualties, and on the 13th September was withdrawn to recover on Lemnos with its strength now having fallen to just 11 officers and 136 other ranks. (Devil, 2006). They remained there until being evacuated from Gallipoli on 13th December on the sea transport ‘Carron’ as part of the main Allied withdrawal (Australian War Memorial, 2013). Noted Australian AIF Commander, Lt General John Monash described the 15th Battalion as “… a battalion that was in every way an

Of the many battles that took place he was involved in was the First Battle of Krithia, the first Allied attempt to advance at Gallipoli. Commencing on 28th April, three days after the AIF landing at Cape Helles, the plan of attack was for the French to hold position on the right whilst the British line would pivot and capture Krithia (Australian War Memorial London, 2014). However, the further up the peninsula the troops advanced, the more difficult the terrain became, as they encountered the four great ravines running from the heights around Achi Baba towards the cape. (Australian War Memorial London, 2014). Although the planning of the battle looked good on paper, the attack broke down due to the defensive power of the opposing Turkish Ottoman forces, poor leadership and planning, lack of communications and exhaustion and demoralisation of the troops. (Duffy, 2009). The vast and desertless wastelands that the First Battle of Krithia took place in can be seen in Appendix 5, Source 1 (Australian War Memorial London, 2014). This primary pictorial source photographed in 1915 by an unknown photographer was taken from the London Australian War Memorial’s reliable and creditable history site (last updated in 2014). From this pictorial source it can be concluded that the soldiers