Dominion Troops in WW1
by David Nash

The bulk of the Australian and New Zealand troops initially served together as a division in Gallipoli. At the close of that unfortunate enterprise, they were withdrawn to Egypt where, between November 1915 and February 1916, the total of Dominion troops rose to such an extent that the organisation required expansion. The New Zealanders gained divisional status (the New Zealand Division) and combined with two Australian divi­sions to form the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Starting in February, the Corps was transferred to the Western Front, a move that was completed within nine weeks. Eventually the Australian contingent rose to a strength of five complete divisions with their full complement of supporting arms. By 1917, two ANZAC corps were in existence; I ANZAC Corps contained the Ist, 2nd, 4th and 5th Australian Divisions and II ANZAC Corps had the New Zealanders; the 3rd Australian and two British divisions to make up the strength. On November 1, 1917, after the Battle of Passchendaele, the Australian Expeditionary Force was re­grouped into the Australian Corps containing the Ist, 2nd, 3rd and 5^th Divisions, with the 4th being held in the rear as a replacement depot. The New Zealanders stayed with II ANZAC Corps which was re-titled XXII, in the British Corps series.

The Australian troops were, as far as possible, clothed and equipped from home resources. Their own service dress tunic was designed prior to 1914 and was considerably different from the British model. Made of khaki woollen cloth, the tunic was cut very loose, having a turndown collar and four patch pockets with skirts long enough to allow for them; the sleeves were buttoned tight on to the wrist. A bronze badge, a rising sun, was worn by all ranks on both collars. In 1914, the first AEF troops seem to have worn a cloth cap similar to the British pattern.

This, however, was soon universally replaced by the famous Australian bush hat with the left side looped up. In the 3rd Division, the brim was unlooped until the formation of the Australian Corps, whereupon they immediately conformed to national style as a sign of approval at finally being able to fight alongside their fellow countrymen. Officers wore this bush hat but in other respects had a uniform very much like British officers, with the open-necked tunic showing collar and tie.

The “diggers” were conspicuous for their disregard of dress regulations. In the first part of the war it was considered to be smart to dress unofficial in British issue clothing, principally in tunics and sun hats, and this was particularly so in Gallipoli. It was of that campaign that an Australian Official Historian made the remark that at times the standard uniform seemed more like kit for swimming rather than fighting. As esprit de corps developed in the Australian forma­tions, they began to cling to their distinctive clothing, but again in 1918, they had to resort to British garments. At that time a reported deficit of 11,000 hats and 12,000 jackets existed and the troops were noted for their raggedness, presumably because of their desire to retain their own patterns of dress. The situation was well summed up by an anonymous Australian infantryman who wrote: “Ragged? Yes I should say that I was. I was four days at Pozieres going about without a seat to my breeches . . . until I wangled a new pair from the British lines.”

On arrival in France, the ANZAC troops were issued with hide belting, which stretched as soon as it got wain and caused the heavy packs to sit down on their backs. Needless to say, this was soon discarded in true Aus­tralian style, as soon as the British 1908 pattern equipment could be scrounged.

The New Zealanders were basically uniformed in a British style. Their distinguishing feature was a slouch hat, the same as that used by the Australians. At first this hat was dented in the crown, but, later, to distinguish them from the Australians, the crown was raised to a peak with three or four dents rather like the traditional Boy Scout hat. The puggaree (cloth) around the base of the hat was coloured to denote the branch of the wearer: a khaki puggaree with a blue centre line for engineers, green for mounted rifles, red for infantry and white for Army Service Corps. A blue puggaree with a white line was worn by the artillery and blue with red edges by the Army Ordnance Corps.

The first Canadian contingent, which eventually became the 1 st Cana­dian Division, landed in England in September 1914. Continual re-inforce­ments from the Dominion eventually led to the formation of four infantry divisions and an independent cavalry brigade. A separate Canadian Corps was formed in September 1915.

The Canadian forces were uni­formed in the British style, highland kilts wearing the Scottish doublet. The tunic, cap or Glengarry, kilt apron or trousers and puttees, were coloured khaki. Buttons were gilding die struck, except in rifle regiments who had them blackened. Officers wore the open­necked tunic with collar and tie, and .e cuffs were decorated with 2 inch chevron lace. Official Canadian dress regulations show distinctive shoulder straps on the officer's tunic, but it seems likely that the colours listed below were, in fact, only used on greatcoats, as in the British Army. The colours were as follows: 1/4-inch cloth edging around the strap, coloured yellow for cavalry, scarlet for infantry and white for Army Service Corps. A dark blue edge with scarlet centre loop, passing around the button for artillery, this scheme being reversed for engineers. White edging with an inner loop of yellow for Army Pay Corps, red for Ordnance Stores Corps, maroon for the Veterinary Corps and cherry for the Army Medi­cal Corps. Most troops were issued with the Oliver leather equipment when in Canada, this being exchanged for the 1908 pattern web equipment upon arrival in England.

Apart from numerous supporting units, the South African raised three brigades, each of four battalions, for overseas service. Two of these brigades, together with ten regiments of Mounted Rifles, served in East Africa, whilst the Ist Brigade, after a short spell of duty in the Middle East, served on the Western Front. The South African Brigade was attached to the 9th Scottish Division and fought with that unit on the Somme in 1916, where they took Delville Wood, today the site of a South African War Memorial. In 1918 they were transferred to the 66th Division. The four component battalions were numbered 1 to 4. They were wartime formations, only loosely connected with peacetime units. The 4th (Scottish) Battalion, for instance, was drawn from the Transvaal Scottish and the Cape Town Highlanders; they wore the badge of the latter and the Atholl Murray tartan of the former. Their styles of dress corresponded with those of the British Army.

Originally published in Airfix Magazine January 1970.