Since March the AIF had been moved in stages from Egypt to Europe and sent on to the frontlines in France and Flanders to help man the trenches along the Western Front. Here they would experience the cold and muddy conditions of European trench warfare and come under fire from snipers, machine guns, aeroplanes, artillery barrages and, for the first time, gas attacks. Here they would encounter their first casualties; killed, wounded and sick.
Pte Ralph Goode (Lilydale), 2nd Field Ambulance: In France. In his diary – ‘Tonight we had our first experience of tear shells, what devil’s things will the Germans use next! These tear shells are an acid which cause intense pain and watering of the eyes, absolutely blinding a man for some five hours. We all have specially made goggles for this, but of course one always gets a dose before one can get goggles on. We did last night, our eyes rained tears and were sore for some hours’.