The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) was a military unit hastily raised to specifically deal with the German colonies in the Pacific. The main task for the AN&MEF was to seize or destroy German wireless stations which formed the backbone of an intelligence network that supported the German East Asia Squadron based at Tsingtao, China.[1]
Police officers were seen as key members of local communities, expected to have knowledge of the people in their local area, as well as being able to effectively communicate official information amongst the community.[1] On 26 August 1914, New South Wales Premier, William Holman, suggested to Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, that the NSW Police Force act as the state-wide recruitment agent for a second contingent,[2] in co-operation with Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) medical officers to carry out examinations of candidates.[3]
Throughout World War I the NSW State Government worked in conjunction with the Commonwealth Government and military authorities, in recruiting for the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) in the 2nd Military District, which encompassed much of the state. Key recruitment activities, functions, and initiatives of the State Government of NSW included (from 1914-1916):[1]
With the declaration of war on 4 August 1914 Australia found itself fighting a war (for the most part) on the other side of the world. The people of New South Wales responded to the new wartime demands in a variety of ways. Many volunteered to serve their state and the Commonwealth of Australia as soldiers and nurses.
