The outbreak of the First World War in Europe in 1914 evoked an immediate, strong patriotic response

Next Wednesday will look at Tamworth's involvement in second World War support.

News regarding the outbreak of the First World War in Europe in 1914 soon reached Tamworth, evoking an immediate strong patriotic response.

Tamworth volunteers for war service were quickly to the fore when 40 men turned up at the Drill Hall (previously Alhambra Hall), now the site of the V.G.Kable building in Marius St, only 13 days after war was declared.

They underwent examination by the Government Medical Officer.

Soon, over 300 men had been examined for their physical health, and if declared medically fit, had to then travel to either Armidale or Sydney to enlist.

Others travelled direct to Sydney for their examination and enlistment.

Some Tamworthians enlisted in the 12th Light Horse AIF, subject to a riding test, with the bulk of early volunteers joining the 2nd Battalion AIF, soon to land at Gallipoli, with others also Gallipoli-bound with the 18th Battalion.

A 33rd Battalion was later formed, with a number of Tamworth enlistments.

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Eventually, from these early enlistments in 1914, through to the end of the war, more than 1500 Tamworth district men had enlisted, with over 200 of them having lost their lives.

This was at a time when Tamworth's population was only around 7000.

An early community meeting was held in the Oddfellow's Hall, where a decision was made to launch a war-effort fund with an original target of 500 pounds.

By mid-June 1915, over 11 000 pounds had been raised in Tamworth for various patriotic funds.

Eventually, by the end of the war in 1918, over 50 000 pounds had been donated to various patriotic funds, including 3034 pounds to purchase a fighter plane in March, 1918.

It was not only men who put their hand up to serve the cause, with a number of local women joining the Voluntary Aid Detachment, as well as launching the Tamworth Branch of the NSW Division of the Australian Red Cross.

The latter group had sewing machines which they used to make pyjamas to send to the soldiers in Australia and overseas.

Other local women's groups that thoroughly supported the war effort included the Tamworth Women's Association, West Tamworth Women War Workers, Tamworth Girls' Association, West Tamworth Girls' Association, Voluntary Workers' Association and The Comforts Fund.

Several 'Popular Queen' fund-raising competitions that commenced in 1916, raised considerable funds towards the war effort.

Many of our early volunteers were sent immediately to Egypt, thence to the Dardanelles to take part in the landing at Gallipoli.

Lieutenant David McNeil Heugh was probably the first Tamworth man killed in action at Gallipoli, with Sgt. William Grayston probably the first wounded.

Others involved in the Gallipoli landings included West Tamworth's Private Garnet Jones; Duri's R.Wynne Webster; Nundle's J.A.H Heyman; Bowling Alley Point's Private Thomas Mason; Tamworth' s Private T.S. Gilkes; Nundle's R.S.McLellan; Tamworth's Alex Levien; Tamworth's Percy Lambert; Tamworth's W.E.Lambert; Tamworth's Driver Travers Broughton and Tamworth's Private T.H.Jahns (Missing in Action).

Typical of the experience that many of these men went through is exemplified by the contents of a letter by Private Garred to his family.

"We landed in Turkey on the 25th of April, at a place called Gallipoli Peninsula," he wrote.

"And the Turks were waiting for us. We had to start fighting almost before we were out of the boats .... On Sunday night I stopped one ..... About 7 o'clock we started to advance ... They mowed us down like sheep for a while. It was cruel ..... The ground was covered with dead and wounded men. I got hit just after we took the ridge about half-past eleven. I got just about half of my right ear blown off but as luck happened, it never touched my head. I am in hospital still."

Many other inspiring stories came from Tamworth district servicemen who saw war service, including that of Horace Gilchrist, who was a Police Sergeant at Nundle six years before the war began.

He was affiliated with the Peel Freemason Lodge in Tamworth, riding a horse from Nundle to Tamworth to attend Lodge.

He enlisted in the Light Horse when the war broke out, with the people of Nundle supplying him with a special horse.

In a letter home to his wife from Gallipoli he wrote .. "Should I go under, then you will know dear, it has been a good cause, and knowing that, you will surely bear up bravely, for a soldier's death is a glorious and honourable one."

And so it was, when Horace died of wounds at age 36 soon after writing this letter.

Around 25 Tamworth men were part of the 12th Light Horse, serving at either Gallipoli or Palestine.

A local to go down in the annals of World War I history was Major Eric Hyman (Hyman Park, Hyman St), awarded a D.S.O. for leading the iconic Light Horse bayonet charge against the Turks at Bersheeba on October 31, 1917.

Tamworth also had Navy enlistments during the war, including Hector Sinclair, Kenneth Bourne & Charles Berman.

Within the Air Force, Tamworthians that served included Leslie Ramage, Jack Trim and Rupert Vickers.

With mounting Australian casualties in the early years of the war, the possibility of war service conscription became a very divisive issue throughout the Nation, with great "Yes" v "No" argument in Tamworth.

The first Conscription Referendum in 1916 saw Tamworth parallel the National "No" vote, voting 2723 to 1858.

A second referendum in 1917 brought the same result in Tamworth and nationally, the local "No" vote predominating @ 2770 to 1731.

An alternative Northern NSW recruiting campaign took place towards the end of the war in 1918 with the 'March for Freedom' (see photo) setting off from Armidale to sign up volunteers en route through Tamworth to Newcastle.

The 250-column troops had a 2-day stopover in Tamworth, where they signed up 30 new army recruits, being greatly welcomed by the local community.

When the War finally came to an end with the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918 (now commemorated as Remembrance Day), the welcome news in Tamworth was conveyed to a waiting crowd by Mayor William Bourne and Town Clerk Vincent Guy Kable.

This was cause for great celebration in Tamworth with fireworks, ringing of bells, car horns aplenty, etc, as many paraded through the streets, continuing through until near midnight.

An effigy of German Kaiser Wilhelm 1 was suspended on a wire across the street from today's Tudor Hotel site, pelted with firecrackers and eventually burnt.

The following day was proclaimed a public holiday with an organised procession and a Thanksgiving Service on the Oval, attended by nearly 4 000 of Tamworth's 7,000 population.

Our first Anzac Day Service was held on April 25, 1916, with our first Anzac Day March taking place two years later in 1918, including around 50 returned servicemen.

Gipps St Memorial Avenue was dedicated on September 15, 1918, with the middle avenue of 280 donated trees commemorating those who lost their lives during the First World War.

During 1918, the last year of the war, the State Government resumed 29 473 acres of Bective Station for the settlement of returned soldiers, entitled Bective Soldiers Settlement.

The War Memorial Gates at Anzac Park in Brisbane St opened in 1927, giving us a comprehensive list set in stone of those who gave overseas war service.

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