By the last year of the Great War, Australian infantry on the Western Front had developed to a highly capable and professional standard. The Anzac legend cannot account for this evolution; effectiveness was hard earned through the rigours of systematic training, and in a specialist schooling system common across the entire British Force. The corollary is clear. Australian infantry progressed because of their ties to the British Empire. Indeed, by the time that Australians arrived on the Western Front, monumental developments in small arms and quick firing weapons were precipitating a complete rewrite of the tactical methods employed by small infantry units in the BEF. Because of this, by 1918, effectiveness equated to standardised training, operational experience and technical mastery. The Anzac myth pays little credence to such matters – even less to the dull aspects of logistics and fire support, most of which was supplied to the Australian infantry by Britain. In concert with the wider force, by 1918, Australian infantry had developed to a point where they were well trained, technically savvy and battle hardened.

Australian infantrymen were rigorously prepared for operations on the Western Front, and this is the basis of the notable successes of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the war. It is relevant to note that the popular history of Australian infantry in the Great War does not include commissioned officers. As it goes, there are significant differences between the modern memory of Australian Great War infantrymen and the reality of their contributions and experiences. One is based in myth, the other a practical training and reinforcement process. The myth had its heritage in the Anzac legend, though the training regimen was equally important to service in the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Both have contributed to a generally positive and enduring legacy. There were significant differences in the training received by those troops who enlisted in 1914 in comparison with the rigour of training undertaken by those who enlisted from 1916 to 1918. The factual history debunks the ‘super human’ qualities that Australian popular history sometimes bestows on its Great War infantrymen. Such matters are important; it is perhaps the body of men who served on the Western Front – and their battlefield record – that are the foundation for the Anzac legend. Indeed, the extraordinary deeds of the 1st AIF contrasted with the very ordinariness of the Australian troops themselves.