Conscription I.

This is coolbert:

From a previous blog entry this caption:

"The Australian soldier instantly recognizable from even an distance by the appearance of the slouch hat those troops deployed beyond Australia proper all volunteers no conscripts!!"

There is some clarification required here?

The Australian soldier serving in both World Wars, as found "overseas", in all cases a volunteer, not a conscript?

Military conscription, the military draft, compulsory military service as mandated by the government always a hot button item in Australia. Such service and "overseas" duty requiring a degree of definition to be properly understood.

"hot button - -  n. informal a. a controversial subject or issue that is likely to arouse strong emotions"

"Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood"

During the era of World War One [WW1] and World War Two [WW2] BOTH there existing in Australia compulsory military service, the draft as it is known in America, that soldier being compelled to duty however NOT required to perform his service beyond the borders of Australia.

The borders of Australia with good reason and quite logically so normally recognized as being where the land ended and the water began.

ONLY those Australian soldiers volunteering, willing able to perform combat duty beyond the borders of Australia proper found "overseas" in the various theatres of WW1!

That definition of what exactly constituted "Australia" during WW2 constantly EXPANDED TO INCLUDE FIRST NEW GUINEA AND THEN FINALLY ALL AREAS OF WAS REFERRED TO AS THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA OF OPERATIONS [SWPA]!

Conscripts one and all along with volunteers now being compelled to serve their duty "overseas" beyond the waters edge!!

Decisions of the Australian government at the time necessitated by circumstances, the exigencies of war requiring action and not words, debate no longer an option, the peril of the moment being recognized for what it was?

coolbert.