The 1914-18 Great War had long-lasting effects on Australia, including the families of our four string quartet members in A Distant Prospect.
Men of the 53rd Battalion waiting to don their equipment for the attack at Fromelles, 19 July 1916. Only three of the men shown here came out of the action alive, and those three were wounded. Credit: C.W.Lorking, A03042, Australian War Memorial. Public domain.
As the Australian War Memorial’s official synopsis of Australian involvement in World War I recounts,
“For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties. From a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner.”
Read the full synopsis at awm.gov.au.
Lest we forget.