Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/257/1 - 1916 - 1927 - Part 5

Mail

24/7/18

Western March to Freedom

The column left Harden on July 2

is due at Lithgow on Saty net (27th)

A stay of 3 days was made at Molong

At a dance which was arranged in honour of the soldiers

eligibles were refuse admittance.

Travelled through Glenfell

March to Freedom  11/9/18

[*came through

at Helensburg*]

S Coast March to freedom

started from Nimmitabel about

6 weeks ago; reached Arncliffe on

6/9/18. This completed the march and the

column arrived at Martin Place about

noon on Saty 7th over 150 recruits were

obtained

14/8/18

March to Freedom at Gulgong

Recruiting columns are visiting various parts of the

State.

At Armidale the column was warmly welcomed.

(arrived at Tenterfield on Thursday last & Gen Innes on

Friday night.  From  Gen Innes they were motored to

Inverell

N Coast March [[?]] Column

Mail 18/9/18

RE

At Lismore, [[Corake?]], Broadwater,

Wardell, Coffs Harbour.

March to Freedom

at [[Murimbullah?]]

Mail

18/9/18

Photo

Moore & Co.

16/10/18

N Coast March to Freedom

At Fernmount in the  Bellingen district

[[Aigus?]]

7 May 1918  p 5

Enlistment 

of Minors

Chap XII

See pp 8-8 b

Min for Def said yestdy that it have been decided by the Govt that in
future the consent 'parents', guardians would not be regd  to enable

youths under 21 to enlist in AIF . This decision brought the AIF

into line with the practice of the  Imperial Army. Also it had been felt

that  since the war began youths of 18 had, after enlistment, been given in

many respects the full rights 'citizenship' - the right to vote being

one - the same privilege should be extended to them in this mtr also.

There had never been any  legal objections on the  Def

Dept to make the enlistment

of minors conditional upon their obtaining parental consent

The follg new procedure was being adopted. All minors enlisting

must produce a birth certificate to prove that they are not below the minimum

2

age enlistment of enlisted . Recruits may be enlisted at the age 18

but will not be taken into camp until they attain the age 18 ½.

For the period between their enlistment and the attainment of  18½.

They will be put on leave without pay. - - - - - - - - - -

They will not be drafted to the firing line until they reach age 19.

Later instructions issued to Cdts that youths ^enlisting without parents consent not to

be enlisted until fact that they are "of and over the age of 1918 19" has been 

verified

[*May

29,

Lio*]

Queensland March to Freedom √

On June 10 ^1918 recruiting column set out for Warwick

to march to Toowoomba which was reached on the 17th. After a weeks stay

there the men proceeded to Crow's Nest by train & then

marched back to  Toowoomba.

Warwick

Mail

18/9/18

Photo of March of Freedom entering Warwick