Frenchmen in the AIF: French–Australian identities during the First World War

Abstract

This article investigates the participation of French-born soldiers in the AIF – Australia’s volunteer army during the First World War. While the AIF counted men from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the experiences of the French-born Diggers is yet to be fully explored. This article analyses the detailed profiles of these men contained in their military files and demonstrates how they are emblematic of the diverse nature of the French community in Australia. French-born residents of Australia were in a unique position, as they were also liable for French military service. This article explores the motivations and implications of their choices. It also draws on French archival sources to provide a transnational perspective, framing the soldiers’ experiences within the broader context of the conflicting demands of the French and Australian governments, and how French identity was expressed from both above and below.