ounded and maimed.

The 28th Battalion was one of three battalions wholly recruited and
organised in Western Australia. It did not take the field in time to
participate in the earlier days on Gallipoli, but showed its mettle in
many a subsequent hard fight. Its deeds, and those of the other units
which left these western shores, gained the unstinted admiration of the
remainder of the Australian Imperial Force and constitute no mean
record.

The contingents for South Africa were trained on the military reserve at
Karrakatta. There there was a rifle range and sufficient space for the
exercise of small bodies of troops. When, in 1914, it became obvious
that larger numbers would be involved, a search was made for a greater
and better camp site and training area. Eventually this was found at
Blackboy Hill, which is situated about a mile east of Bellevue and quite
close to the Eastern Railway. This area had been used by the Citizen
Forces during the annual training of that year and found very suitable
for dismounted work. The camp site is a rounded knoll of some few acres
in extent, possessing the advantages of good natural drainage, a liberal
number of shady trees, and firm soil underfoot. The surrounding country
is broken by the foothills of the Darling Range and intersected by
roads, fences, and--here and there--small watercourses. However,
sufficient level ground is available to suit ordinary purposes and,
altogether, the locality lends itself admirably to the training of
infantry in platoons.

Here, then, when the first attested men were called up, were pitched the
tents and marquees to shelter the troops. At the outset conditions of
life were rough. The limited trained staff available, and the absence of
many of the services recognised as essential in order to make military
administration efficient, harassed the newcomers and caused a waste of
time, together with considerable dislocation in the training. Later on,
under successive camp commandants, conditions much improved. Efficient
services were installed and competent men were trained to work them.
Eventually Blackboy Camp came to be known throughout Australia as one of
the most complete and comfortable.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: BLACKBOY HILL CAMP.
_Photos. lent by Mr. E. L. Mitchell, Perth._]

The camp was rapidly filled and, as units moved out, filled again.
Before the end of February, 1915, there had proceeded overseas the 10th
Regiment of Light Hor