AustLit

'The physical toll of the Great War was enormous and its effect on Australian society profound. From 416,809 enlisted servicemen, Australia lost more than half that number either killed or wounded, and the nature of the weaponry used had produced a legacy of maiming and disability of an unprecedented severity and scale. While families who had lost loved ones struggled with their absence, those whose sons, husbands, brothers, or fathers were physically altered also had to deal with a dramatic change in their circumstances. The Repatriation Department was overwhelmed with requests for assistance. Far more insidious though were the mental wounds of the war. Although less obvious than a missing or maimed limb, the psychological effects of the horrors of modern warfare had as much a profound impact on men's ability to return to society as did physical wounds. Of great concern for organisations responsible for the care of returned men, cases of 'shell-shock' continued to increase after the war.' (Introduction)