The WFA website is currently undergoing routine maintenance work. You may experience brief interruptions to the Registration and Member login features.

Dominion Geordies in World War 1

Published on 12 July 2019
Submitted by James McConnel

The superb divisions of troops supplied by Britain's Dominions in the First World War comprised a surprisingly high proportion of men from the UK. Research has suggested as many as 25% of the ANZACs and troops in the CEF were born in the UK. How many of these men were from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland is more difficult to establish.

Even more difficult is any idea of those who hailed from specific regions of Britain. In this presentation James McConnel looks at men from the north east of England.... From Fromelles to Gallipoli, Geordies served in many of the British Empire's dominion forces. Perhaps the most famous of these men was Jack Simpson (the 'Man with the Donkey' at Gallipoli). 

In this video, James McConnel will look at case studies of men from the north east of England who served in the Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and Newfoundland forces during the First World War. This is part of a much larger story of ‘Geordie’ migration that started long before 1914.

Dominion Geordies in World War 1
Key benefits of membership

Becoming a member of The Western Front Association (WFA) offers a wealth of resources and opportunities for those passionate about the history of the First World War. Here's just three of the benefits we offer:

Searchable Magazine Icon
Searchable Magazine Archive

Identify key words or phrases within back issues of our magazines, including Stand To!, Bulletin, Gun Fire, Fire Step and lots of others.

Youtube Channel Icon
Subscribe to the WFA's YouTube channel

The WFA's YouTube channel features hundreds of videos of lectures given by experts on particular aspects of WW1.

Magazine
Historical Magazines

Read post-WW1 era magazines, such as 'Twenty Years After', 'WW1 A Pictured History' and 'I Was There!' plus others.

Other Articles

Smith Thumb
27 June 2026

Identifying William Smith M.M. – a 25 year search

Read more
Gemini Generated Image Gg9hb7gg9hb7gg9h (1)
19 June 2026

Salonika 1915-1918: The British Way in Warfare

Read more
Bath War Hospital Ward No.10
18 June 2026

‘He did his duty: Now at rest’

Read more
481948034 1042611437906522 7089280953515673236 N
14 June 2026

Trooping the Colour 1919: The largest ever event

Read more
Statistics BME
10 June 2026

Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War 1914–1920

Read more