Six young brothers, healthy and strong and full of life, teasing one another about the various jobs to be done and who was the best at various skills.

They were all good shots and could ride and muster cattle with real ability.

Always full of mischief, Arch, Francis, John, George, Hugh and Walter were aged from 16-26 years.

The breakfast table was laden with lovely food - creamy porridge, toast, bacon and eggs.

That atmosphere would return again and again to those boys in future years.

On August 4, 1914, a shattering event occurred.

England was forced to declare war on Germany and its allies.

"It will be over in a few months," was the general comment.

The boys from the farm were raised with a true patriotic spirit and full of adventure, responded to the call of King George V of our mother country.

Which of the boys will answer the call?

Following much debate it was eventually decided that John who was married and Walter who was only 16 would stay and help their dad on the farm. Wally would go when he was a bit older.

With a real spirit of adventure, these country lads set off for Sydney.

One of those boys was my great-grandfather, Hugh.

On arrival they were allotted to different regiments of the Light Horse because of their riding and shooting skills.

Following some training and war games they were ready to sail to Egypt.

Francis and Arch had already sailed for Egypt when Hugh embarked on the HMAS Ceramic on June 26, 1915.

It was still a great adventure, making new friends and enjoying the normal fun of young men on a boat at sea.

At Fremantle they said goodbye to Australia, where there was always a crowd of patriotic people to wave the boys goodbye.

On arrival at their camp outside Cairo, Hugh was transferred as a reinforcement in D Company, 5th Light Horse.

George was with Hugh and they soon tried to meet up with their brothers, but learned they were already at Gallipoli.

Galloping over the sand dunes and various maneuvers they soon realised that life was very different, coping with the sand flies, bedbugs and sometimes a lack of water.

Very soon they were off to Gallipoli and as they neared the land, the noises of battle would be heard.

The pounding of heavy guns, the sharp rifle shots, a pandemonium of sounds.

The cream of Australian and New Zealand manhood was coping with the bravery, blood and death of Gallipoli, seeing awful carnage as life and limb was taken in a senseless battle.

"What has happened to my brothers?"

Arch was severely wounded in the right shoulder and arm.

He was lucky in a way, sent back to Egypt.

Following stays in hospital he returned to Egypt to the Camel Corps.

Frank was severely wounded in both hips and legs and went back to Egypt.

At least they were alive!

Following extensive stays in hospital in Egypt, Frank was shipped back to Australia where he was hospitalised again and finally discharged as medically unfit.

George was evacuated to Egypt severely wounded.

He was hospitalised in Egypt and returned to Australia and then back to Egypt.

He lived with a bullet in his liver for the remainder of his life.

He died aged 50.

Hugh survived until the withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli and then from the deserts of Egypt he sailed to face the mud of Flanders, the bullets, the bombs, the horror of dying men, the screaming of dying and damaged horses and horror of horrors, the huge gas clouds that would float across the fighting lines!

Hugh did not escape the horror.

For three years young men endured unspeakable horrors before a dreadful war was brought to an end.

Victory, but what a price!

Hugh suffered from the effects of horrendous gas and died a young man of 42.

What a joy was in the hearts of the parents on the farm as one by one their lovely sons returned home.

But where was the laughter and the fun?

And as the parents looked at their boys who had become aged and tormented men - two who would not have long lives - a sadness filled their hearts, but they would always be comforted by their "just being HOME!"