The community was aware of tension between Britain and Germany but on the local scene interest was focused on the sale of winter goods at J.G. Brown's store, success for the town band, an important cattle yarding, a new picture at the Empire theatre, the tragic death of an infant girl at Eumungerie and predictions Dubbo was set to become the Chicago of the west.

Rumours of growing conflict in Europe circulated for several days before war officially arrived on August 4, 1914.

Headlines in the Dubbo Liberal reported "War! Convulsion of the whole world threatened. British Army to mobilise. Enthusiasm throughout the Empire".

As the call to arms spread people gathered outside the newspaper office in Church Street to read the latest bulletins coming in over the telegraph wire. Men were keen to be involved in what everyone thought would be a short battle to put Germany back in its place.

The Sydney Morning Herald of August 6, 1914 told readers "thousands have rushed to volunteer. Light Horsemen, Bushmen, Infantry and ex-South African soldiers are anxious to join the forces. Owners of motor cars have placed them at the disposal of the military forces whenever required. Victoria Barracks has been inundated. Sydney Harbour was closed at night to all shipping; the Australian Fleet is ready."

The Saturday night crowd on the streets at Dubbo did not have the same cheerful unconcerned demeanour.

Historian Marion Dormer, writing in Dubbo City on the Plains reported W. S. Kelk, the Liberal candidate for the Darling electorate, addressed a hushed crowd of 300 from the balcony of the Globe Hotel in Macquarie Street.

There were loud cheers when Kelk proclaimed "Let us be thankful that we can still nestle in safety under the greatest emblem the world has ever gazed on, the flag of the United British Empire."

Captain Hearne of the Dubbo Volunteers, area officer for 41st Battalion, received instructions to enrol men for service as an expeditionary force, ready to proceed to Sydney when ordered. Preference was to be given to single men and those who had served in the military in the past five years.

Dubbo women were quick to support the war effort. In a letter to the editor of the Dubbo Liberal on August 15, 1914, Mabel Blackett urged women to use their sewing machines to make pyjamas and hospital necessities. Young girls and women without the means to donate could help by giving their time.

Dr Edmond Henry Burkitt advised the Ladies' Sewing Guild of the need to prepare warm cardigans and good strong socks with double toes and heels.

Church services were packed as congregations prayed for men who would be fighting on foreign soil. Mayor J. H. Ritter addressed an audience at the council chambers that overflowed onto the footpath.

Marion Dormer reported few in the community understood what the war was all about but "citizens of the Dubbo were extremely proud of the Empire and rallied to the call to defend it".

"Community leaders held patriotic and recruiting meetings at every possible excuse," she wrote.

"Over 20,000 men enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) which had sailed for Europe by November 1914, of which one-fifth was from country districts, including those who had enlisted from Dubbo. By 1916 the Australian forces overseas numbered around 222,000 men."

The war may have seemed like a game of goodies and baddies to youngsters but adults were beginning to realise it would take a long time to defeat Germany and her allies.

The terrible impact of war struck home with news of the Gallipoli campaign and long lists of casualties in newspapers.

At Dubbo the Red Cross entered the war effort and the council supplied a drill hall for recruits on the south-west corner of the sports ground, adjacent to a proposed new fire station.

Sporting clubs spoke of forming a reserve force to train men whose obligations kept them at home or who were too old, too young or unfit for military service.

A military camp established at Dubbo showground in August 1915, received recruits from throughout the western districts.

In October that year more than 1000 people turned out to greet the Coo-ee recruitment march from Gilgandra to Sydney.

The marchers left Dubbo with new recruits who came in from as far away as Bourke and Cobar.

By January, 1916, hundreds of newly-enlisted men had been trained at the army camp and Red Cross ladies were busy with hospital supplies and street stalls.

Public feeling was strong against all those in Australia of enemy origin, especially Germans. Dubbo Gaol was suggested as a place to inter "aliens".

Wounded soldiers who had been trickling home since the Gallipoli campaign were arriving in larger numbers by the end of 1917. The problem of finding work for returned men was of prime concern.

Marion Dormer reported about 40 per cent of all Australian men aged between 18 and 45 had enlisted.

"From the number who went overseas, one in five was killed and almost half were wounded," Mrs Dormer wrote.

"Sixty thousand Australians were killed in this war said to end all wars. Repercussions were considerable as few families had not been affected personally.

"Women lived in mortal dread of the visit by clergymen or nuns bearing the news of the death of husband, son or father. The loss of so many men meant large numbers of widows, orphaned children and grieving young women, many of whom would never marry, either through lack of opportunity with part of a whole generation of young men gone, or because they could never love again.

"As soldiers straggled home, tired from travelling and battle weary, their stories brought fresh anguish to those with men still overseas. Names on honour rolls and effusive speeches could not ease the heartache of those that mourned or comfort the men whose comrades had fought and died beside them in a bloody and terrible war."

Dubbo women played a significant role on the home front, undertaking fundraising and recruiting activities as well as organising comfort packages for soldiers.

Repatriation and relief committees were set up at Dubbo to provide support for returned soldiers and their wives and dependant children. There were plans for a club where service personnel could talk and provide care for each other and a proposal for a memorial of trees to honour those who had gone to the front.

When the guns of war were finally silenced on November, 1918, the people of Dubbo turned out in force to hear the news and the fire bell was rung until the tongue fell out.

The Dubbo Liberal of November 12, reported: "Somewhere about nine o'clock the church bells rang, the locomotive whistles shrilled and a thousand noisy means were adopted to manifest the popular joy at the arrival of the anxiously awaited news that the armistice was signed by the beaten enemy. At first the noise was of a tentative and spasmodic nature, here and there a citizen when he had read the meaning of the continuous train whistling, seized a bell or a bucket... and a convenient length of wood and belt it with vigour, until his neighbours came out and whacked a sheet of galvanised iron with a broom handle, or used a box as a kettle drum."

The newspaper reported the noise spread and increased in volume until it reached a continuous roar.

"Lights flashed on in darkened houses, people began to gather in groups at street corners and then gradually turned townwards. Soon Macquarie Street was packed with a surging, swaying, cheering, ringing, flag-waving crowd."

A day of thanksgiving was later held in Victoria Park.

On November 15, 1918, the Dubbo Liberal published a lengthy editorial under the heading "Victory crowns our cause".

The newspaper said success had come "after four years and four months of the bloodiest fighting chronicled in the red records of the wars of a thousand years. Right has triumphed over might and wrong."

The editorial continued "And so we have won. It was a titanic conflict. Never before has the grey old earth witnessed anything dimly resembling it. It was a battle of giants in earth and sea and sky. Millions of lives have been sacrificed; hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage has been inflicted on commerce and industry. The progress of several hundred millions of people has been paralysed for years to come."

The editorial concluded with "Truth has conquered and no more our cities flame. And morning breaks."