100 
G-B. Trot ter 
Figure 32 The breech of the rifle illustrated in Figure 31, showing the repeated stand number and issue marks for 
Western Australia. (Photo D. Elford). 
end of the old Volunteer Force and the beginning 
of the end of individual colonial identity in the 
military. In 1911, in conjunction with the other 
states. Western Australia was designated as the 5th 
Military District of Australia. From this time 
onwards the only identifying mark to indicate 
W.A. issue was the numeral "5", used either by 
itself or as “5th M.D.", "5 M.D." or “D arrow D 
over 5 , (Defence Department). These marks 
appear mainly on Citizen Military Forces (C.M.F.) 
arms from this period, like the War Office Pattern 
.22 inch Training Rifle (see Figures 31 and 32) from 
the W.A. Museum collection (NA.52). 
Pattern 1907 bayonets have been noted bearing 
Militia ownership numerals such as “16", "84" and 
“86", for respectively, the 16th Battalion, the 
Goldfields Infantry and the 86th Infantry. No such 
unit identity marks have as yet been noted on W.A. 
rifles, but individual unit identification marks such 
as ' 4 LH", "56 IB" and "24 IB" for respectively, the 
Fourth Light Horse and the 56th and 24th Infantry, 
have been reported to the author from the other 
states. Apart from the "A.I.R." marking already 
referred to, the regular army seems largely to have 
refrained from using state identity marks on arms, 
the numeral "5" alone surviving into more recent 
times. 
THE CADETS 
The W.A. Cadet Force is relatively unknown. In 
the 1861 - 1892 period the terminology "cadet" and 
"recruit" was used interchangeably, with the 
meaning seeming to imply recruit. The early 
Volunteer Corps are recorded as establishing their 
own Cadet Corps at Guildford, Perth and 
Fremantle. In 1883 they were issued with what 
were described as "Enfields, shortened in length" 
and in 1888 "short (Snider) rifles". 179 From 1888 
they also utilized a sub-calibre device known as 
the Morris Tube which was inserted into the barrel 
of an existing arm and allowed the firing of smaller 
cartridges. 180 These Morris Tubes allowed the use 
of service arms for training recruits and cadets. In 
1892 the W.A. Government began moves toward 
the establishment of a recognisable boys and 
juveniles Cadet Corps by introducing military drill 
into the schools. The Commandants Report for 
1896 recommended that a Cadet Force be formed. 
He recommended that the senior cadets were to be 
armed with a suitable arm, while the junior cadets 
were not to be armed (i.e., dummy rifles only). 
They were to be provided with Glengarry cap, red 
serge coat, trousers and brown belt. 181 Albany had 
attempted to raise a corps in 1895. Their junior 
cadets were issued with dummy rifles and Martini- 
Henrys were applied for to arm the senior cadets, 
but little more is known. 182 In February 1897 Cadet 
Corps were established at Perth and Fremantle. 
The Commandants Report for 1898 recommended 
that Martini-Enfield Carbines be ordered for the 
Senior Cadets and dummy rifles for Junior Cadets, 
"as soon as a pattern is approved". His successor, 
in his Report for 1899 states that these arms had 
not been ordered and the cadets were drilling 
without arms. Again, in 1900 the Commandant 
reported that a corps of 50 Cadets had been raised 
in Coolgardie and that 
"it would be a help if they could be issued with 
dummy rifles or M-E Carbines. These weapons have 
been asked for on several occasions and are asked for 
again." 183 
It seems this lack of arms for the cadets may 
have continued through until after Federation in 
1901. Treasury records show that funds for "rifles 
for Senior Cadets and dummy rifles for Junior 
Cadets" for the 1897-98 year were voted but were 
unexpended, the reason being "rifles not received 
