The 29th Battalion was formed in Victoria and served briefly in Egypt before being sent to serve on the Western Front. It fought in many of the wars greatest battles and it's casualty list was testament to it's fighting prowess.

On the 22nd July 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Wilton Bennett was appointed to command the newly formed battalion, although the 29th wasn't officially formed until the 10th August. The battalion was trained at Broadmeadows, and during first few weeks the battalion suffered from a server shortage of rifles.

On the 9th November 1915 the battalion boarded the troopship A11 Ascanius at Port Melbourne and sailed the next day for "destination unknown". For many men in the battalion this would be the last time they would ever see the city of Melbourne.

The Ascanius crossed the equator on the 27th November and berthed at Port Suez on the 7th December. The health of the battalion was excellent with all men having been vacinated during the voyage. teeth were also checked by the regimental medical officer. Time during the voyage was spent in numerous ways with target practice being the most popular. The first troops ashore were an advance party which left to set up a camp for the rest of the Battalion. Not long after the remainder of the battalion boarded trains for the trip to Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis, which is just outside of Cairo.

On 21st March the battalion was inspected by the Prince of Wales, who observed the battalion carring out company drill. On June 23 at 8am the ships carring the battalion berthed at Marseilles. Quickly boarding trains, within a few days they had arrived atMorbecque, a small village to the south of Hazebrouck where they were visited by Generals Birdwood, McCay and Tivey.

At midnight on the 10th July 1916 the battalion finally took over 1000 yards of trench when it relieved the 13th battalion.