By the last year of the Great War, Australian infantry on the Western Front had developed to a highly capable and professional standard. The Anzac legend cannot account for this evolution; effectiveness was hard earned through the rigours of systematic training, and in a specialist schooling system common across the entire British Force. The corollary is clear. Australian infantry progressed because of their ties to the British Empire. Indeed, by the time that Australians arrived on the Western Front, monumental developments in small arms and quick firing weapons were precipitating a complete rewrite of the tactical methods employed by small infantry units in the BEF. Because of this, by 1918, effectiveness equated to standardised training, operational experience and technical mastery. The Anzac myth pays little credence to such matters – even less to the dull aspects of logistics and fire support, most of which was supplied to the Australian infantry by Britain. In concert with the wider force, by 1918, Australian infantry had developed to a point where they were well trained, technically savvy and battle hardened.