 In mid-March 1916, the 28th was transferred to France, as part of the first body of Australian troops to deploy to the European battlefield.In early April, the 28th Battalion entered the front line around Armentières, holding the right hand sector of the 7th Brigade's line.For the next two-and-a-half years, they would fight in the trenches of the Western Front in both Belgium and France and take part in numerous battles.