Horse and mule sale in a Belgian town, during period of demobilization

Depicts a scene in a marketplace of a Belgian town where Australian soldiers are involved in a horse and mule sale. The marketplace is full of civilians, children and animals, a sign that the general populations of Europe were attempting to regain a semblance of normality after the war had ended. The Australian soldiers appear to be in a relaxed state as this sale took place in the period of demobilisation. After the war finished, all AIF units went into camp and began the process of demobilisation. In general, while the British appreciated the fighting qualities of the Australian soldiers, they were not considered docile enough to act as an occupying garrison, and so no Australian infantry were called upon. There were 92,000 soldiers in France and a further 60,000 in England, 17,000 in the Middle East, all to be transported home. By May 1919, the last troops were out of France, with 70,000 now encamped on Salisbury Plain. By September, only 10,000 remained. The last transport organised to repatriate the troops was the H.T Naldera, which departed London on April 13, 1920. Cecil Percival, was a cartoonist and illustrator. He contributed to 'Aussie', a paper for troops in the trenches during the First World War, also to London 'Punch'. He worked with the War Records section in London and later became principal cartoonist for the Sydney 'Bulletin', from 1920 to1940.