The shootout with military police called from Paddington’s Victoria Barracks ended a day of mayhem as thousands of soldiers from overcrowded Liverpool and Casula army camps vented their anger at an order to perform extra training.

The trouble began early on Monday, February 14, 1916, when about 2500 army recruits at Casula army camp responded to the order with an unauthorised morning walkout, marching to nearby Liverpool camp to complain. Many returned but others remained in Liverpool.

By 2.30pm another 1000 men left Casula camp “in an orderly manner” but without permission, heading to Liverpool station, AIF Captain Frank Smith told an inquest into Keefe’s death in March. As they commandeered trains to the city, the protest expanded to more than 2000 soldiers.

Liverpool police sergeant Dennis Coates told the inquest about 2000 soldiers rushed the Railway Hotel bar, taking £140 in liquor, smashing windows and rolling beer barrels from the cellar to drink on the street.

At the Commercial Hotel rioters took liquor worth £400 and caused £600 in damages. Convinced they should be entitled to free travel, rioters then rushed carriage doors or climbed through windows as trains stopped at Liverpool station.

“When the carriages were packed the soldiers climbed on to the roofs and the engines, any spot that would give them a foothold,” newspapers reported.

“The efforts of railway officials were useless, and the trains had to be dispatched not withstanding that soldiers were hanging on like flies.”

Reaching the city, half-drunk soldiers “formed up in fours” to march onto George Street, “keeping good time ... as if on parade”. The first column carried a Union Jack, regimental colours and a placard saying, “Strike. We won’t drill 40 1/2 hours”.

All discipline broke down as soldiers raided fruit carts, eating some and throwing the rest at each other, passers-by and passing motor vehicles and drays, commandeered by some soldiers.

With poor conditions at Casula and Liverpool camps publicised at a Royal Commission in July 1915, many observers were sympathetic and even joined the rioters.

A December 1915 report revealed the commandant at the German Concentration Camp at Liverpool agreed his prisoners were better clothed, housed and fed than regular army recruits.

A former training camp commandant had refused to issue straw for bedding, as it made the place untidy, although 1400 mattresses were available.

The report also revealed that from January 1 to September 30, 1915, 53 soldiers died at the camp, including 17 from measles and pneumonia, 12 from cerebrospinal meningitis, 16 from pneumonia, three from accidents and violence and one from alcoholism. The Federal defence department had agreed to decentralise Liverpool and Casula camps.

About 1000 Casula soldiers rioted in November 1915, smashing windows around Liverpool. Most were short of money and demanded drink, “which the publicans readily gave them”. Rioting soldiers also caused chaos at Central Station over 1916 New Year.

By mid afternoon on February 14, about 3000 soldiers roamed the city, met by 100 police who regularly updated State Cabinet and Premier William Holman. Hundreds charged a newspaper office to demand a poster saying “Riot At Liverpool” be changed to “Strike at Liverpool”.

The “strike” descended into chaos as soldiers raided city pubs, smashing windows as they demanded free grog. Fruit stalls in the Queen Victoria Building were cleared and smashed, and the German Club and Kleisdorff’s tobacco store damaged.

Military leaders called in 1500 soldiers as pickets to support the entire Sydney police force. Lieutenant-Colonel Marcus Logan told the inquest he had orders to lead 150 men armed with rifles and bayonets to Central Station, arriving at 8.45pm.

He told his men “to remember that the mutineers were comrades” and only to use their rifle butts. Soldier pickets were also instructed to fire low.

At about 10.30pm some 500 “mutineers were gathering about the eastern archway, and pressing the picket back”, Logan explained. Keefe was among several soldiers warned as the crowd swore and threatened the pickets.

After pickets charged the mutineers, rioting soldiers threw bottles and metal, then used a fire hose to drive the picket back. Shots were fired, which Logan believed came from Keefe. Logan’s soldiers fired 25 rounds, hitting and killing Keefe, 25, a 6th Light Horse Brigade private. Another eight people were seriously injured.

Among about 280 men court-martialled and dismissed, Private F. Short, 16, described “a big crowd ... nearly all the camp ... going from tent to tent pulling people out”, ordering them to “come with us”. Harold Neasby, 20, pleaded guilty to carrying a flag in the soldiers’ city procession. He said he was told that if he did not bring the flag, which he owned, then he would be “kicked to death”.

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