AS World War I raged in Europe, four Rutherford men stood on Victoria Quay with their rucksacks, unsure whether they would ever see their home again.
While Charles Rutherford and his sons Ralph and Richard made it back to Fremantle at the end of the war, Charles Jr was killed in action during a daylight raid at Messines in 1917.
Standing on the same spot her grandfather Ralph would have stood before leaving for the unknown, Marian Byfield said that while her grandfather enlisted for the same reason as most men " to fight for his country " he rarely spoke about the ordeal.
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READ NOW"Mum said growing up they never heard anyone discuss their time at war, Aussie men just didn't talk about that sort of thing back then," she said.
"It wasn't until recently that we have learned a whole lot about that part of his life. Of course there was another war in between which my own father was involved in, but I think most of our family is in awe that the funny, laidback guy who was our grandfather was such a big part of this history."
Her grandfather was a member of the 10th Light Horse regiment, leaving Fremantle aboard the Moshobra in 1915 and fighting his way through Gallipoli and a number of other campaigns before being discharged in 1919.
Ms Byfield said there were many emotions being stirred up as the Gallipoli centenary drew near.
"Anzac Day means honouring everyone who fought in any war, but I guess Gallipoli symbolises all of that, the men and women who fought and died under horrific conditions in all wars," she said.
"As a nation we honour and appreciate the sacrifice by so many for us, the future generations."
Charles Rutherford Jr will be amongst the 849 fallen Fremantle men commemorated on plaques to be unveiled during the City of Fremantle's Anzac Day dawn service.