Category Archives: WW1

ABORIGINAL MEN AT GALLIPOLI: THEIR SIGNIFICANCE TO ANZAC

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Indigenous Histories

The identification of Aboriginal men who are known to have served on Gallipoli has continued to grow from the 56 soldiers acknowledged in 2015. In 2018 the names of those who took part in the landing or arrived in the … Continue reading →

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ABORIGINAL SERVICE IN WW1: 151 NAMES ADDED TO THE GROWING LIST OF AIF VOLUNTEERS

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Indigenous Histories

During the past two years we have been concentrating our efforts on expanding the number of known men of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage who volunteered to serve in the First World War. Below are the names of 151 … Continue reading →

Posted in WW1 | 25 Comments

ALFRED ‘TINY’ RYAN : THE BOXING SOLDIER

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Indigenous Histories

Bogan River Tribe 1898 from the family album of Charles Jepson Morris, courtesy of grandson Bert Morris. Collection of the Local History Room, Narromine Library. Alfred Ryan is the small boy seated on a log. Sometime after 1917 the remains … Continue reading →

Posted in Aborigines sport, WW1 | 3 Comments

UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERS: THE REVEILLE LISTS AND ABORIGINAL MEN IN THE FIRST AIF

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Indigenous Histories

In 1931 and 1932, Reveille the journal of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia, (the predecessor of the Returned and Services League and referred to as the RSL) published lists of Aboriginal men who served in the … Continue reading →

Posted in WW1 | 14 Comments

IDENTIFIED! SOLDIER WHO LOST BOTH LEGS 1917

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Indigenous Histories

In June 2013 I posted a photograph of a member of the AIF in a group of patients from the Horton War Hospital, Epsom, City of London. The photograph was dated 4 April 1917. Close examination of this image shows that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Other non white Australians and the AIF, WW1, WW2 | 6 Comments

ABORIGINAL OFFICERS IN THE FIRST AIF ?

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Indigenous Histories

In 2012 Andrea Gerrard of the University of Tasmania identified an officer of Aboriginal heritage in the first AIF. This serviceman was Alfred John Hearps who volunteered on 20 August 1914 and served with the 12th Battalion at Gallipoli and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, WW1 | 2 Comments

CHARLIE ALLEY LIGHT HORSEMAN: THE SERVICE TRADITION OF THE ALLEY FAMILY

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Indigenous Histories

Charlie Alley was born in Charters Towers, Queensland in 1901. His father also Charles came from the Malay Straits and his mother Fanny Palmer was born under a tree at Canobie station near Blackjack. During the World War One Charlie’s … Continue reading →

Posted in WW1, WW2 | 15 Comments

FOUND: PHOTOGRAPH OF FREDERICK PRENTICE 1915

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Indigenous Histories

More research and a confluence of information has made it possible to identify a photograph of an Aboriginal World War One soldier in the collection of the Australian War Memorial. This until recently was captioned ‘unknown’ but is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Aborigines sport, WW1 | 1 Comment

ABORIGINAL WOMEN ON THE HOME FRONT: WORLD WAR ONE

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Indigenous Histories

While the experience of Aboriginal men in the AIF is receiving increasing attention the experience of their families – particularly wives, mothers and sisters on the home front has to date been relatively neglected. Aboriginal women’s stories are in many … Continue reading →

Posted in WW1 | 1 Comment

FINDING FREDERICK PRENTICE

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Indigenous Histories

Frederick Prentice MM died in Katherine, Northern Territory on 22 November 1957 unknown and without family or friends. Using the fact that Prentice had told a fellow worker that he had served in World War One, the Acting Superintendent of … Continue reading →