British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > Australian Military Insignia > Photographs of Australian Servicemen and Women Wearing Insignia

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-04-15, 09:13 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default Australian aboriginal A.I.F.

I have purchased a small collection of Australian Great War post cards which included this stunning image of an Australian soldier. He appears to be serving with the 1st Division and possibly 4th or 8th battalion but please correct me if I am wrong.

I wasn't aware that native Australians served in the A.I.F. but then I know very little about the A.I.F.

If there is any way of identifying this soldier I would be very pleased to know.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Well 014.jpg (42.6 KB, 74 views)
File Type: jpg Well 015.jpg (30.9 KB, 38 views)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-04-15, 09:41 AM
leigh kitchen's Avatar
leigh kitchen leigh kitchen is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,034
Default

Might this man be an immigrant, not a native Australian?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-04-15, 09:45 AM
fairlie63's Avatar
fairlie63 fairlie63 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Claremont, Tasmania
Posts: 1,366
Default

It might be worth trying the Department of Veterans Affairs website. I understood that an effort was made to identify and list indigenous members of the AIF.

Generally a man could not enlist in the AIF unless he was of substantially British descent but at least 3-400 Aborigines or part-Aborigines served during the Great War.

There is at least one book on the subject: The Black Diggers by Major Robert Hall, ISBN 0 04 520005 X.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-04-15, 09:49 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by leigh kitchen View Post
Might this man be an immigrant, not a native Australian?
He might be but prior to the Great War immigration to Australia was mainly from those of white European descent.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-04-15, 09:56 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by fairlie63 View Post
It might be worth trying the Department of Veterans Affairs website. I understood that an effort was made to identify and list indigenous members of the AIF.

Generally a man could not enlist in the AIF unless he was of substantially British descent but at least 3-400 Aborigines or part-Aborigines served during the Great War.

There is at least one book on the subject: The Black Diggers by Major Robert Hall, ISBN 0 04 520005 X.
Thank you for the information, I will look out for the book. The post card seems to be of an English type so we would be looking for a soldier who spent sometime in England and possibly served in France. If we could identify the battalion that he served with it should make identification easier.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-04-15, 10:52 AM
scotch's Avatar
scotch scotch is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Cairns, Nth Qld Australia
Posts: 240
Default

Private Douglas Grant, first enlisted in 1916 but discharged due to indigenous regulations. Re-enlisted into the 15th Bn AIF. POW, Bullecourt 1917. RTA 1919.
Cheers Scotch
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-04-15, 11:10 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by scotch View Post
Private Douglas Grant, first enlisted in 1916 but discharged due to indigenous regulations. Re-enlisted into the 15th Bn AIF. POW, Bullecourt 1917. RTA 1919.
Cheers Scotch
Wow, that is mind blowing. Could I please ask the source of the information? I can look him up on the NAA website but is there photographic evidence that confirms his identity? Were there other Aboriginal Australians in the 15th Btn?

Thank you again,

Simon
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-04-15, 11:31 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default

Are we talking about 6020 Pte Douglas Grant of 132 Albion Street, Annandale, N.S.W.?
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-04-15, 11:48 AM
High Wood's Avatar
High Wood High Wood is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,556
Default

I have now read his papers and found a photograph of him as a younger man with his foster parents. His service papers confirm that he spent time in England and I am pleased to note that he was awarded a pension.

The photograph below was borrowed from the Australian War Memorial site but I will repay their kindness by sending them a copy of my photograph.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Grant.jpg (17.4 KB, 30 views)
File Type: jpg Well 014.jpg (53.1 KB, 17 views)

Last edited by High Wood; 08-04-15 at 02:25 PM. Reason: Adding photographs.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-04-15, 11:49 AM
scotch's Avatar
scotch scotch is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Cairns, Nth Qld Australia
Posts: 240
Default

abc.net.au, We Will Remember Them.

Known indigenous members of the 15th Bn,

2294 Edward Maynard KIA 8/8/15

2796 Norman Priestly

1359 Richard Martin, Gallipoli 15th Bn, France & Belgium 47th Bn, KIA 28/3/18

I'm sure there are more.

Cheers Scotch
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 08-04-15, 08:59 PM
BWEF's Avatar
BWEF BWEF is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,646
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by High Wood View Post
He might be but prior to the Great War immigration to Australia was mainly from those of white European descent.
There was an Afghan community in Australia from the 1860s, and some of them married Aboriginal women.

I am not saying that this man was one of the children of such a marriage, but it might be worth seeing if any such enlisted.

There was at least one case of a couple of Afghans opening fire on Australian civilians at Broken Hill, once Turkey was involved in WW1.

There was an interesting two part programme on these "Afghan Cameleers" on the BBC World Service recently:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mnn26#auto
__________________
Orationem pulchram non habens, scribo ista linea in lingua Latina

Last edited by BWEF; 08-04-15 at 09:08 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 08-04-15, 09:03 PM
BWEF's Avatar
BWEF BWEF is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,646
Default

Some interesting stuff here too:

http://indigenoushistories.com/2013/...l-when-needed/

http://alh-research.tripod.com/ab_LH.htm

http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/ww1/2014...s-for-the-aif/

http://www.anzacwebsites.com/traditi...ginals-ww1.htm
__________________
Orationem pulchram non habens, scribo ista linea in lingua Latina
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 23-04-15, 04:10 PM
BWEF's Avatar
BWEF BWEF is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,646
Default

I came across this today.

"World War One's forgotten Anzacs: The Indigenous Army"


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-32281865
__________________
Orationem pulchram non habens, scribo ista linea in lingua Latina
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 24-04-15, 01:04 AM
rhodesianmilitaria rhodesianmilitaria is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 853
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BWEF View Post
There was an Afghan community in Australia from the 1860s, and some of them married Aboriginal women.

[/url]
Many moons ago I worked on a station in WA and one of the aboriginal stockman told me one of his grandmothers had married an Afghan cameleer.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 09:28 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.