Examples of Aboriginal soldiers in the World War One Roll of Honour. . .
| Name: | COMBO, Benjamin |
| Rank: | Pte (Private) |
| Unit: | 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Number: | 6977 |
| Occupation: | Driver of Albury N.S.W. |
| Born: | Dalby Queensland (26 years of age on 13th October 1916) |
| Enlisted: | 16th October 1916 |
| Fate: | Died of Illness (Pneumonia) on 29th December 1916 |
| Next of Kin: | Mr Bertes Combo (brother) of Barambah Aboriginal Settlement, Murgon Queensland. |
NOTES:
Ben joined the army three days after his 26th birthday, and within two and a half months was dead. Ben is buried at number 40 Hollybrook Memorial Southampton, England. Ben is from the same unit that I am serving with, the 3rd Infantry Battalion. I hope to go to his gravesite one day and pay my respects. He is one of an estimated 300 Aboriginal soldiers that served Australia in World War One.
| Name: | FIREBRACE, John Arthur |
| Rank: | L/Cpl (Lance Corporal) |
| Unit: | 59th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Number: | 1637 |
| Occupation: | Boundary Rider/Labourer of Moulamein N.S.W. |
| Born: | Moolpa, N.S..W |
| Enlisted: | 24th March 1916 |
| Fate: | Killed In Action on 9th August 1918 |
| Next of Kin: | Mrs Lily Firebrace (mother), of Moulamein N.S.W. |
NOTES:
John was twenty one years old when he was tragically killed in the frontline. It was one day after 'Der Swartzer Tag' (The Black Day), where the German army broke under Australian attacks. John's uncle, William Reginald Firebrace was killed 6 days after John was - in the same town. His mother Lily, filled out his Roll of Honour card. John is buried in France at the Heath Cemetary, Harbonnieres. The sacrifice that the Firebrace family bore during World War One was terrible, of the three men from this family who enlisted, only one came back (John).
| Name: | MUNRO, Robert |
| Rank: | Pte (Private) |
| Unit: | 13th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Number: | 7288 |
| Occupation: | Labourer of Narrabri N.S.W. |
| Born: | N.S.W. |
| Enlisted: | 3rd January 1917 |
| Fate: | Died Of Wounds on 20th May 1918 |
| Next of Kin: | Miss H. Munro (sister), c/o Narrabri West Post Office, N.S.W. |
NOTES:
The family and I don't know much of Robert at the moment, what I do know is that he was forty years old when he enlisted in Moree (making him approximately forty or forty one upon his death), he left from Sydney on the HMAT* A18 'Wiltshire' on the 7th of February 1917, that he was single and that he was Presbyterian. Robert is buried in France at the Etaples (40) Military Cemetary. Robert's service shows that men of all ages were joining the army, and not only the young fellas.
| Name: | COOPER, Daniel |
| Rank: | Pte (Private) |
| Unit: | 24th Australian Infantry Battalion |
| Number: | 4303 |
| Occupation: | Labourer of Yarrawonga, Victoria |
| Born: | Moama, N.S.W. |
| Enlisted: | 23rd July 1915 |
| Fate: | Killed In Action on 20th September 1917 |
| Next of Kin: | (Father) William Cooper, of Yarrawonga Victoria. |
NOTES:
The son of the renowned Aboriginal rights campainger, William Cooper. The loss of Daniel had a profound affect on William who reminded many politicians later of the sacrifice of many Aboriginal soldiers in World War One. William Cooper was one of the driving forces behind the 1938 "Day of Mourning" events in Sydney on January 26th 1938 - the 150th Anniversary of the British invasion of Sydney.
*see glossary