FEBRUARY

I have been informed about an Aboriginal Nursing sister from World War One from North Western N.S.W.  She unfortunately died on the return voyage back home.  Unfortunately her name has not come up on the nominal roll of World War One.  Am still making enquiries.

Several names listed in the Reveille article do not show up on the Roll of Honour (my initial place to look), this may be due to incorrect spelling of names.  Am still making enquiries, but have passed the names into the 'later basket'.

The possibility of a Boer War Aboriginal digger is a possibility with news from the South Coast of N.S.W. informing me of a fella who went away.  I will be looking into this one later.

Finally, I have come across a possible very significant photograph from World War Two which features an "a group of fighter pilots" in 1942, there is an Aboriginal fella in the photograph and he is NOT Warrant Officer Leonard Waters!  The photo predates Leonard's achievement of being the FIRST Aboriginal fighter pilot.  Is this fella ANOTHER pilot or he is ground crew in the photo?   I'm still in the early stages of researching this fascinating photo!

MARCH

I have found several extremely interesting images of Aboriginal servicemen and civilians in books pubished during World War Two.  One image in particular with the racist title of  "White Boongs" - it appears that it is a drawing of fair-skinned Northern Territory Aboriginals in one of the Labour units formed in the N.T. during the war.

Another one features a very stereotypical Aboriginal running from a shark mouthed Curtiss P40 Kittyhawk that is parked at an Air Force base in the Northern Territory.  But the best image is a painting, completed at a date unknown but likely to be during World War Two.  It has four Aboriginal men helping a downed United States Army Air Force (USAAF) pilot through a swamp.  They are carrying his parachute and the painting portrays the helpers in a very good light.

While looking through the local bookshops I came across an excellent book about the Australian Prisoner of War experience. It is produced by the 'Australia Remembers' group and features the two known Aboriginal PW's of World War One. These being Douglas Grant (13th Bn) and Harry Hawkins. I couldn't buy the book but I intend to get it soon. When I do I will post up full details of book.

APRIL

Making enquiries into the possibility of an Aboriginal Victoria Cross winner in World War Two when I have the time.  Another 7th Division veteran I have talked to informed me that he was told the man in question was of Aboriginal ancestory.

I attended an Army drivers course during early April, on course were two other Koori diggers.  I will scan a few of the pictures that I took of us fellas when I can get to a scanner.

Today I was at the Aboriginal memorial today - Anzac Day - and there were heaps of flowers there.  Great to see that the memorial is a focal point of our community on this special day.

MAY

Operation Holdfast, the Australian Army operation to help the SES and other volunteer emergency services assist the thousands of victims of Sydney's April hail storm.  The 5th Brigade task force, consisting largely of part-time soldiers from 4th/3rd Battalion with some others from 142 Signal Squadron and   2nd/17th Battalion participated in providing repairs to buildings in the Roseberry and Botany areas of Sydney. 

The 4th/3rd Battalion platoon was commanded by Lieutenant Pearson (a Queensland Murri officer).  I was awarded the 'best digger' award by my platoon while on the Operation.  The trophy was made entirely of the materials we used to repair the homes and shops in the area.  This consisting primarily of tarpaulins, wood, screws, silicon and gaffa tape!

As usual, I made sure I took plenty of pictures with my trusty disposable camera  :)

My brother's girlfriend asked me to research a few names from her (Koori) family who have served in the Australian Army, well. . . one of the names (and his hometown) matched up with something I TOTALLY did not expect. . . . a CAPTAIN in the 6th Light Horse Regiment in World War One!  That would make this fella the first Aboriginal Commissioned Officer in the Australian Army (Reg Saunders got his pips in 1944)!!!    I will be asking her family to confirm the details (next of kin, date of death - 1931 etc) with the family.  If he proves to be this bloke then its history re-written!!!  :)

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