Australian South Sea Islander / Aboriginal, Thomas SAMUELS, Depot Company. Tommy (Pippie) SAMUELS was part of the South Sea Islander community living around Deeral, north Queensland, when he volunteered to serve with the first AIF in October 1917. Samuels was born in Innisfail in July 1896 to Thomas (Pippie snr) a South Sea Islander and … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Norman SAMUELS, Depot. There was a good turnout at the recruiting drive held in Singleton, NSW in March 1917, which included the young Norman SAMUELS. He stated that he had previously been rejected from serving with the AIF due being underage, although no records survive to support this. On his application he also … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Phillip PRINCE, 49th Infantry Battalion. Private Phillip Prince was born in Augathella, Qld to Edward (Charlie) Prince and Jane Boyd in 1891. In November 1915 while Australian troops were still serving on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Phillip Prince volunteered to serve with the first AIF, age 24. Phillip Prince was a big strapping man, … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Johnnie SAM, Light Horse Depot Regiment. John William SAM/S or Ah SAM was born in Tambo in 1899 to John William Sam and Fanny Auerbach. By 1915 both parents had passed away and he had been placed in the Westbrook Reformatory School, near Toowoomba, QLD. The ‘school’ earned its reputation as the most … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Ewan ‘Hughie’ ROSE, 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery Corporal ‘Hughie’ Rose was born in Brisbane to William Rose in 1876. ‘Hughie’ Rose who was known as a champion ‘rough rider’, football player and horsebreaker, had been residing with the East family in St Mary’s, New South Wales, for many years. Rose volunteered to … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Rob ROBERTS, Australian Army Service Corps. Private Roberts was a stockman working at Bluff Downs Station, near Charters Towers when he volunteered to the serve with the first AIF in August 1918. Just 21 years old, he was born in the gold mining community of Deep Lead, near Pentland to Lily Roberts, who … Read more
Indigenous Australian, Alfred ‘Bertie’ ROBERTS, 45th Infantry Battalion. Private ‘Bertie’ ROBERTS was born in 1899 to Matthew Mansfield Roberts and Kate Doctor at Goondiwindi. Just 18 years of age and working as a stockman, Roberts volunteered to serve with the first AIF in February 1917 in Moree where his family was then living. He left … Read more
John William Laycock [jnr] 4th Reinforcements, 4th Australian Pioneer Battalion. John Laycock was born on Highland Farm, Cattle Creek (Bungeworgorai) near Roma, in 1883 to Thomas William Laycock and Sarah Murray. His father who was born in Yorkshire, arrived in Australia in 1857 from England aged 5, along with his parents and two older brothers. … Read more
Indigenous Australian, John (Jack) MOREFIELD, 52nd & 42nd Infantry Battalions. Private John Morefield, born in 1883 was working as a timber cutter when he volunteered to serve with the first AIF in 1916. With no known living relatives, Morefield named William Dunn as his next of kin, having been brought up with the Dunn family … Read more
Guest blogger: Rose Wright, Arts Program teacher, Maryborough Special School After doing 1915, The Ordinary Soldier project, a second grant was applied for and received by the school to develop a photographic exhibition: Stand Proud – Lost Heroes. It was a photographic exhibition of heroes of the First World War from Maryborough and the Fraser Coast … Read more
