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the total number of Queensland men listed in the 1931 Reveille, 154, (of whom only 109 actually enlisted from Queensland) is contradicted by a statement made in 1940 by the Queensland Department of Native Affairs about the service of what it referred to as ‘half-bloods’: ‘In the War 1914-1918 some 200 coloured people of whom this Department was aware, and there would be others, enlisted and served overseas.’ (NAA: MP508/1, 275/750/1310 Aborigines Enlisted in AIF). The observation supports the contention that local inquiries rather than the records of the Chief Protector were the source of the names provided to Reveille. Just one of the Queensland men who were not listed by Reveille was Charles Alley , who with Martin Blyth was the subject of press and RSL attention in 1930, the year prior to the survey: The bad old convict days ‘ of Australia are recalled by the banishment from the mainland ‘ to Palm Island of two half-caste aborigines — Martin Blyth and Charles Alley— both returned soldiers … the Returned Soldiers’ League in Northern Queensland are protesting “to the authorities, at what they call the ” barbarous treatment” of the two men. (Evening News (Rockhampton, Qld.) 17 May 1930:5.) Of the two, Blyth was listed by Reveille, and Alley was not, demonstrating the hit-and-miss nature of the name collection process. Similar comments apply to the Victorian list. Amongst others omitted by Reveille were six Aboriginal men whose names appear on the honor board from the Lake Condah mission church. The Aboriginality of one of these Herbert Winter was noted as ‘complexion black’ in his service record Source: indigenoushistories.com/2016/03/29/understanding-the-numb....

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Thanks Kaye. I have fixed the problem.

David duly completed the AIF enlistment form – called the ‘Attestation Paper’. He confirmed his age, occupation, and marital status and noted that his home was in Queensland. David advised that his next of kin was ‘(Sister) Robertson Y M’. On the second page of the Attestation Paper he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, David AYA … swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” David was assigned the AIF service number 8071 which would appear on his active service and medical records. Source: memories.net/timeline/david-aya-21022