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“X” – The Life and Death of a Courageous Digger 1 JULY, 2016 BY QUEENSLAND STATE ARCHIVES Private William (Billy) Elsdale. Believed to be the first Aboriginal digger to die during action in France, Billy’s sacrifice is acknowledged in this letter from W P Vance to Anthony Ogden: “I read in the papers some queer British names amongst those volunteering from Australia, Ah Chay and Ah Foo. Britishers these, yes, more British in spirit than many who bear old English names and Billy Elsdale, aboriginal half-caste, killed in France, and hundreds of our men with German names, more British than many of our own race.” It is estimated that over 1000 Aboriginal Australians enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, although many were rejected on the grounds of race. Billy Elsdale found himself accepted and he enlisted on 10 September 1915, at the age of 28. A recipient of exemption from the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 since 1910, Billy gained employment in 1913 as a police tracker. Working under the command of Sub Inspector Graham of Charleville, Billy was described by Graham as “25 years old … 10 stone 9 lbs … and a good horsemen and bushman”. However, Billy wanted to enlist, and his AIF enlistment papers offers some insight into the man. The Army Medical Officer wrote the term “Half cast” for Billy’s “complexion” on his certificate of medical examination. At just over 6 feet, Billy was taller than average. He had black hair and brown eyes, and his religious denomination was Roman Catholic. For his next of kin, Billy nominated his friend, Jack Cockrane of Charleville, instead of his parents. Billy pledged with an “X” to truly serve his Sovereign Lord the King, in the Australian Imperial Force, for the duration of the war. Source: blogs.archives.qld.gov.au/2016/07/01/x-the-life-and-death...

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

Remembrance Day: Tragic story of WWI veteran Albert Burke who died alone in the bush Albert Burke may have served his country and fought on the Western Front but when he returned home, he was forced onto a mission and later died in the bush — alone. He was one of 850 Indigenous men who fought in WWI thinking their loyalty would be rewarded with better treatment. Instead, they returned to the same oppression. There was no freedom for Burke upon return from the war, except for a brief few years when he was granted an exemption from Queensland's Aboriginal Protection Act, but this was revoked. He was then sent to Woorabinda, a mission in central Queensland known as a punishment place in the 1930s. Records show Burke worked as a gardener for the school's headmaster from then until his death in 1954. Refused a lift so he walked 50km Burke was returning by train to the nearby town of Duaringa, a 60-kilometre drive from the mission. He phoned the mission's superintendent to ask if the local truck driver who transported goods between the town and Woorabinda would be able to give him a lift back. The answer was 'no'. "Then that old fella, he decided to walk, right there to Charley's Creek, and he must have felt crook or something and went and had a spell and sat on a log," Mr Munns said. "He must have got sick, and people were saying they saw him — an old Aboriginal fella sitting on a log just through the fence." That is where Burke's body was found, by an old woman mustering cattle, 10 kilometres from Duaringa. No one could identify his remains but he must have been wearing his military medals because these were sent to Canberra for identification and came back as Al Burke. "The man fought for his country, and they left him to die in the bush, that's what my dad said," Mr Munns said. "He was swearing like hell when he found out: 'My old brother fought for this bloody country and they let him die in the bloody paddock like a bloody animal'. "Poor old fella." Source: www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-09/armistice-day-tragic-story...