tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35376764445955682872024-02-20T12:56:02.600+10:30South Australian Aboriginal soldiers of the First World WarA project aimed at collecting the stories of Aboriginal soldiers from South Australia who enlisted during the First World War.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-4549017096808373072013-01-21T18:49:00.000+10:302013-01-21T18:49:26.600+10:30NINE new names!Wow, it's been ages since I've posted, but it's time I got back to it. Thanks to the brilliant Philippa Scarlett and her <i>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Volunteers for the AIF</i>, we now have another nine names. They include the three Waller brothers from Kangaroo Island, one of whom was killed on Gallipoli. Seven of the nine saw active service, for the other two it was the usual excuse ("medically unfit") which seems to be code for "Aboriginal".Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-58772521505570259482012-06-24T23:14:00.001+09:302012-06-24T23:23:34.560+09:30Two new names!Very pleased that two new names have come to light over the last week or so.<br />
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Firstly, 625 Private John William Stewart of Port Augusta, who served with the 32nd Battalion and is buried in West Terrace AIF Cemetery along with three other Aboriginal soldiers of the First World War.<br />
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Secondly, Corporal Frederick Prentice MM of Powell's Creek NT (and Wallaroo SA) who served with the 1st Pioneer Battalion. That brings the total to 38 Aboriginal soldiers from SA that saw active service in the First World War, and two that received the Military Medal for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">.</span></span>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-7835821011793374222012-05-27T21:28:00.000+09:302012-07-22T17:46:33.374+09:305476 Private Raymond Charles 'Charlie' Runga MM of Naracoorte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K-m_HB2o2PRZc1BIhzx_1k3GZMMc8fI4m5WnoQq84HhplJUBliecjZeW5FiKwvHesnA7EyB169A5DooQCV00L_uZDQBhYhGAj0oWu4nq1JH7_3snKmVINCTVag32fPnlPu-Sz7fN3zo/s1600/Runga+and+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K-m_HB2o2PRZc1BIhzx_1k3GZMMc8fI4m5WnoQq84HhplJUBliecjZeW5FiKwvHesnA7EyB169A5DooQCV00L_uZDQBhYhGAj0oWu4nq1JH7_3snKmVINCTVag32fPnlPu-Sz7fN3zo/s200/Runga+and+Church.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Raymond Charles 'Charlie' Runga was a son
of Charles Runga and Eliza Runga (nee Bourne). Charles, a widower, had married
21 year old Eliza in 1887 when Charles was 44. Charles was a renowned railway
ganger and ploughman, having been the first Aboriginal man to have competed in
a ploughing match at Mt Barker Springs in 1865. It was believed that Charles
was originally from Tjowilla/Chowilla country north-east of Renmark. Charles
subsequently worked on the Kingston SE to Naracoorte railway line in the years
before Charlie's birth, and Charlie was born at Naracoorte on 21 September
1889. He had two brothers, Arthur, who died in infancy, and Frederick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Charlie worked as a farm labourer prior to
the First World War, and had been working at Hopetoun in the Wimmera region of
Victoria when he enlisted at Mildura on 28 February 1916. After some much
needed dental treatment, Charlie embarked with the 17th reinforcements to the
6th Battalion (a Victorian-raised unit) on the <i>Euripides</i> at Melbourne on 4 April 1916.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">They spent two weeks in Alexandria before
re-embarking for England on 31 May, arriving at Plymouth on 12 June 1916. After
intensive training in England, Charlie embarked for France on 22 October,
finally reaching the 6th Battalion on 29 December 1916 where it was performing
rear area fatigues near Albert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In late January 1917, Charlie entered the
trenches for the first time near Albert, and the battalion rotated in and out
of the front line in February and early March. Charlie went sick in mid-March
1917 with scabies, but returned to the unit in early April for intensive
training due to a reorganisation of the battalion structure. They spent more
time in the trenches near Frémicourt, after which the battalion participated in
the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May, and the Battle of the Menin Road in September.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Charlie was wounded in both arms on 26
October 1917 on the first day of the Second Battle of Passchendaele. He was
sent to England to recover, and stayed there until May 1918 when he returned to
France. He participated in the Battle of Amiens, then was gassed on 23 August
1918 after the battalion's attack near Herleville Wood as part of the Second
Battle of Bapaume. Charlie was again evacuated to England. Whilst in England he
received news that he had been awarded the Military Medal for his actions at
Herleville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Charlie had been recommended for the
Distinguished Conduct Medal, but was awarded the Military Medal instead. The
citation read:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For conspicuous gallantry on the 23rd day of August
1918 at Herleville wood. During the attack, when the left portion of his
company had come under exceptionally heavy machinegun fire from a wood in
front, this soldier taking charge of a small party dashed forward to the wood
and succeeded in capturing two hostile machineguns and their crew of 16 men. On
another occasion, later on in the day, this soldier rushed forward alone over
70 yards of ground without a vestige of cover and despite point blank
machinegun fire succeeded in bombing the enemy from a communication trench,
thus enabling the remainder of his platoon to continue their advance. This
latter feat was a heroic example of utter disregard of personal safety and the
desire at all costs to worst the enemy, any man of which with one shot calmly
aimed could have killed Private Runga. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He left UK for Australia on 22 July 1919,
disembarked in Melbourne on 2 September 1919 and was discharged on 25 October
1919.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On 24 January 1920, Charlie was presented
with his Military Medal at Government House, Melbourne. Shortly afterwards he
was passing his medal around a group of men in Swanston Street when the medal
was not returned. It is not known if he ever received a replacement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">His mother Eliza remarried after the death
of Charlie's father. Two of Charlie's half-brothers also served in the First World
War, Arthur Henry Fox (who survived the war) and Samson Daniel Fox (killed
serving with the 38th Battalion in May 1917).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">After the war, Charlie returned to the
Wimmera, but then travelled widely, in 1933 he was in Moree. Charlie was church deacon and treasurer
at Darlington Point church in the Griffith region of NSW, and helped to build
the first church (pictured) in 1937, and rebuild it in 1944-45. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He married Emily Glass (nee Kennedy), a Wiradjuri woman, who already had several children from her previous marriage.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Emily died not
long after her son Jack passed away in 1940. Charlie offered to help at other
missions, and built and maintained churches at Cowra and at Moonahcullah mission
near Deniliquin in the 1940's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Charlie Runga passed
away at Leeton, NSW on 21 March 1956 at the age of 66 years.</span>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-70380927649519379562011-12-11T21:49:00.001+10:302011-12-11T22:43:31.285+10:301173 Trooper Alfred Cameron of Wellington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYMctnEKeeu9S8GWaT6trBqFq8BDTRgXOWH1SiTKuw4k2NR9nFvoVwAx06Jx0M6hiNhtk2RfdB5Iv44WQ6m3iU7lU9bYjtuAoHGzkrvD7Vpf5InpQ2bqoWiTRAR1ybKnOkXmRd7zORcg/s1600/ALFRED+CAMERON+NGARRINDJERI+ANZACS+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYMctnEKeeu9S8GWaT6trBqFq8BDTRgXOWH1SiTKuw4k2NR9nFvoVwAx06Jx0M6hiNhtk2RfdB5Iv44WQ6m3iU7lU9bYjtuAoHGzkrvD7Vpf5InpQ2bqoWiTRAR1ybKnOkXmRd7zORcg/s320/ALFRED+CAMERON+NGARRINDJERI+ANZACS+crop.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Alfred Cameron was a son of Alfred Cameron and Jessie Cameron (nee Forrest). He was born at Brinkley Station near Wellington on 17 May 1890.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ian/Documents/Military%20History/Aboriginal%20Vets%20of%20SA/Blog%20Docs/CAMERON%20A/Format%20for%20Blog.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> His father was a shearer and highly respected foundation member of the Australian Worker's Union.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Before the war, he worked as a labourer in the Meningie district. He enlisted at Oaklands on 15 January 1915, and was allocated to the 8th reinforcements to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. After seven months training, Alfred embarked on the <i>Morea </i>with the rest of his reinforcements at Adelaide on 26 August 1915.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He joined his unit on Gallipoli on 13 November 1915, just as winter set in, with cold biting winds and snow falling for days. Thirty freezing days and nights later, he embarked with the rest of the Regiment, returning to Egypt via Alexandria just before Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The 3rd Light Horse Regiment, along with the rest of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, was allocated to the Western Frontier Force immediately after Christmas. The Western Frontier Force was deployed to counter incursions into the Nile Delta area by the Senussi tribes, and Alfred and the rest of the Regiment operated out of a camp near Wadi Natrun about 50 miles west of Cairo. Whilst there, Alfred came down with the mumps, and spent most of February 1916 in hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In early March, not long after Alfred had returned from hospital, the Regiment entrained for Girga, about 300 miles south of Cairo, and commenced patrolling to stop the Senussi from approaching the Delta from the western oases. Their time in around Girga was very uncomfortable, as sandstorms were frequent and sandflies thick. They remained in the area until mid-May 1916 when they were relieved to return to Cairo by train. Within a few days they were riding towards the Suez Canal, and after a few days supporting the British infantry along the Canal, were sent into the Sinai desert to the town of Romani. By mid-June, the Regiment was having intermittent contact and skirmishes with Turkish patrols.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In early August 1916, the 3rd Light Horse Regiment defended bravely for two days against the attacking Turks during the Battle of Romani suffering 14 killed, 36 wounded and 4 missing. Nearly 100 horses were killed or missing. Alfred lost his horse along with everything on it. The Regiment, along with the rest of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, then followed up the retreating Turks, capturing Katia and pressing the Turkish rearguard. Returning to Romani in late 20 September, Alfred was awarded a week's field punishment after being caught lying down on sentry duty. In October the Regiment was sent back to Cairo for six weeks rest and refit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In late December 1916, the Regiment raided El-Maghdaba deep in the Sinai, capturing 284 Turks. After two nights without sleep, the Regiment rode back to El-Arish on the coast, many of the troopers recounting hallucinations of houses and barking dogs on the ride due to lack of sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In mid-January 1917, the Regiment raided Rafa, on the border of Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, but suffered 59 casualties before withdrawing back to El-Arish.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In February 1917, Alfred was transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Squadron, which worked in direct support of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, which included the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. After several weeks training, Alfred returned to El-Arish where the Squadron made camp. After a period in and out of the front line near Rafa, during which the 1st Light Horse Brigade suffered more than 50 casualties and 100 horses killed or wounded, Alfred was court martialled in July 1917 for refusing to take horses to water when ordered. Initially sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour, this was commuted to two months which he served at No. 1 Detention Compound, Moascar, in Egypt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rejoining the Squadrion at Rafa beach in early October 1917, he served until 28 October when he was admitted to hospital for a week, then again to hospital in early November with a corneal ulcer. After some training in Egypt, he didn't return to duty with the Squadron until May 1918, when the Brigade was in Jericho. The Brigade repelled a Turkish attack in mid-July 1918, suffering 21 casualties, the 3rd Regiment alone taking 358 German and 67 Turkish prisoners. After a bout with sandfly fever in August 1918, Alfred rejoined the Squadron in late September 1918, at which point the entire Brigade had been brought to its knees, not by the Turks , but by malaria. In early October 1918, more than 500 men of the Brigade were evacuated with the disease. Alfred was back in hospital himself by late October, and didn't return to the Squadron until May 1919. He embarked for Australia later that month, and was discharged in Adelaide on 26 August 1919, four and a half years after he enlisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">After the war, Alfred worked a number of jobs including shearing, horse breaking and fishing, and spent most of his life working on the Cameron family properties on the Coorong near Meningie. His mother Jessie Cameron died in 1928, and his father Alfred Cameron senior, in July 1949 at the age of 89. Alfred Junior died a few weeks later at the age of 57, and was buried in the Meningie cemetery.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Photograph: from Ngarrindjeri ANZACs by Doreen Kartinyeri, p. 18.</span> <br />
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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Ian/Documents/Military%20History/Aboriginal%20Vets%20of%20SA/Blog%20Docs/CAMERON%20A/Format%20for%20Blog.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> Ngarrindjeri ANZACs, p.18</div></div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-68616984117564998582011-12-03T00:15:00.000+10:302011-12-03T00:15:56.058+10:30New names - the Owen boys from RobeThree new names were added to the list today:<br />
6418 Private Edwin Owen of Robe who served in France with the 22nd Battalion;<br />
236 Private Frank Owen of Robe who served in France with the 26th Battalion; and<br />
697 Private Charles Owen of Robe who served in France with the 24th Battalion.<br />
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That brings the total to 36 South Australian Aboriginal soldiers with active service in the First World War.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-28709145804594086112011-11-19T12:19:00.002+10:302011-11-19T17:59:49.574+10:30New name - Stanley Livingstone CopleyA new name was added to the list today, 1975 Private Stanley Livingstone Copley of Plympton who served in France with the 1st Division Motor Transport Company. That brings the total to 33 South Australian Aboriginal soldiers with active service in the First World War.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-71890976772372783432011-11-13T13:08:00.001+10:302011-11-13T13:18:06.514+10:302949 Private Miller Mack of Point McLeay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-QyLJ5UR-vM18G5iyXfKJWSwq9h4Ak-Humh_54P8PnzLYPRPrR12p9ewFzn_ECh5N7RA3AgDAOmq09F-YzA4ri9Ub4Yn3a8caYpY0P767trhXy7KJq0U2Vv73PFdnN0BeEo2t2sK7tE/s1600/Miller+Mack+compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-QyLJ5UR-vM18G5iyXfKJWSwq9h4Ak-Humh_54P8PnzLYPRPrR12p9ewFzn_ECh5N7RA3AgDAOmq09F-YzA4ri9Ub4Yn3a8caYpY0P767trhXy7KJq0U2Vv73PFdnN0BeEo2t2sK7tE/s320/Miller+Mack+compressed.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miller Mack was born at Point McLeay in 1894, his parents were John Mack and Margaret 'Pinkie' Mack (nee Karpany)<a href="file:///C:/Users/Ian/Documents/Military%20History/Aboriginal%20Vets%20of%20SA/Blog%20Docs/MACK%20M/Format%20for%20Blog.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span></span></span></a>. He worked as a labourer prior to enlisting at Adelaide on 23 August 1916.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After initial training at Mitcham Camp (located in present day Colonel Light Gardens), he was allocated to the 7th reinforcements to the 50th Battalion. The 50th Battalion was a South Australian battalion, the sister battalion of the 10th Battalion, which was the first battalion raised in South Australia for service in the First World War. He sailed to England with the rest of his reinforcements, leaving Adelaide on the 'Afric' on 6 November 1916, and arriving at Plymouth, Devon on 9 January 1917. Miller was sick during the voyage, and spent some time in the ship's hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After disembarking in England, Miller and his comrades were sent to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford in Wiltshire for further training in trench warfare. During his four months training, Miller spent several weeks in hospital with colds and influenza. In May 1917 he boarded a ship for France and after moving through the various depots, was taken on strength of the 50th Battalion at Buire, northern France. A few days later, the battalion boarded a train at Albert, and were transported to Flanders in Belgium.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In early June 1917, the 50th Battalion was part of the Battle of Messines. On 7 June 1917 at 3.10am, nineteen enormous 'mines', large tunnels filled with explosives, were exploded beneath the German trenches between Messines and Wytschaete, which instantly killed approximately 10,000 German soldiers. This is believed to have been the largest man-made explosion in human history until the test of the atomic bomb in July 1945.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The troops which rushed across the craters included Miller Mack and the rest of the 50th Battalion who were supporting the second phase of the attack. They captured all their objectives, the Germans having been completely stunned by the force of the explosion and the following artillery barrages and attacks. Thousands of Germans were captured.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 50th Battalion followed up with a night attack on 10 June, which captured more enemy trenches. The battalion suffered 157 casualties during the Battle of Messines.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miller was evacuated to hospital in early July 1917, still suffering from a persistent cough which he just couldn't shake. He was admitted to hospital in England on 17 July with severe bronchial pneumonia, and by September had lost nearly 20 kilograms in weight and been diagnosed with tuberculosis. In late September he was shipped back to Australia to be discharged as medically unfit, but needed hospitalisation at Torrens Park and then at the Nunyara Sanatorium at Belair prior to being discharged in May 1918. He returned to Point McLeay in November 1918, but was very unwell. He was admitted to the Bedford Park Sanatorium for returned soldiers with tuberculosis, where he died on 3 September 1919, almost exactly two years after his diagnosis with the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He was buried the following day at the West Terrace Cemetery, just outside Light Oval which had already been set aside for the AIF Cemetery. His funeral costs were paid by the Army.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In January 1920, Mr Mat Kropinyeri wrote to The Register newspaper asking for donations to build a memorial for Miller at the cemetery, as his grave had no headstone. At that time, he was the only Aboriginal returned soldier buried in West Terrace cemetery. In response, a donation of several pounds was received by The Register from the patients at the Bedford Park Sanatorium. They wrote that he had a "kindly and manly nature, he endeared himself to us all, and when he 'went west' we felt we had lost a dinkum pal. Those of us who knew him in camp and abroad can testify to his sterling qualities as a soldier and a man."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end though, it was the Office of Australian War Graves that placed a marker on his otherwise unmarked grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzouNRwcdOVNraGRCpXmNJRxci2hZRza19RZRvryKhAV2j6-qksyj5_HdUxY2Nq-iz06xr_ut3Ukmn-xBQegE5E1DxVpiL1W-Ec8eKqGpNQuoyo_y5CsDA_tl-Bx1aokUS166s8sfgNE/s1600/IMG_0507comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzouNRwcdOVNraGRCpXmNJRxci2hZRza19RZRvryKhAV2j6-qksyj5_HdUxY2Nq-iz06xr_ut3Ukmn-xBQegE5E1DxVpiL1W-Ec8eKqGpNQuoyo_y5CsDA_tl-Bx1aokUS166s8sfgNE/s200/IMG_0507comp.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Photograph of Miller Mack: from Ngarrindjeri ANZACs by Doreen Kartinyeri</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Photograph of Miller Mack's grave: Ian Smith</span></div><div><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Ian/Documents/Military%20History/Aboriginal%20Vets%20of%20SA/Blog%20Docs/MACK%20M/Format%20for%20Blog.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> Kartinyeri, D., <i>Ngarrindjeri Anzacs</i>, p.26</div></div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-693651596144393312011-09-08T22:56:00.001+09:302014-07-21T20:47:29.167+09:301310 Corporal Gordon Charles Naley of Mundrabilla Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-oWx9PT4GxD-hwPLKe7BxBfunILC6qUosqtr1bwnR8Kswku_B2ovtl3_yqhteeLrB_aUKcajNTqKNZ_U0k4AYT3olawmYiQ8Ps3semp03vi6rI9Yh-nRwgmNj-zosUFAcmBOdjbhZp8/s1600/NALEY+Charles+Gordon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-oWx9PT4GxD-hwPLKe7BxBfunILC6qUosqtr1bwnR8Kswku_B2ovtl3_yqhteeLrB_aUKcajNTqKNZ_U0k4AYT3olawmYiQ8Ps3semp03vi6rI9Yh-nRwgmNj-zosUFAcmBOdjbhZp8/s320/NALEY+Charles+Gordon.jpg" height="320px" nba="true" width="218px" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Gordon Charles Naley was the son of a Mirning woman whose name is not
known. He was born in the bush on Mundrabilla Station on 20 January 1884, and
raised by his mother and her people. Mundrabilla Station was the second sheep
station on the Nullarbor Plain, and was established in 1872 by William Stuart
McGill and brothers, William and Thomas Kennedy. McGill's first wife died in
childbirth. He married his second wife, Ellen Angel Fairweather of Adelaide in
1889 and at the time of Gordon’s enlistment Ellen was named as his adoptive
mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Before the war Gordon Naley worked as a shearer, station hand, horse
breaker and drover on Mundrabilla Station, the Goldfields in WA, across the Nullarbor
and for a short time along the River Murray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">On 17 September 1914, less than seven weeks after the outbreak of war,
he enlisted at Morphettville under the alias of Charles Gordon Naley and
lowered his age from 30 to 27 years. He
was allocated to H Coy of the 16th Battalion, a unit raised from WA and SA. At
his enlistment, he gave his next-of-kin as Mrs Ellen McGill, his adoptive
mother, who at that time was living in Heidelberg, Victoria. By this time her
husband, William had died and she was a widow. After several weeks training at
Broadmeadows, the 16th Battalion embarked at Melbourne on 22 December 1914
aboard the 'Ceramic'. The battalion had left Broadmeadows after 48 hours of
heavy rain, and they were soaked and caked with mud when they went aboard. The
convoy of ships carrying the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade (commanded by
Colonel John Monash), of which Gordon's battalion was a part, arrived in Egypt
in early February 1915, and immediately started intense training near
Heliopolis. At this time all Australian infantry battalions were reduced from
eight to four companies, and Gordon and the rest of H Coy became part of D or
Don Coy of the 16th Battalion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The 4th Infantry Brigade formed part of the New Zealand and Australian
Division which, with the 1st Australian Division, formed the ANZAC Corps. On 11
April 1915, the battalion entrained for Alexandria, then embarked for
Gallipoli.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">For the Landing at ANZAC, the 4th Brigade were to land after the 1st
Australian Division. As it turned out, the one thousand men of the 16th
Battalion landed at ANZAC about 6pm on 25 April 1915. As each company landed
they were immediately thrown in to support the 3rd Australian Infantry Brigade
at the head of what became known as Monash Valley. They took up positions that
would soon be known as Pope's Hill (after their commanding officer Lieutenant
Colonel Howard Pope). They held Pope's Hill for five days under constant rifle
fire from front, flanks and rear, during which they suffered nearly 200
casualties, including 51 killed. They were then withdrawn to a 'rest' area in
which they suffered another 50 casualties from sniper fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">At dusk on 2 May 1915, the 16th Battalion was part of an attack at the
head of Monash Valley which soon became known as the Bloody Angle. By the time
the sun came up the following day, the 16th Battalion had lost another 340 men.
After nine days in the line of fire, the unit had lost two thirds of its
strength, as only 300 answered roll-call. After a short rest, the battalion
began rotating through Quinn's Post, an extremely dangerous and exposed
position within bomb throwing range of the Turkish trenches. This continued
throughout the rest of May.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Around 29 May 1915, Gordon Naley was found to be dangerously ill with
enteric fever (typhoid) which was becoming common on Gallipoli due to the
extremely unsanitary conditions. He was evacuated from Gallipoli aboard the
'Soudan' and admitted to the Infanta Hospital on Malta where he spent the next
three months. He was only pronounced out of danger on 10 September 1915 whilst
being evacuated to England aboard the 'Italia'. He was admitted to the Military
Hospital at Fulham in south-west England on 15 September 1915 where he remained
for nine more months. It was during this time he met his future wife, Cecilia
Karsh, the daughter of a local baker, Frederick Karsch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">It was not until June 1916 that Gordon was sent to the 4th Training
Battalion on Salisbury Plain to train prior to re-joining his battalion, which
had only recently arrived in France from Egypt. He finally returned to the 16th
Battalion on 19 August 1916, more than a year after he fell ill on Gallipoli.
The battalion had just suffered severely during the Battle of Pozieres, and
less than two weeks after Gordon rejoined them, the battalion was involved in
one of many attacks on Mouquet Farm. On 29 August 1916, the 16th Battalion
attacked, with Don Company as the left assault company. The battalion overran
the Farm, but were unable to hold on when large numbers of Germans emerged from
the tunnel system beneath. In the assault and subsequent withdrawal, the
battalion suffered 230 casualties, including 30 killed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Gordon and the rest of the battalion rotated in and out of the frontline,
reserve line and rest areas in two week blocks right through into the winter of
1916/1917. On 9 January 1917, Gordon was hospitalised in France with the mumps
but rejoined the battalion in mid-February. The next month was spent building
roads in rear areas after the withdrawal of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line.
In late March the battalion was involved in digging people out of the ruins of
the Bapaume Town Hall, in which dozens of Australians had been sleeping when a
delayed action German mine exploded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">On 11 April 1917, the 16th Battalion was involved in an a</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">ttack on the
Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. The attack was a debacle. Due to reliance on the
new 'tank' to support the infantry, artillery support was minimal, and after
the Australians had achieved some successes, the SOS signals calling for
artillery support were not answered. Even though the 16th Battalion captured
both the first and second line of German trenches on their objective, the lack
of support and inability to receive reinforcements meant that the Australians
were outflanked and bombed out of the position. Of the 720 officers and
soldiers of the 16th Battalion that went into the attack, only 90 managed to
return to their start point. The rest were killed or captured, many of the captured
also having been wounded. Gordon Naley was wounded in the left hip and
captured. He was initially interned as a prisoner of war at the large prisoner
of war camp at Limburg in south-western Germany, then later at Gardelegan, in
central Germany. One record from the time of his capture shows his rank as
lance corporal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">He was repatriated via Leith in Scotland, and arrived in London on 8
January 1919. Two weeks later he married Cecilia Karsh (known as Cecile) at the
United Methodist Church, Fulham. He reported to AIF Headquarters on 10 February
1919, but other than a short stint in hospital in late March, he was granted
leave until 4 June when he and Cecilia embarked on the 'Bremen'. On 1 April
1919 he changed his name on Army records back to Gordon Charles Naley. The
couple disembarked in Adelaide on 23 July and Gordon was discharged as a Corporal
on 21 September 1919.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Cecile and Gordon settled on a soldier settlers block in the Riverland
at Winkie and had six children born between 1919 and 1926, four girls and two
boys, although their first child died at birth. They named one of their
daughters Ellen after Ellen McGill, his adoptive mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Sadly, Gordon died at the Myrtle Bank War Veterans Hospital on 28 August
1928 aged 44 and was buried in the AIF Cemetery, West Terrace, in Adelaide. He
died from respiratory failure believed to be as a result of complications from
being gassed during the war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Cecile Naley died at Glenelg in 1951 and was buried at Centennial Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Both of his sons Edgar and Kenneth served in the Second World War. His
grandson Mark Naley was a successful Australian Rules footballer for South
Adelaide in the SANFL and Carlton in the VFL, and played at full forward in the
1987 Carlton premiership winning team. Mark returned to South Adelaide in
1991 and was awarded the Magarey Medal that year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Gordon Charles Naley's name now appears on a paver of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander War Memorial adjacent to the Torrens Parade Ground in
Adelaide. In 2014, the best on ground award for the Aboriginal Lands Cup was
named the Gordon Naley Medal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photograph: Courtesy of Jan James</span>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-3153233411229490882011-08-24T21:39:00.002+09:302011-08-24T23:15:32.360+09:307591 Private Eustace John Bews of Moonta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxO1Q87ODFY6uxrz8IFDvhwP8b3qxi2sDClkm9ptwS7J-GM4mNUg0xMAQa-NSnVY_mP6jIDinwbS9TgaU3p1i7K6DO1n08WIq3Qxc_kZ6mdKjyNNellkkpFDKOOlvYDbJDBGAxpGyfEM/s1600/IMG_1083comp+copy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxO1Q87ODFY6uxrz8IFDvhwP8b3qxi2sDClkm9ptwS7J-GM4mNUg0xMAQa-NSnVY_mP6jIDinwbS9TgaU3p1i7K6DO1n08WIq3Qxc_kZ6mdKjyNNellkkpFDKOOlvYDbJDBGAxpGyfEM/s320/IMG_1083comp+copy.gif" width="212px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eustace John Bews' birth was not recorded on the public register, but it appears that he was born in Wallaroo on 1 May 1886. His next of kin on his personnel record is listed as his mother, Mrs Jessie Bews of Moonta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not much is known about Johnny's activities before the war, but it appears he had a difficult relationship with alcohol and/or the law, being convicted for drunkenness on half-a-dozen occasions, along with a couple of convictions for theft. In May 1915, he had moved from Yorke Peninsula to the south-east when he was convicted of shop-breaking and sentenced by the Mount Gambier Circuit Court to six months hard labour .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He must have returned to Yorke Peninsula following his release from prison, as he gave his address as Moonta when he enlisted for the first time at Port Pirie on 21 May 1917. He stated that he had previously been rejected for enlistment due to the state of his teeth, but there is no other record of this earlier attempt to enlist. After it was decided that his teeth might be made serviceable by the fitting of plates, he was accepted and sent to Mitcham Camp in Adelaide. He failed to report until a week later, and promptly went absent without leave after a week in camp. After a third absence without leave, Johnny was sentenced to 14 days detention in Fort Glanville and the Army also docked his pay. Released from detention, he almost immediately went absent again whilst under open arrest. He was discharged on 1 August 1917 after 71 days service, as not likely to become an efficient soldier. His conduct was described as 'bad'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Six weeks later on 10 September 1917, an Arthur Walker of Hobart approached the recruiting officer at Adelaide and was enlisted. On 16 August of the previous year, Arthur Thomas Walker of the 50th Battalion was posted missing in action (presumed dead) after the Battle of Mouquet Farm. Like Johnny Bews, Arthur Thomas Walker was an aboriginal man, also born at Wallaroo a couple of years before Johnny. It is almost certain that Johnny had known Arthur Thomas Walker, and adopted his name as a means of re-enlisting. On 24 October 1917, Johnny Bews must have had second thoughts about adopting a dead man's name, as his records were amended to show his real name and details, including the fact that he had been previously discharged. He was allocated to the 25th reinforcements to the 10th Battalion and embarked six days later at Melbourne.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Johnny disembarked at Devonport, England two days after Christmas 1917 with the rest of his reinforcements and was admitted to hospital with the mumps. True to form, he would not keep to his sick bed, and broke out of hospital for 24 hours, resulting in another disciplinary charge. He underwent three months training with the 2nd Training Brigade at Sutton Veny near Warminster in Wiltshire, and eventually left England for France on 1 April 1918. After passing through the divisional administrative depot, he marched in to the 10th Battalion on 10 April 1918 as it marched into the village of Rainneville in the Somme. His records indicate he was allocated to C or 'Cork' Company.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Within days, the 10th Battalion, along with the rest of the 3rd Brigade and 1st Division were sent by train to Amiens to counter the German Spring Offensive. They were then thrown into the line near Hazebrouck in Flanders to conduct a night counter-attack at Meteren. The operation was a costly failure, with the battalion suffering nearly 80 casualties, many of them from C Company.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Johnny reported sick whilst the unit was out of the line in May, but returned in time to go back into the line near Merris in late May. He went absent without leave once again in the next rest period out of the line, but returned in time to take part in several successful minor operations during June and July 1918.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 29 July 1918, Johnny Bews was wounded in the right hand during the 10th Battalion's capture of Merris. After a long stint in hospital in England, he was embarked on the Shropshire on 1 April 1919 and disembarked in Adelaide on 14 May 1919. He was discharged on 6 June 1919.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He lived in Gladstone for a couple of years in the early 1920's before returning to Yorke Peninsula. He fell foul of the law again in 1924, this time for 'supplying alcohol to Aborigines' under the provisions of the Licensing Act. It is notable that his co-defendants included two other returned soldiers, Arthur Weetra and Lewis Power, who were respectively charged with drinking and possession of alcohol which they were prohibited from doing by the law. From the vantage point of nearly 90 years later, it seems ridiculous that three returned Australian soldiers could ever have be charged by the police for having a drink together, but these were the laws that applied to Aboriginal people for many years. It appears from the fact that Johnny was charged with 'supplying alcohol to Aborigines', that he was not subject to the full restrictions applying to those people considered 'Aborigines' under legislation at the time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Johnny Bews was a passionate advocate for the welfare, protection and citizenship and voting rights of Aboriginal people, having letters to the editor published in The Advertiser on several occasions in the late 1920's and 1930's . He continued to have run-ins with the law throughout the 1930's, including spending six months in prison for entering an Aboriginal reserve. In 1934 he was charged with possession of alcohol, but neatly argued that as he had been previously classed as a 'white man' by the law over entering the reserve, he could not now be liable to be treated as an 'Aborigine half-caste' who was not permitted to have alcohol in his possession. The police prosecutor promptly withdrew the charge .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He continued to write to The Advertiser, and during the Second World War advocated full citizenship rights for returned Aboriginal soldiers. In this he was supported by a fellow Aboriginal veteran of the First World War, Herb Milera . It appears from public records that he never married and is not recorded as the father of any children. He is recorded as working at a hotel in 1944.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eustace John Bews died at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 20 August 1949 and was buried in the Australian Imperial Force cemetery (Kendrew Oval Row: 17 Site: 26) on West Terrace. His name is inscribed on an Honour Board at Point Pearce on the Yorke Peninsula, and will be included on the Register of Aboriginal Veterans of South Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Photograph: Ian Smith (Grave of Eustace John Bews, AIF Cemetery West Terrace Adelaide)</div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-48316910448056145492011-06-23T20:53:00.012+09:302011-07-18T20:41:56.867+09:301822 Private William Clarence Way Ahang of Tumby Bay<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZTKn7UqQzI34zVEi_bKTSHst9J44s-kHwUzRgBgc8J1DvH8yeqgotkbaEQIR46c7U9368nF-Ivg8HmqqGvhFEyDJ7UyheHWUIr30cEQCUNFwoVShwTJOtPlq-ybMyeWXLOnMuGnFYX8/s1600/Will-Ahang-2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621385611048044754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZTKn7UqQzI34zVEi_bKTSHst9J44s-kHwUzRgBgc8J1DvH8yeqgotkbaEQIR46c7U9368nF-Ivg8HmqqGvhFEyDJ7UyheHWUIr30cEQCUNFwoVShwTJOtPlq-ybMyeWXLOnMuGnFYX8/s400/Will-Ahang-2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 115px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 113px;" /></a><br />
Will Ahang was a son of Henry Ahang and Emma Ahang (nee Argoon) and was born at Sheringa near Port Lincoln on 12 January 1887<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title="">[1]</a>. Sheringa is a corruption of the Aboriginal word tjeiringa, a type of yam plant which flourished near local lagoons<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title="">[2]</a>. Will's father Henry was a son of John Ahang and 'Topsy' an Aboriginal woman who was probably a Nawo/Nawu woman. John Ahang emigrated from Canton, China to Australia in the 1850's, and was working on Lake Hamilton station as a shepherd and boundary rider in the 1860's when he met and married 'Topsy'<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title="">[3]</a>. John Ahang was naturalised in 1878<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title="">[4]</a>, and was a successful farmer and landowner, selecting nearly 300 acres of land in the Hundred of Way near Port Lincoln in the early 1880's<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title="">[5]</a>. Will's mother Emma was described as 'a well-educated and ladylike girl' of Malay/Celtic heritage according to contemporary newspapers<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title="">[6]</a>.<br />
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According to research by Tumby Bay historian Geoff Stewart, Will's father Henry was a farm labourer<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title="">[7]</a>. Will was one of six children, two boys and four girls. Will only had a basic education and, like his father, worked as a farm labourer in the Sheringa and Tumby Bay districts up until he enlisted<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title="">[8]</a>.<br />
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<div>In early 1916, Will left Tumby Bay with other local lads with the goal of enlisting. He enlisted on 23 February 1916 and embarked at Adelaide on the Aeneas on 11 April 1916 at the age of 28. He sailed with the 2nd reinforcements to the 5th Pioneer Battalion, and disembarked at Suez on 15 May 1916. A month later he re-embarked at Alexandria for the voyage to France. After a short stint in hospital with illness, he joined the 5th Pioneer Battalion in the field on 13 October 1916. Other than a couple of stints in hospital with illness, Will served with the 5th Pioneers until the final stages of the War.<br />
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On the morning of 29 September 1918, the 5th Division was attacking the fortified Hindenburg Line. Due to the thick mist, the 5th Pioneers, tasked with building roads for horse transport behind the advancing American troops attached to the Division, somehow got ahead of the leading infantry and suffered quite heavy casualties. Six members of the 5th Pioneers were killed and many were wounded. Will was severely wounded, suffering gunshot wounds to his right arm, back, left side and neck. He was evacuated to England and admitted to hospital in Edgbaston on 6 October 1918. During his convalescence, he met and married Christine Rosetta Mortlock at St. Matthias Church, Earls Court, London on 9 December 1918, although he remained in hospital until early March 1919. Christina and Will embarked on the Indarra on 12 July 1919, and after arrival back in Australia was discharged in Adelaide on 27 October 1919.<br />
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After the War, Will took Christine back to Tumby Bay, and after staying for a short time with his aunt Margaret Ahang, Will and Christine took up a soldier/settler block at Carrow, near Port Neill<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title="">[9]</a>. It is believed that Will was amongst the first Aboriginal returned soldiers to take up a soldier/settler block in South Australia.<br />
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Christina gave birth to two sons, Melvin born in 1920, and Ian in 1922. Early on in their time at Carrow, Christine, obviously more accustomed to London than a remote settlement in Australia, apparently spent a whole day scrubbing the floor of their farmhouse trying to find the linoleum through the dirt, only to have Will come home from the fields in the evening to tell her the house had a dirt floor<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title="">[10]</a>.<br />
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Will suffered badly as a result of his severe wounds, resulting in his death at the age of 40 on 23 March 1928. He was buried in the Tumby Bay cemetery. Christine and the two young lads moved to Alberton in Adelaide after Will's death<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title="">[11]</a>.<br />
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Will's son Ian served with the 34th Works Company during the Second World War. Four of Will's nephews also served in that war, William Norman John James and Herbert Henry James, and John Henry Clarence Lathlean and Roy Albert Lathlean, all great-grandson's of Topsy Ahang.<br />
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Christine was hit by a drunk driver on Christmas Day 1980<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title="">[12]</a> and died three days later at the age of 83. She was cremated and has a memorial at the Enfield Memorial Park, Clearview.<br />
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Will Ahang's name is not believed to be listed on any war memorial or honour board in South Australia, but will now be included on the Register of Aboriginal Veterans of South Australia.</div><div><br />
Photograph: Courtesy of the Tumby Bay RSL Sub-Branch via Geoff Stewart</div><div><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title="">[1]</a> South Australian Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title="">[2]</a> The Manning Index of South Australian History - Place Names<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title="">[3]</a> South Australian Register, 9 January 1897, page 5<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title="">[4]</a> South Australian Gazette 18 April 1878<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title="">[5]</a> South Australian Land Selections 1869-90<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title="">[6]</a> South Australian Register, 9 January 1897, page 5<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title="">[7]</a> Personal communication with author - 22 June 2011<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title="">[8]</a> Geoff Stewart, 'A Soldier's Story', Tumby Bay Community News, January 2011, p.4<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title="">[9]</a> Geoff Stewart, 'A Soldier's Story', Tumby Bay Community News, January 2011, p.4<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title="">[10]</a> Geoff Stewart, 'A Soldier's Story', Tumby Bay Community News, January 2011, p.4<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title="">[11]</a> Geoff Stewart, 'A Soldier's Story', Tumby Bay Community News, January 2011, p.4<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3537676444595568287#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title="">[12]</a> Geoff Stewart, 'A Soldier's Story', Tumby Bay Community News, January 2011, p.4</div></div><div></div>Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-73263510653528962572011-02-27T13:47:00.007+10:302011-04-19T21:37:00.388+09:30Enlisted but discharged before active serviceThe following men enlisted in the AIF but were discharged for a range of reasons before embarking for active service:<br /><br />Frederick Thomas ADAMS of Point Pearce<br /><br />Eric Charles ANGIE of Point Pearce<br /><br />Frank ANGIE of Point Pearce<br /><br />Edmund BILNEY of Koonibba<br /><br />George BURGOYNE of Koonibba<br /><br />Willie COLEMAN of Koonibba<br /><br />Dick DAVEY of Koonibba<br /><br />Lionel HUGHES of Point Pearce<br /><br />Alfred Keith WANGANEEN of Point Pearce<br /><br />Wilfred Laurence WANGANEEN of Point Pearce<br /><br />Harold James WEETRA of Balaklava<br /><br />Hubert WEETRA of Point Pearce<br /><br />Ernest Roy WILSON of Koonibba<br /><br />In addition to those 13 men, there are several men whose names are known, but I have been unable to match the name to service records. Some of them had active service, some enlisted only to be discharged before embarkation. In some cases, I have not been able to confirm their Aboriginal heritage as yet.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-29073656389530555782011-01-30T10:44:00.013+10:302011-11-19T12:23:41.818+10:30Active Service List<div align="justify">The following is a list of 33 South Australian Aboriginal soldiers who experienced active service in the First World War. Due to difficulties associated with source material, this list is almost certainly not complete. It has been drawn from a wide range of sources, including service records available online from the National Archives of Australia (NAA), the NAA 'Bringing Them Home' project and other NAA records of Aboriginal people, the State Library of South Australia, State Records of South Australia, the South Australia Museum, Christobel Mattingley and Ken Hampton's book 'Survival in our own land', Doreen Kartinyeri's book 'Ngarrindjeri Anzacs' and the descendants of these men. </div><br />
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<div align="justify">Any errors are mine.</div><br />
<div align="justify"></div><br />
<div align="justify">1822 Private William Clarence Way AHANG of Tumby Bay, who served with the 5th Pioneer Battalion</div><br />
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<div align="justify">7591 Private Eustace John BEWS of Moonta, who served with the 10th Battalion</div><br />
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<div align="justify">1173 Private Alfred CAMERON of Meningie, who served with the 1st Machine Gun Squadron of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, including service on Gallipoli</div><br />
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<div align="justify">3027 Private Roland Wenzel CARTER of Point McLeay, who served with the 50th Battalion and was captured as a prisoner of war</div><br />
1975 Private Stanley Livingstone COPLEY of Plympton, who served with the 1st Division Motor Transport Company<br />
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<div align="justify">4529 Private Walter GOLLAN of Point McLeay, who served with 43rd Battalion</div><br />
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<div align="justify">5402 Private Daniel HODGEKISS of Point McLeay, who enlisted in Mildura, Victoria, and served with the 59th Battalion</div><br />
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<div align="justify">2345 Lance Corporal George KARPANY of East Wellington, who served with the 10th Battalion, including on Gallipoli, and was wounded on four separate occasions during the war</div><br />
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<div align="justify">3829 Private William KARPANY of East Wellington, who served with the 32nd Battalion </div><br />
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<div align="justify">3297 Private Jack LUDGATE of Oodnadatta, who sailed with the 27th reinforcements of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment and returned to Australia due to illness before seeing action</div><br />
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<div align="justify">2949 Private Miller MACK of Point McLeay, who served with the 50th Battalion and died soon after the war</div><br />
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<div align="justify">3015 Private Herbert MILERA of Point Pearce, who served with the 50th Battalion</div><br />
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<div align="justify">757 Private Hurtle MUCKRAY of East Wellington, who served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, including on Gallipoli </div><br />
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<div align="justify">1310 Private Gordon Charles NALEY of Mundrabilla Station, WA, who enlisted in SA, and served with the 16th Battalion on Gallipoli and was captured as a prisoner of war in France</div><br />
3422 Private Harry PEEL of Port Pirie, who served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment<br />
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3858 Private Lewis Charles POWER of Adelaide, who served with the 32nd Battalion <br />
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6879 Private Andrew James Enoch RANKINE of Point McLeay, who served with the 48th Battalion and was captured as a prisoner of war<br />
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7062 Private Ridgeway William RANKINE of Point McLeay, who served with the 10th Battalion<br />
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2042 Private Cyril Spurgeon RIGNEY of Point McLeay, who was killed in action serving with the 43rd Battalion<br />
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2663 Private Gordon Wilfred RIGNEY of Point McLeay, who served with the 5th Pioneer Battalion<br />
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3827 Private Rufus Gordon RIGNEY of Point McLeay, who was captured as a prisoner of war whilst serving with the 48th Battalion during the Battle of Passchendaele but died of his wounds a few days later<br />
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3476 Private Raymond Charles RUNGA MM of Ouyen, Victoria who was born at Naracoorte, and served with the 6th (Victoria) Battalion. He was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry at Foucaucort in August 1918<br />
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687 Private Stanford Wallace SIMPSON of Penneshaw, who landed with the 10th Battalion at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915, and later served in France with different units.<br />
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3626 Private Everett Luke SUMNER of Point McLeay, who served with the 32nd Battalion<br />
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3458 Private Wilshire SUMNER of Point McLeay, who served with the 48th Battalion<br />
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1428 Private Hubert Frank TRIPP of Victor Harbor, who served with the 10th Battalion on Gallipoli<br />
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6170 Private Francis Alban VARCOE of Point McLeay, who was killed in action whilst serving with the 27th Battalion in France<br />
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2466 Private Arthur Thomas WALKER of Goolwa, who was killed in action whilst serving with the 50th Battalion in France<br />
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6178 Private Arthur WEETRA of Balaklava, who served with the 27th Battalion<br />
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6177 Private Clifford Tony WILSON of Point McLeay, who served with the 27th Battalion<br />
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2049 Private Garnet Eustace WILSON of Point McLeay, who was mentioned in dispatches whilst serving with the 43rd Battalion<br />
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3006 Private Lush WILSON of Point McLeay, who was wounded three times whilst serving with the 50th Battalion <br />
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3967 Private Proctor Martin WILSON of Point McLeay, who lost his left leg due to wounds whilst serving with the 10th Battalion<br />
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My next post will have the names of the Aboriginal men that enlisted, but were discharged before they departed on active service.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537676444595568287.post-80855596467328660332011-01-28T14:35:00.006+10:302011-04-24T16:37:13.410+09:30A difficult birth...Well, I've finally made a start on this blog. The delay has been caused by my becoming involved in a project called the Register of Aboriginal Veterans of South Australia (RAVSA). Whilst this blog is not part of the RAVSA project, the work I have already done will contribute to RAVSA.<br /><br />So far I have gathered a total of 32 names of Aboriginal soldiers from South Australia that saw active service in the First World War, and another 14 who enlisted but were subsequently discharged before going on active service for a variety of reasons.<br /><br />The list includes one soldier that was awarded the Military Medal and one who was mentioned in dispatches, five who served on Gallipoli, and six who were killed in action or died of wounds. Eight were wounded, several more than once, and one was wounded on four separate occasions but nevertheless survived the war. Three were taken prisoner of war by the Germans, two of them after they had been wounded, one mortally. Three served with the Light Horse, and three of these Aboriginal diggers are buried in the Australian Imperial Force cemetery on West Terrace, Adelaide.<br /><br />My plan is to research each one then post a profile of them with a photograph in a similar manner to my Blackwood Soldiers Project. Unfortunately I have so far only been able to find photographs of about a third of them, so many will be accompanied by a photograph of their gravestone or their unit colour patch.<br /><br />My next post will be one with the full active service list as it stands.Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04485716248693136254noreply@blogger.com2