During the past two years we have been concentrating our efforts on expanding the number of known men of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage who volunteered to serve in the First World War.
Below are the names of 151 additions to the list published in June 2015 in the third edition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Volunteers for the AIF: The Indigenous Response to World War One. This named total enlistments as 945, a number which was subsequently slightly lowered in the light of fresh information.
The men named here are those who volunteered to serve in the AIF. Their records are contained in the collection of the National Archives of Australia in series B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers and series MT1486/1 Applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. Those with records in MT1486/1 were unsuccessful as were a small proportion of men in series B2455. The men whose records are located in MT1486/1 are indicated by an asterisk*.
A complete list of men identified by Indigenous Histories will be published in the future in indigenoushistories.com. This list will be prefaced by a detailed explanatory note and will be updated as the continuing interest in Aboriginal service results in the discovery of the names of additional servicemen.
While the majority of the new names posted here have been the result of research by Indigenous Histories we would like to thank those who have shared their research or given advice including Michael Bell Indigenous Liaison Officer and Margaret Beadman, Australian War Memorial, Des Crump, State Library of Queensland, Sandra Smith, Dubbo NSW and Peter Bakker, Cranbourne Victoria.
NOTE
Identification has been made from publicly available primary and secondary sources and family members. However we welcome corrections. As always, we also welcome information about the service of men so far unacknowledged.
Some issues relating to heritage and identification are addressed in Understanding the Numbers.
Each of the following names is accompanied by a service number. Where a second number appears in brackets this reflects the number named by the National Archives of Australia in June 2017 in NAA’s online database RecordSearch. This can differ from the most relevant number contained in a service record itself. When searching for a record in RecordSearch the number in brackets should be used.
Philippa Scarlett and Christine Cramer
15 June 2017
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER VOLUNTEERS FOR THE AIF IDENTIFIED SINCE JUNE 2015.
ANDERSON Robert Q22911 Depot (Q22911)
ARAN William N6516 (6519)
AULTON Gordon N/A *
AYLETT Claude 41
AYLETT Cyril 63236
AYLETT Lindsay 2288B
BAKER Walter James Depot
BEALE Samuel Edward Depot
BRETT John George 1886
BRETT John George 3251
BREWHOUSE James 4028
BRIGHT Stanley 4535 (2295 4535)
BROWN William Stanley 52635
BUDDSWORTH Joseph William 3971A (AKA Joseph William Hamilton)
BURNEY William 1821
BURNS John 1875
BURNS Thomas 1874
BURNS Sidney N/A *
CARTER Jack Depot
CHAPMAN Robert Arthur 2989
CLARK William N/A*
CLARKE Frederick 3693A
CLATEWORTHY Robert 1699A (AKA Robert Clatworthy)
CLEMENTS Ernest N/A *
COLLINS George 1621
COPLEY William Harold 5839/8840
DALEY William 3636
DAVIS Arthur John 2648
DAVISON Charles Henry Depot
DELANEY Myers N78126 (N/A)
DIXON James Depot
DUNCAN Bruce Stanford 57536
EDWARDS John Goldsmith Claude 5086
EDWARDS Lance Hampton 5087
FARRELL Richard Alfred 3618
FINLAY Willie N/A *
FINN Joseph Harold Roland N/A *
FLETCHER Joseph 435
FRANCES William Lindsay 3637
FRENCH Arthur John N/A *
FRENCH Percy Alfred 3295
GALVIN William John 1132 (record amalgamated with WW2 NAA record N42544)
GARNER Robert George 5105
GRAHAME James Depot (N/A)
GREEN Amos Depot N94991 (Depot 94991)
GREEN Clarence Clifton 6014
GREEN Harold Marcus 603 (Depot 56112 603)
HAMILTON Henry Claude 3162A
HAMILTON Herbert 3742
HARPUR Patrick Bertrand 2431
HARWARD Arthur Walter 17209
HARWARD Robert Percy 443
HEARN George 5352
HICKEY George William N/A *
HICKEY John 3041
HILL Percy 139
HITE Charles Ethelbert 2843
HITE Edgar William 2844
HITE John 411
HOOD John N/A *
JACKSON Charles N/A *
JACKSON Oswald N/A *
JONES David John 1677
JONES Sydney Gerald 1573
KELLY Edward 1986
KENNEDY Francis N84988 (first enlistment as Samuel Francis Kennedy N/A*)
KENNEDY Phillip N/A *
KING Charles Roy 804
KNIGHT Lilley 4529
LATWOOD Charles 5424
LEANE Edmund William N/A *
LONGBOTTOM Clarence N/A *
MAKINSON John 2184A (2184)
MARKS William N/A *
MASON Allan 1962
MASON Leslie 3412
MAURER Cecil Samuel 259
MAYBURY Edward N51831
McCARTHY Herbert 698 744
McCARTHY John Joseph James 257
McCARTHY John Thomas 3195
McFARLANE Robert Alexander Malcolm 1708
METHMEN Charles 6801
MORGAN Albert Joseph N/A *
MORRIS William Albert N/A *
MUIR Charles Andrew 55667
MURRAY Norman N/A *
MURRAY Percival Harry 1948
MURRY Walter Patrick N/A *
NEVILLE John Q20765 Depot (20765)
PEARCE John 5954
PETERS Harry N/A *
POWELL John 497
PURVIS Harold 2728
PURVIS John N/A *
RAWSON Alfred Chas N/A *
RAWSON Alfred Ernest 3339
READ William N/A *
REAKES Clarence Lancelot 5098
REAKES Leslie Marmaduke 2209
REAKES Mervyn Royal 1979
RICHARDS George Henry 601
RICHARDS John Alfred 602
ROE Cornelius Edwin 5187
ROGERS William Edward 68001
ROSE James Wallace N/A *
RUSSELL Daniel N/A *
RYAN George 57261 (Q23574)
RYAN Alfred James 1802
SHERRY Denis 2179
SIMPSON Charles Arthur 8969
SINCLAIR Arthur Smith 7776A (7776)
SINCLAIR Francis Darcy 2169
SINCLAIR Henry Edgar 2158
SMALE Walter Edward 794
SMITH Hugh Percival N/A *
SMITH William N12253 (Depot 12253)
SOLOMAN Harry N/A *
SORBY Charles Depot
SORBY Joseph Henry George 551
STAFFORD Walter James 1310
STAFFORD William Henry 1909
STEWART Herbert Robert Depot (7448)
STEWART Robert N94031 (Depot 94031)
STEWART Sidney Harold 899
SULLIVAN Sylvester 7879 (AKA Samuel Brown and Darcy Wills)
SUSAN Alfred 1406
TAYLOR William 2259
TIGHE William James 57648
TRINDALL William Buckingham N/A *
UPRIGHT Charles N/A *
URQUHART Edward 3294
WALKER Robert William Q20346 Depot (Q20346)
WALLACE George Percy 1931
WALLACE William John N88878
WALSH Arthur 2050
WALSH Charles 24222
WANDIN Frank N/A *
WATTS Norman Alfred Henry 2667
WESTBURY John James 2206
WESTBURY William Charles 421
WHEATLEY George Robert 1833
WHEATLEY David Walker Marshall Robert 326 and 6876 (AKA Weekley)
WHEATLEY William Henry Kenneth 1593 and 6146
WIDDERS Claude 66289
WIDDERS Reginald Ralph N95859 (95859)
WIGHTON James N/A *
WILLIAMS Archie N/A *
WILLIAMS Arthur Edward Depot
WILLIE Sandye Q23125 Depot (Depot)
YEO William Henry 3516
Indigenous Histories 
Well don.
Should be Well done.
Thank you Paul. My total listing first published in 2011 and added to regularly owes so much to you and the information in your website Centre for Indigenous Family History Studies http://www.cifhs.com/. This continues to be an invaluable source and is one of the first places I turn to when confronted with a suggested name or an identification query.
Hi there
Are you taking details from Australia-wide? If so, I’m happy to provide you with the details of another WW1 soldier to add to your list- with an interesting story of how his details were quite literally stumbled upon. He deserves, as all soldiers should be, to never be forgotten.
Thanks Rebecca, I would be very interested in hearing about this man and giving him his due recognition. We are looking at all states and the NT.
Hi, great work ensuring these men get the recognition they deserve.
I am a descendant if William Buckingham Trindall. Although we are Aboriginal, I was of the view that William was not. Can you please advise if you have any other information on this please? Thanks in advance.
Sorry Daniel for the delay in reply will investigate – any information you can give from your end would be appreciated
Philippa
William Buckingham Trindall and other Trindalls ares mentioned in page 66 of Don Elphick’s Alphabetical Index of the Location of the Aborigines at the time of their Mention
in the Minutes of the NSW Aboriginal Protection Board (APB: 1890 – 1939)
and the Aboriginal Welfare Board
(AWB: 1939 – 1969) see below
This is the reference we have used for William Trindall but if you have information to the contrary please let me know.
Trindall Bernard (b.27.12.22) 19 Jun 1951 EC Narrabri
Trindall Joseph Robert (b.2.8.25) 14 Dec 1948 EC Narrabri
Trindall William Buckingham (56) 18 May 1948 EC Narrabri
Hi Daniel,
There were two men by the name of William Buckingham Trindall, both descendants of the original William Buckingham Trindall, born circa 1831 in Maitland and not Aboriginal. One of the descendants was Aboriginal and the other one not. The non-Aboriginal one was born in 1889 in Narrabri (NSW Reg. 28941) and died in 1973 in Narrabri, parents William and Jane (NSW Reg. 70346). He married Clara Harris in 1913 (NSW Reg. 11056).
The Aboriginal one was born about 1891 and died in 1975, parents Bartholomew and Katherine (NSW Reg. 104801). His mother was Kate Purser and he married Rose Ruttley in 1919 (NSW Reg. 9487).
Christine
Hi Daniel, I too am a descendant of William Buckingham Trindall b. 1831 d. 1907 is this the WB Trindall in your tree line?
Hello Philippa – I would like to purchase the latest edition of your book on the WWI indigenous Soldiers for our family history society – can you give me a clue as to where I might buy it? I have searched the web but can’t find anything. Dianna
Hello Diana I would be happy to send you a copy of the latest edition of my book. It costs $30 plus postage.I can send to your address if you can supply it – preferably to my email address indigenous.histories@netspeed.com.au. I’d be interest to know where your society is located.
Philippa
hi my great grandfather is one of the new additions I would love a copy of your book please
I would be happy to send you purchase details if you send me your email address MIne is indigenoushistories@netspeed.com.au. Can you tell me your great grandfather’s name and if we have additional information about him we can send it to you. Philippa
Sorry Stuart correct email is indigenous.histories@netspeed.com.au
I am wondering about Herbert Barwick or Cickie Barwick who enlisted with the AIF.
Hi Raelene I am happy to investigate if you can supply more detail – eg where they are from and any other information you have. If you want you can email me – my email is indigenous.histories@netspeed.com.au Philippa
Hello Philips
I believe I am the great great niece of George Henry Richards. We think he joined the AIF with his cousin Alfred John Richards in Moree.
I have spent time looking through George’s record from the NAA and although it describes him as having a “dark” complexion, I can’t find anything else that indicates he is an Aboriginal man. Would you please advise what information you used to add George and Alfred to this list?
By the way, this recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers is fantastic work.
Thanks
Tracy
Have just done some checking
I wonder if Herbert is the brother of Robert Barwick already listed in my book. Robert Barwick is the great-grandson of Louisa Talbot (nee Blackman). His mother, Christina Wortley was the sister of the Wortley soldiers who I also list with spelling variations Wartley and Watley. Perhaps he is Cickie Do you know ?
Here are Herbert’s details on the NAA site. You can read his service record which is digitised there.
Barwick Herbert : SERN DEPOT 1617 : POB Dubbo NSW : POE Narrabri NSW : NOK W Barwick Nina
And here are Robert’s:
Barwick Robert : SERN DEPOT : POB Narrabri NSW : POE Narrabri NSW : NOK F Barwick Robert
Herbert Barwick’s NOK was Nina (Louise nee Trindall). I am not sure about Robert Barwick.
There seems a connection as both NOKs give same address Balonne St Narrabri see records
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3055148 and
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3055174
Robert’s father was also Robert.
Here is his birth registration
BARWICK ROBERT 23640/1898 father ROBERT mother CHRISTINA NARRABRI
This looks like Herberts’ birth registration
BARWICK HERBERT 15829/1889 WILLIAM JEMIMA DUBBO
Perhaps cousins Can you fill in more detail
Hi I was just wondering if I can find out some more information regarding STEWART Robert N94031 (Depot 94031)
Where can I found out his full name and DOB etc looking for my grandfather
Talena here is a link to is service record. I will email you with more information Philippa https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3013977
Hi
Was wondering how I can purchase a copy of your book
Hello ,
My great grandfather was Charles sorby.
I was just wondering how I could possibly obtain any more info on him it’s awesome to see him get recognition.