Remembrance Day will be celebrated this year on Tuesday, November 11. It of course is a very important day on the national calendar as it commemorates the armistice that took effect, effectively ending World War I.

It’s a day now in which we remember, recognise and honour those who have died in the line of duty. It does not represent the glorification of war, but the opposite. It reminds us that the cost of war is death and wounding. Often unspeakable trauma, both physical and mental, was experienced by those who served, their comrades, mates and families. War takes a toll too on the families, as broken men return or some not at all.

World War I did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France in 1919. The guns did though, officially fall silent on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Australia paid a particularly high price. Barely a family, town or community was untouched.

From the Australian War Memorial website: “For Australia the First World War remains the costliest conflict in terms of deaths and casualties. From a population of fewer than five million, 416,509 men enlisted, of whom more than 60,000 were killed and more than 160,000 men wounded, gassed or taken prisoner.”

Think about and reflect on those figures, 60,000 killed — more than one per cent of the entire Australian population.

Others served, including many women, who became nurses and cared for the troops. Their commitment must be equally recognised. Names such as Grace Wilson, Alice Ross King and Elsie Cook became known through the ABC series Anzac Girls, broadcast in 2014.

Locally a number of women served from the district.

One group who should be remembered were Australian Indigenous servicemen. Aboriginal Australians have served the nation in every conflict and war since federation in 1901, yet their names are not readily recalled.

Officially they could not enlist. Yet, it is believed over 1000 Indigenous Australians fought in World War I. In 1914 Aboriginals who tried to enlist were rejected on racial grounds. By 1917 after the failure of the first conscription referendum and recruitment became more difficult, regulations were relaxed.

A new order was given. It stated: “Half castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force provided that the examining medical officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin.”

The situation was little better in World War II. In the beginning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were able to enlist. In 1940, however, the Defence Service Board determined Indigenous enlistment was neither necessary nor desirable. They felt that white Australians would object to serving with them.

When Japan entered the war, the need for increased numbers of soldiers resulted in loosening of the restrictions.

A number of Aboriginal people went on to serve with distinction, yet few Australians have heard of them. One of those was Len Waters.

Waters enlisted in the RAAF piloting a Kittyhawk fighter with 78 Squadron. Walters grew up admiring Charles Kingsford Smith and Amy Johnson. He joined the RAAF in 1942, going on to fly 95 sorties. He served in Dutch New Guinea (now part of Indonesia) and Borneo. Waters was an ace, with at least eight confirmed kills.

His story has been documented by Australian historian Peter Rees in his book The Missing Man.

Another man who served was Reginald Walter Saunders. Saunders was the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian Army.

Saunders first enlisted with his brother Harry in World War II. Harry was killed in action in New Guinea. Reg was wounded, having been shot in the knee in a separate action. He returned to his battalion after his recovery.

He served in Korea and was promoted to command a rifle company. He served as Officer Commanding, C Company 3 RAR.

In Shepparton there is a mural of Daniel Cooper. Cooper was the son of Aboriginal leader William Cooper. William Cooper himself is an impressive man and he is honoured with a bust in Shepparton’s Queen’s Gardens.

Daniel Cooper enlisted in the AIF in World War I and served in the 24th Infantry Battalion. Like another 46,000 Australians, he was killed on the Western Front. He never returned and he lies in a grave at Ypres, Belgium.

Australia’s official World War I historian, Charles Bean, the driver behind the establishment of the Australian War Memorial, mentioned only one Indigenous soldier. That one man was William Irwin.

Private Irwin was considered an exemplary soldier. A member of the 33rd Battalion, he fought at Messines and at Villers-Bretonneux. He earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal and was the first Aboriginal Australian to be decorated for bravery.

“Single handed and in the face of extremely heavy fire, Private Irwin rushed three separate machine gun posts and captured the three guns and crews.”

Sadly in this action, he was wounded and died from his injuries.

“It was a ‘daring action’ but also one that claimed William Irwin’s life. He died of shrapnel wounds the following day and was buried, thousands of miles from his ancestral lands, in a cemetery on the Somme.“

His story was published in One Hundred Stories by the School of History, Australian National University.

At sea, in the air or on the battlefield, these men were regarded by their comrades as equals. Yet many returned to racism and discrimination back in Australia.

Despite his skills learned in the air, Waters had to return to work as a shearer. Indigenous servicemen were denied land under the soldier settlement schemes.

Many of us recall the names of Pompey Elliott, Simpson and his Donkey, Keith Payne, Roden Cutler, but know little about Indigenous service.

— Peter Sutton, formerly of Yarroweyah and Cobram

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