enlistment
More than one thousand Indigenous Australians took part in World War One. The part of society they originated from lacked rights and unfortunate living circumstances. The majority of them were not allowed to vote, but they were treated as equals in the AIF and given the same amount of money as the other soldiers. Those Indigenous soldiers saw enlisting as an opportunity to show the Europeans that they are equal to them, and they thought that they would be treated better if after the war. However, the majority of them were excluded because of their race.
“I know of at least one Aboriginal veteran of WW1 who was not only denied his pay packet and his pension but upon his return was given the very same rags he had been wearing the day he volunteered and sent back to work on a station, as if the trenches and mud and the fighting had never happen”
-Gracelyn Smallwood
Recent guesses of the number of Aboriginal men who died or survived the Gallipoli campaign have varied from the mid-thirties to seventeen. Although it has been guessed that 500 took part in World War I, only five Aboriginals are known to be buried at Gallipoli.
“I know of at least one Aboriginal veteran of WW1 who was not only denied his pay packet and his pension but upon his return was given the very same rags he had been wearing the day he volunteered and sent back to work on a station, as if the trenches and mud and the fighting had never happen”
-Gracelyn Smallwood
Recent guesses of the number of Aboriginal men who died or survived the Gallipoli campaign have varied from the mid-thirties to seventeen. Although it has been guessed that 500 took part in World War I, only five Aboriginals are known to be buried at Gallipoli.
By the end of 1914, more than 50,000 Australians had enlisted. Those who were physically fit and were any age between 18 and 44 were accepted in the army.
"One man was told that his eyesight was defective and was twice turned away before a £2 tip facilitated his passage into the Australian Infantry Force. Rejected men stumbled in tears from the tables, unable to answer sons or mates left to the fortunes of war. They formed an Association, and wore a large badge to cover their civilian shame. Those who sailed against Turkey were the fittest, strongest, and most ardent in the land."
- Bill Gammage
“I will go, in my heart hating all the time the military spirit, rousing though it is...from love of empire, and for the good of civilisation. I will train myself well in the use of military implements, and forms which are necessary for our purpose, without being carried away by the blind, ignorant, heroic spirit which inspires warlike men who fight for fighting's sake alone...” - Private Percy Samson
Percy George Samson was a survivor of the World War and died at the age of 94. He had wondered for a long time whether he should join the army. The quote above is a diary entry he wrote about his feelings towards the military. Most Australians enlisted because they thought of war as a great adventure where they can fight for their country and become heroes. Unfortunately, 60,000 of the Australians who enlisted died in war and 156,000 were severely injured.
It can be concluded that patriotism, travel and focus are the main reasons that brought countless Australians to the decision of joining the army. If one's love for their nationality is strong, they would be willing to risk their life in order to protect its pride. War is also a great opportunity to visit places you have never been to before. Furthermore, if you are a soldier in an army, you have a duty to fulfill in life that you work hard for each day. For those who don't have any priorities, fighting for their country would be a great job to do. The people who did not wish to enlist were more concerned about their own and their family's well-being because the possibility of getting killed in war is extremely high.
"One man was told that his eyesight was defective and was twice turned away before a £2 tip facilitated his passage into the Australian Infantry Force. Rejected men stumbled in tears from the tables, unable to answer sons or mates left to the fortunes of war. They formed an Association, and wore a large badge to cover their civilian shame. Those who sailed against Turkey were the fittest, strongest, and most ardent in the land."
- Bill Gammage
“I will go, in my heart hating all the time the military spirit, rousing though it is...from love of empire, and for the good of civilisation. I will train myself well in the use of military implements, and forms which are necessary for our purpose, without being carried away by the blind, ignorant, heroic spirit which inspires warlike men who fight for fighting's sake alone...” - Private Percy Samson
Percy George Samson was a survivor of the World War and died at the age of 94. He had wondered for a long time whether he should join the army. The quote above is a diary entry he wrote about his feelings towards the military. Most Australians enlisted because they thought of war as a great adventure where they can fight for their country and become heroes. Unfortunately, 60,000 of the Australians who enlisted died in war and 156,000 were severely injured.
It can be concluded that patriotism, travel and focus are the main reasons that brought countless Australians to the decision of joining the army. If one's love for their nationality is strong, they would be willing to risk their life in order to protect its pride. War is also a great opportunity to visit places you have never been to before. Furthermore, if you are a soldier in an army, you have a duty to fulfill in life that you work hard for each day. For those who don't have any priorities, fighting for their country would be a great job to do. The people who did not wish to enlist were more concerned about their own and their family's well-being because the possibility of getting killed in war is extremely high.
REFERENCE
- Australian War Memorial, 2015, Indigenous Australian Servicemen, Australian War Memorial, available from: https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/aborigines/indigenous/
- State Library of Victoria, 2015, The rush to enlist, Ergo, available from: http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/australia-wwi/home-wwi/rush-enlist
- Korff, J. 2015, Anzac Day Coloured Digger March, Creative Spirits, available from: http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/anzac-day-coloured-digger-march#axzz3cYmQrDg4