Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"William Reginald Rawlings was one of many Aboriginal men from the Framlingham Aboriginal Station in the Western Districts of Victoria who enlisted in WW1. Rawlings enlisted on 20 March 1916 and embarked on 1 August from Melbourne aboard the HMAT Orsova and joined the 29th Battalion on the Western Front. Rawlings was awarded the Military Medal for bravery during the heavy fighting along the Morlancourt Ridge on the night 28 – 29 July 1918.

 ‘At MORLANCOURT on night 28/29th July 1918. During the attack on enemy system this soldier had the responsible position of first bayonet man in a bombing team which worked down the enemy C.T., routed the enemy established a block in the trenches. Private Rawlings displayed rare bravery in the performance of his duty killing many of the enemy, rushing aside all opposition and cleared the way effectively for the bombers of his team. His irresistible dash and courage set a wonderful example to the remainder of the team.’ Source: ‘Commonwealth Gazette’ No. 36

Pte Rawlings was killed in action, aged 27 on 9 August 1918, during the capture of Vauvillers, France and is buried in the Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres." - SOURCE (blogs.slq.qld.gov.au)

François Berthout, Australia and NZ in WWI

Today, to commemorate his life and the day of his death, it is with deep gratitude that I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 3603 William Reginald Rawlings who fought in the 29th Australian Infantry Battalion and who was killed in action 102 years ago, on August 9, 1918 at the age of 27 on the Somme front.

William Reginald Rawlings, know as Bill, was born on December 1, 1890 in Purnim, Victoria and he was the only son of William Rawlings and Elizabeth Mary Rawlings (née Gorrie).Bill's family were well-known and respected members of the Framlingham Aboriginal community and of the wider local community. William Rawlings senior was noted as an athlete. The family has among its descendants the boxer Lionel Rose and Reg Saunders, distinguished soldier of the second world war and the Korean War and first Aborigine to gain commissioned rank in the army.The Rawlings took an active part in opposing the policy of the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines whose aim in the late nineteenth century was to remove able-bodied 'half-castes' from Aboriginal stations and to close the stations. Framlingham was closed in 1890. Many Aborigines, including the Rawlings, refused to move. As a result a small area of land was reserved for Aboriginal use. The Rawlings fought hard to stay on that land. Framlingham remained their home except for a period of forced removal to the Lake Condah Aboriginal station in 1898-1900. William senior was the Framlingham community representative presented to the Prince of Wales at a reception at Camperdown in 1920."Bill" was educated at Purnim Public School and before the war he was a horse breaker in and around the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve in western Victoria.

Although Aboriginal men were officially prohibited from enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force, Bill Rawlings was one of the many indigenous Australians who applied anyway. He enlisted on March 14, 1916 at Geelong, Victoria, in the 29th Australian Infantry Battalion, 8th Reinforcement, and embarked with his unit from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A67 Orsova on August 1, 1916 and sailed for England where he arrived on September 14 in Plymouth and joined the 8th Training Battalion then he embarked from Folkestone on November 12, 1916 for France and he was disembarked the next day,on November 13th at Etaples and joined the 29th Australian Infantry Battalion in the Somme.

Bill's health suffered in his first year in France. He had serious problems with trench foot and was eventually evacuated to England to recover. In late 1917 he rejoined his unit and went on to serve with distinction. In July 1918 the 29th Battalion took part in the advance along Morlancourt Ridge.The bombing team of which Bill was part attacked a communication trench and successfully forced out the enemy. Bill was commended for setting "a wonderful example to the remainder of his team" with his "irresistible dash and courage", and was awarded the Military Medal.the recommendation reading:

"At Morlancourt,on night 28/29th july 1918,during the attack on enemy systems this soldier had the responsible position of first bayonet man in a bombing team which worked down the enemy C.T. (communication trench), routed the enemy and established a block in the trenches. Private Rawlings displayed rare bravery in the performance of his duty, killing many of the enemy, brushing aside all opposition and cleared the way effectively for the bombers of his team. His irresistible dash and courage set a wonderful example to the remainder of the team."

Unfortunately, a month later, on August 9, 1918, "Bill" met his fate, On 9 August the 29th Battalion was involved in the capture of Vauvillers in the Somme. Bill left the trench with his battalion and started out on the advance, but about 200 meters from his starting point he was hit by a shell and was killed immediately. He was 27.
Today William Reginald Rawlings, "Bill", rests in peace in Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription "The lord giveth and the lord taketh away deeply regretted".

Just under 300 Australian Aborigines are known to have enlisted during the first world war. Three were awarded Military Medals. Rawlings, one of 30 Victorian Aborigines to enlist of whom 15 were from the Western District, was one of them. His outstanding bravery was remembered with pride by the local community. When his mother died in June 1939 the Warrnambool branch of the Returned Soldiers' and Sailors' Imperial League of Australia organized the funeral honouring the mother of "a fine soldier".

While some Indigenous Australian soldiers of lighter skin colour may have tried to hide their ancestry, Bill had much darker skin, but appeared to be accepted without prejudice within his battalion. In their reports about his death in Bill's Red Cross Wounded and Missing file, Bill's mates make no further comment on his Aboriginality beyond describing him as such for identification purposes. A veteran soldier later recalled, "The AIF judged a man not by his colour, but by his worth." Bill Rawlings set a fine example of leadership and courage in the field, and was sadly missed after his death.

Willam, "Bill", it is with a very deep respect but also with gratitude and admiration that I want to say thank you, you who fought for your country, Australia with all your brothers, all united under the same banner, under the same flag, with the same courage and the same devotion, for the same great and noble cause for your great and beautiful country, by your courage and your acts of bravery on the battlefield, you have written the most beautiful pages of the history of your country and your family. in the Somme, here, with all your brothers in arms, you fought together, without distinction of the color of skin, it is for me, what humanity is , like a family united with your comrades in the trenches, in the horror of war, you have shown to all the finest example of bravery in facing death and danger, facing bullets and shells, deadly gas raining above your heads, across the battlefield, you have done more than your duty, in a ocean of mud and barbed wire, seeing all around you hundreds, thousands of lives mowed down by machine gun fire, machines of death that shattered the destinies and the lives of your comrades who like you, up to your last breath, together gave their youth, their courage and their lives, their today for our tomorrow in the hope of a better world and it is in peace, today, all united that we live and we will always be grateful to you William, because it is today in a world at peace, united under the banner of humanity, united that we are gathered around you to tell you that we are all here thanks to you and that I will always be there for you, for your comrades and friends who fought here and who for many, did not have the chance to return to their homes and you will always be remembered and honored by the French and Australian people who, united in the most beautiful friendship, hand in hand, we will always honor your memory with the same devotion that you had for your country and for your comrades and it is with all my heart Sir that I wish to say thank you, for all that you did for us, we will never forget you.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.🌺