Private William Reginald Rawlings - 3603

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Regional Rawlings, also known as ‘Bill’ enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force. He served with the 29th Australian Infantry Battalion in the First World War, 1914-1918 (Australian War Memorial, 2017). He also served with the Australian Armed Forces and later the Commonwealth Military Forces. Rawlings was born in December 1890 on the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve in Purnim, a small country town in Victoria (Aboriginal Victoria, 2017). This meant Bill was only 26 at the time he enlisted and sadly 28 when he died. His parents William and Elizabeth Rawlings, had a daughter and two other siblings who also grew up on the reserve. The Rawlings family were recognised as being very athletic; Bill’s father was a runner who competed in the Stawell Gift (a well-known race). Interestingly, famous 1960’s boxer Lionel Rose is also a descendent of the Rawlings family (The AIF Project, 2017). Prior to enlisting Bill attended Purnim State School. After school he worked as a horse breaker, training horses to obey commands and getting them accustomed to wearing a saddle. Bill was not married or involved in a relationship when he enlisted (Critchett, 2017).

                                                                                  

                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

                                                

                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        Framlingham Reserve 1895 (Chrichett, 2017)

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Bill enlisted in Purnim Victoria Australia on 14th of March 1916, he trained under the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines but he was also a natural athlete. Bill left Australian shores on 25th of August and landed at Gallipoli some weeks later. Throughout his journey Bill suffered serious health problems and was evacuated to England where he was admitted to hospital and remained until he recovered (National Archives, 2017). In late 1917, he re-joined his unit and went on to serve. In July 1918 he was assigned to a battalion and advanced along Morlancourt. The battalion Bill was attached to, attacked a communication trench and successfully flushed out the enemy (National Archives, 2017). Bill was commended for setting "a wonderful example to the remainder of team" with his "irresistible dash and courage", and was awarded the Military Medal (Critchett, 2017).

While other lighter skinned Indigenous Australian soldiers may have tried to deny their ancestry, Bill had much darker skin; however, it would appear that he was well accepted within his battalion. In reports about his death in Bill's Red Cross Wounded and Missing file, there are no comments about his Aboriginality beyond describing him as such for identification purposes. It was 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 on the battle field, and was sadly missed by his mates after his death (Critchett, 2017).   Sadly Bill was killed in action (KIA) and did not return home. After fighting bravely for two years, on the 9th of August the 29th Battalion was involved in the Vauviller capture in France. Bill left the trench with others from his battalion and commenced his advancement onto the battle field, barely 200 metres from his starting point he was hit by a shell (an explosive device) and was immediately killed (Australian War Memorial, 2017). He was just 27 years old.

 

Bill was buried in the Heath Cemetery in France, alongside his friend and fellow Indigenous soldier, Corporal Harry Thorpe, another Military Medal recipient who was killed on the same day (Australian War Memorial, 2017). Bill was awarded three awards, the Military Medal, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Bill was certainly well recognised for his outstanding bravery and leadership which influenced and inspired others in his battalion. Bill set a fine example of courage and was greatly known for his worth rather than being judged for his race and skin colour. Sadly this was something he most surely would have been subjected to in Australian society at that time.                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                             

 

 

 

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Reference List

 

Aboriginal Victoria (2017) William Reginald Rawlings, Accessed 19/9/2017. http://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/community-engagement/leadership-programs/aboriginal-honour-roll/2014-victorian-aboriginal-honour-roll/william-reginald-rawlings.html

 

Australian War Memorial (2017) Private William Reginal Rawlings, Accessed 19/9/2017. https://oldsite.awm.gov.au/people/P10677085/

 

Critchett J., (2017) Rawlings, William Reginald (1890–1918), Accessed 19/9/2017.  http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rawlings-william-reginald-8161

 

National Archives (2017) William Rawlings, Accessed 12/9/2017:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx

 

The AIF Project (2017) William Reginald RAWLINGS, Accessed 19/9/2017.

https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=250170  

 

Photos:

Australian War Memorial (2017) Private William Reginald Rawlings, Accessed 20/9/2017. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10677085 .
 

Find A Grave (2017) Pvt William Reginald Rawlings MM, Accessed 20/9/2017. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56556431