Saturday, September 1 marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Moree’s William Allan Irwin – an Aboriginal World War I soldier.
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On September 1, 1918 Private William Allan Irwin, single-handed, and in the face of heavy fire, rushed three separate machine-gun nests, capturing the guns and crews. While rushing a fourth, he was severely wounded.
This is a description of Private William Irwin's final encounter with an enemy against whom his country was at war.
They are the actions of a brave Australian soldier serving in France during the First World War.
He is one of many who lie buried on the other side of the world, close to where they fell.
The only Aboriginal soldier identified by World War I correspondent and historian Charles Bean in his Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918, Private Irwin was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his “magnificent gallantry” during the battle of Mont St Quentin.
William, who was born in Coonabarabran in New South Wales, was from a large Indigenous family.
He had two brothers and three step-brothers.
His parents separated when he was young, and he lived with his mother and step-father for most of his childhood.
A country boy at heart, he later worked as a shearer.
Together with his two brothers, he worked on farms all over the north west of New South Wales and the St George district of Queensland.
William was 37 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in January 1916, although he did not see active service immediately.
First, he undertook the long sea voyage with the 33rd Battalion, leaving Sydney on May 4, 1916 and arriving in England three months later.
There he trained for a number of months. His service records list his character as “good”.
However, like many other soldiers, he sometimes broke the rules, going absent without leave, and on two occasions had to forfeit 15 days' pay as punishment.
The ruins of trenches near the shell damaged wall in front of the village of Mont St Quentin.
In late November 1916 William sailed for France with his battalion and finally arrived on the Western Front.
He was frequently involved in the fighting and was wounded in action more than once; he suffered fractured ribs and a gunshot wound to the right arm.
At times he was sent to hospital, including in England, so that he could be treated and recover.
In August 1918 his company was involved in intense fighting near Mont St Quentin.
The battalion was trying to get control of German-held positions at a place called Road Wood, where they faced intense German machine-gun fire.
Leaving his battalion and acting alone, William captured the enemy machine-gun posts and their crews, one after another. When he tried to capture a fourth, he was severely wounded.
His "irresistible dash" inspired those around him, and William's great bravery was officially recognised. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during operations at Road Wood on 31st August, 1918".
Sadly, the wounds William received at Road Wood, to his back and thigh, led to his death. He was admitted to the 6th Australian Field Ambulance and then to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station in France, but died the next day on September 1, 1918.
He was buried locally, in Daours. William died just a couple of months before the end of the First World War.
He is the only soldier to be named twice on the Moree Memorial Hall – as W Irwin and W Grose (DCM).
“At time of enlistment he took on the name of Irwin unknown to his family back in Moree so they had his name added as W Grose,” William’s great great nephew George Grose said.
