Aboriginal History Journal: Volume 16
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Aboriginal History Volume sixteen 1992 ABORIGINAL HISTORY INCORPORATED The Committee of Management and the Editorial Board Peter Read (Chair), Peter Grimshaw (Treasurer/Public Officer), May McKenzie (Secretary/Publicity Officer), Robin Bancroft, Valerie Chapman, Niel Gunson, Luise Hercus, Bill Jonas, Harold Koch, Campbell Macknight, Isabel McBryde, John Mulvaney, Isobel White, Judith Wilson, Elspeth Young. ABORIGINAL HISTORY 1992 Editors: John Mulvaney, Peter Grimshaw. Review Editors: Isobel White, Luise Hercus. CORRESPONDENTS Jeremy Beckett, Ann Curthoys, Eve Fesl, Fay Gale, Ronald Lampert, Andrew Markus, Bob Reece, Henry Reynolds, Shirley Roser, Lyndall Ryan, Bruce Shaw, Tom Stannage, Robert Tonkinson, James Urry. Aboriginal History aims to present articles and information in the field of Australian ethnohistory, particularly in the post-contact history of the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Historical studies based on anthropological, archaeological, linguistic and sociological research, including comparative studies of other ethnic groups such as Pacific Islanders in Australia, will be welcomed. Future issues will include recorded oral traditions and biographies, narratives in local languages with translations, previously unpublished manuscript accounts, resumes of current events, archival and bibliographical articles, and book reviews. Aboriginal History is administered by an Editorial Board which is responsible for all unsigned material in the journal. Views and opinions expressed by the authors of signed articles and reviews are not necessarily shared by Board members. The editors invite contributions for consideration; reviews will be commissioned by the review editor. Contributions and correspondence should be sent to: The Editors, Aboriginal History, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT 2601. Subscriptions and related inquiries should be sent to BIBLIOTECH, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT 2601. © Copyright Aboriginal History Inc., Canberra, Australia. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. Typeset by Manukailopa Grcic Printed by ANU Central Printery, Canberra ISSN 0314-8769 ABORIGINAL HISTORY FOREWORD This volume of Aboriginal History is a tribute to a number of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders who served Australia in times of war, for it is important for all Australians to be aware of this contribution. The size of the journal has only permitted selected articles. Undoubtedly there are many Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders who served in the Australian armed forces and have experiences which could be presented in article form, or simply as oral history. Included in this volume is an outline of the procedures which individuals involved, or their relatives, could adopt if they wish to seek further information and details. Nevertheless, we would welcome individuals approaching us with information about Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders who have served, or are still serving, in the Australian armed forces. The response may encourage the production of a further volume in the future. Preferably the information should be in written form, or on tape. Attention is directed to the appeal for records in this volume by the Australian War Memorial. We acknowledge the co-operation of the Australian War Memorial in permitting us to reproduce relevant sketches and paintings of Aboriginal people held within its art collection. We hope readers will enjoy this volume. It has been our privilege to have helped make these personal experiences more widely known. D.J. Mulvaney P.J. Grimshaw SPECIAL NOTE The editors of volume 15 apologise to Dr Malcolm Preniis, for printing an earlier version of his article on 'the life and death of Johnny Campbell', instead of his later revised version. ABORIGINAL HISTORY VOLUME SIXTEEN 1992 Part 1 Donald Thomson Northern Territory coastal patrol l Robert A. Hall Locating Aboriginal archival war material 58 Robert A. Hall Waters: World War II fighter pilot 73 Jeremy Long NARRITJIN: sinking of the Patricia Cam 81 Peter J. Grimshaw Saunders: Aboriginal warrior and Australian soldier 85 Max Carroll Aboriginal soldiers in Malaya and Vietnam 99 Part 2 F.R. Morris Aborigines’ contribution to Australia's war effort 108 D.J. Mulvaney (ed .) Aboriginal labour force documents 117 Australian War Memorial An appeal for records 128 Australian Archives A guide to Aboriginal records 129 BOOK REVIEWS 130 ABORIGINAL HISTORY VOLUME SIXTEEN 1992 PART 1 CONTENTS Donald Thomson Northern Territory coastal patrol 1 Robert A. Hall Locating Aboriginal archival war material 58 Robert A. Hall Waters: World War II fighter pilot 73 Jeremy Long NARRITJIN: sinking of the Patricia Cam 81 Peter J. Grimshaw Saunders: Aboriginal warrior and Australian soldier 85 Max Carroll Aboriginal soldiers in Malaya and Vietnam 99 DONALD THOMSON’S REPORT ON THE NORTHERN TERRITORY COASTAL PATROL AND THE SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE UNIT 1941-43 Edited by John Mulvaney This extensive report is a difficult-to-read carbon copy of Squadron Leader Donald Thomson’s official submission in April 1943. There are 71 pages of report and many appendices.1 The report is repetitious, and the appendices frequently contain material already discussed. As the central concern of Aboriginal History is with Aboriginal people, I have edited the closely typed manuscript. Those sections which are reproduced include those which explain the background to this remarkable enterprise, or are necessary to the understanding of activities, and particularly all sections which refer to the participation of Aboriginal men and the one Torres Strait Islander enlisted man. I have indicated those sections where omissions were made, which sometimes are extensive. The final text has been reduced to fewer than 30,000 words from probably twice that length. Pagination in the original manuscript is provided in brackets at the beginning of relevant sections. The text is reproduced as Thomson wrote it in 1943, so that errors in spelling personal names are retained. Fifty years ago terms such as ‘half caste’ were standard, while ‘Aboriginal’ was not capitalised. To preserve the true ethos of the times, they are reproduced as written. It is significant that Thomson's participation in a scheme to organise Aboriginal warriors in the defence of the northern coast began in June 1941, five months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. It indicates military concern for the defence of the north and the expectation of a Japanese landing once hostilities commenced. Because the plan was implemented before the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, its background is reproduced here. Donald F. Thomson (1901-1970) graduated in biology from the University of Melbourne in 1925, before studying anthropology under A.R. Radcliffe-Brown in the newly established department at the University of Sydney. He spent periods of anthropological fieldwork in Cape York between 1928 and 1932. In the latter year he became a research fellow (later senior research fellow) at Melbourne University. Except for his period of war service and a year in Britain, Thomson remained there until his retirement, by which time he held a personal chair. During 1932-33 incidents occurred in eastern Arnhem Land involving Aborigines and Japanese pearlers. When some Japanese were killed by Aborigines, followed by three Europeans including a police constable, there were demands for drastic punitive action. That the Aboriginal people had justifiable grounds for their reaction was virtually ignored. In a travesty of justice, Judge Wells in Darwin sentenced three Caledon Bay men to long prison terms and sentenced Tukiar (Takiara, Tackiar, Dagiar) to death. Pressure from southern Archived at the Australian War Memorial as AWM54 741/5/9. The assistance is acknowledged of Mrs Dorita Thomson, who provided permission for the reproduction of Donald Thomson's photographs, most of them hitherto unpublished. Mr Michael O'Sullivan, Assistant Curator, Private Records, Australian War Memorial, provided varied support and information, which assisted considerably in deciphering a difficult text. 1 ABORIGINAL HISTORY 1992 16:1 capitals resulted in the quashing of Tukiar’s sentence by the High Court. He disappeared without trace once he was released, possibly a victim of police action. It was in this tense situation that Thomson sought permission to enter Arnhem Land as a mediator. Between 1935 and 1937 Thomson traversed wide areas of north eastern Arnhem Land, and established close relations with the people. He made extensive ethnographic collections, documented diverse aspects of traditional social and economic life and took many superb photographs. Most importantly, he treated the people as normal humans and understood their problems in the face of Japanese and European inroads into their territory. To assist comprehension of Thomson’s narrative, it is necessary to explain another independent organisation. Thomson’s small coastal patrol and Aboriginal unit paralleled another initiative, the formation of the North Australia Observer Unit (NAOU). This unit was largely the creation of [Professor] W.E.H. Stanner (1905-1981), who also graduated in anthropology from Radcliffe-Brown’s Sydney department. When Thomson was in Arnhem Land during 1935, Stanner was amongst the Aboriginal people in the Daly