World War II and Korean War veteran Reg Saunders encountered less discrimination in the army than he had faced in civilian life.
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Purnim-born Captain Saunders was the first indigenous Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian army and is remembered as a natural soldier and popular leader.
Born in 1920, the son of a WWI veteran, Australian War Memorial records state that Captain Saunders enlisted in WWII alongside his brother, Harry. He saw action in North Africa before joining the ill-fated Greek campaign. After the British evacuated Crete, Captain Saunders was one of many men left behind and he hid for 12 months. He eventually re-joined his battalion in New Guinea, now as a sergeant. He was nominated for officer training and became a platoon commander.
Captain Saunders returned to the army when the Korean War began, leading a company.
He had a gallery in the Australian War Memorial named after him in 2015 and has been the subject of a book, The Embarrassing Australian: The story of an Aboriginal Warrior.
Through his service in the Australian Defence Force and later with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, he is remembered as a strong advocate for breaking down discrimination against Indigenous Australians.
He was awarded an MBE in 1971 and passed away in 1990.
Earlier this year, the Purnim community was successful in its bid to secure Mr Saunders’ medals.
