Ancestors of Indigenous Diggers travel to Israel to honour their ancestors and share their stories as part of the Rona Tranby Trust Light Horse project.
On 31 October 1917, two Australian Light Horse regiments famously charged Turkish positions outside the town of Beersheba taking more than 1,000 prisoners. The audacious attack was the culmination of the Battle for Beersheba, carrying the Allies into the town and forcing a Turkish withdrawal. The nature of the victory has earned Beersheba an enduring place in Australian wartime history.
A century on from the eventful charge of the Light Horse, 12 Indigenous Australians whose ancestors were involved in the campaign travelled to Be’er Sheva, Israel, to attend the National Service to commemorate the Centenary of the Battle of Beersheba, and the Sinai-Palestine Campaign.
The trip was made possible by the Rona Tranby Trust Light Horse Project with support from the Pratt Foundation. The Rona Tranby Trust arose out of a bequest in the Will of Holocaust Survivor Thomas Paul Rona. Paul and his wife Eva took a keen role in raising awareness of the Holocaust and promoting inter-ethnic harmony. The Trustees of the Rona Estate engaged with Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education and Training in Glebe, Sydney, to develop the Rona Tranby Award and Collection, and on September 2nd 1991, the Rona Tranby Trust was launched.
The Rona Tranby Trust supports the recording and preservation of Indigenous Australian oral histories. The Light Horse Project involved the identification and recording of stories of Indigenous First World War soldiers as recalled by their descendants.
Among the project participants was Pastor Ray Minniecon, who has been instrumental in raising awareness around the contribution of Indigenous Diggers and the staging of the annual Coloured Digger Anzac March in Sydney. Ray travelled to Israel to honour his ancestor, Private James Lingwoodock.
One of several highlights of the trip was the meeting between project participants and siblings, Lance Waters and Emily Roberts – whose grandfather Jack Stacey was involved in the famous charge – and an 80 year-old woman riding in the Australian Light Horse Association re-enactment who knew Jack Stacey and had ridden with him in previous re-enactments. For some members in the group, they were the first of their family to visit the gravesite of their ancestors.
Collectively, the oral histories recorded over the course of the ongoing project and the presence of the Aboriginal family members at the commemoration in Israel recognise the important role that Indigenous Australian soldiers played in the victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. They also shed light on the experiences of returned Indigenous soldiers on home soil.
“A common theme among the group was the pride that the families have in their ancestor’s war experience and courage, everyone was pretty upset over the way their ancestors were treated when they came home,” says Jennifer Symonds from the Rona Tranby Trust who travelled to Israel with the group.
Another participant, Rick Morris, served in the 7th Battalion (engineers) in Afghanistan (2008-09) and is a descendant of the Lovett family who have no less than 21 members over several generations who have served their country in the armed forces. Rick participated in the official ceremony, attended by the Prime Minister of Australia and other International dignitaries.
“For the first time in 100 years, Rick Morris laid a wreath in honour of Indigenous soldiers, that’s quite a breakthrough and of national significance,” says Jennifer.
“Everyone was so emotional and so moved, it was very significant. I think it created a strong connection with their ancestors. I have a great uncle who was in the Light Horse as well and was on the battlefield. Everyone just felt closer to their ancestors and more connected to their lives and their stories.”
The trip to Israel was filmed by NITV who will air a documentary on the experiences of participants
For more information on the Rona Tranby Trust Light Horse Project visit: http://ronatranby.org.au/