<
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/apr/25/denied-citizenship-by-the-country-he-died-for-this-anzac-day-aboriginal-war-hero-bill-allen-is-being-honoured-in-france>
"Outside the French town of Péronne on 31 August 1918, Private William Allen
Irwin – a Gomeroi man from near Coonabarabran in New South Wales – was pinned
down by German machine-gun fire alongside fellow Australian soldiers from the
33rd infantry battalion.
They had been ordered to wrest control of enemy-held positions in an area known
as Road Wood during the battle of Mont St-Quentin.
In the face of heavy fire Allen rushed three machine-gun nests, capturing the
weapons and crews. The job not done, he tried to capture a fourth, where he was
fatally wounded. He died the next day.
Despite his bravery, for which he was posthumously awarded the distinguished
conduct medal, Bill Allen was never recognised as a citizen of his own country.
Now, more than 106 years later, he has been made an honorary citizen of
France’s Somme Valley."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
