RELATED CONTENT: Smith family memorial – VIDEOS
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The Tuross Head family of an Indigenous soldier who died in France in World War 1 has gathered to honour his memory and make an historic gift to the nation.
The descendants of Leonard Smith, including Gloria and Gary Gaal, of Tuross Head, also honoured Leonard’s brother, Harold, who signed up but was never posted.
The family gathered at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on June 10 to present to the Australian War Memorial a “dead man’s penny”, a commemorative object sent to Leonard’s loved ones after he was killed.
It was a historic gesture – the war memorial has no other confirmed “dead man’s penny” from an Indigenous serviceman.
Michael Bell, Indigenous Liaison Officer at the Australian War Memorial, said it was an important donation and he wants more Indigenous families to come forward so staff can research their loved ones’ war service.
“It will be the first that we have in our collection and it is a great honour,” Mr Bell said.
“We have an Indigenous Service exhibition coming up in September, (and) it will be an object of pride.”
In a moving speech, he said Indigenous servicemen such as Sergeant Smith served a country that, upon their return, still did not fully recognise them.
Military heraldry curator Kerry Neale donned gloves to accept the penny and photographs from Sergeant Smith’s great niece and Mrs Gaal’s daughter, Sandra Hayman.
“It is unique,” Ms Neale said.
“This is the first one identified as being sent to an Aboriginal family on the loss of their loved one.”
Ms Hayman, of Mt Annan, began researching her family’s history in 2000.
“She did not know growing up anything about her family history and I discovered Leonard was an Indigenous soldier,” Ms Hayman said.
ACT historian Philippa Scarlett said Sergeant Smith was wounded three times, including at Gallipoli.
He signed up in March, 1915 and died at the Second Battle of Bullecourt on May 17, 1917.