Our Indigenous Heroes - They Also Served
The team at Snowy Valleys Heroes Inc (Our Indigenous Heroes-They Also Served) National Project, wish to thank Diane Ashmore for keeping alive the memories of Indigenous Veterans and for sharing them with us for our website.
FAMILY LIFE
George Watego was born in Burwood in 1891, son of Loyalty Island father, George & English mother, Mary. He had 4 sisters & 3 brothers, one of whom, Murray (Mick) also enlisted on the same day, but assigned to a different battalion. Home for the Watego family was Cudgen “Bundjalung” Country. Throughout the decades many inter-tribal marriages took place and now the Watego family extend the length and breadth of Australia, particularly along the mid to north, east coast of Australia.
When war broke out in Europe, Murray along with his brother George and Peter Knowles (Murray’s brother-in-law), enlisted in Brisbane, on April 26th 1916. Although very proud ‘Torres Strait Islander/ South Sea Islander’ descendants, to join the AIF like so many other Indigenous Australians, the brothers lied about their indigenous background. This no doubt was due to the racial discrimination that denied non-Europeans the right to enlist at the time.
ATTESTATION
He was single labourer, living in Cudgen. His application showed his next of kin as a lady friend, Mrs. Doris Turner, of Annandale. His medical showed he was 25 years old, 5ft 5 inches tall (1.65m), weighed 155 lbs (70kgs), with a fresh complexion, light brown eyes & black hair. His eyesight was good. George was Methodist and had a tattoo on his left arm. He was enlisted as a private into the 26th Infantry Battalion – 16th Reinforcements with service No 5934.
RIFLE RANGE TRAINING CAMP, ENOGGERA
As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.
Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service.
It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave.
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas.
The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months.
The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS
On 21st October 1916 the recruits left Australia, sailing upon the HMAT Boonah.They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. It was a foretaste of what was to come.
DISCIPLINED
Whilst on the ship, George disobeyed an order in such a manner to show wilful defiance of authority a lawful command given personally by his superior officer. He forfeited 16 days’ pay.
ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP
They disembarked in Plymouth on 10th January 1917. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the English training camp at Rollestone, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons. Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.
DISCIPLINED APRIL 1917
On 22nd April George went AWL from the camp till 2.30pm on 23rd April, for which he forfeited 4 days’ pay and was confined to camp for 2 days.
FRANCE 1917
George Watego proceeded overseas on 24th April 1917 and arrived in Étaples, France, on 26th April. Like all Australian reinforcements, he was first sent to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Étaples, a sprawling network of camps where men were acclimatised to life on the Western Front. During his short stay there, George would have been issued with his uniform and equipment, medically examined, and briefed on the routines of trench warfare. He underwent practical training, including bayonet and musketry drills, route marches, gas defence exercises, and instruction on signalling and trench construction. Étaples was also a place where men could recover from the voyage, write letters home, and begin to get used to the mud, cold, and general hardships of France.
On 30th April, George proceeded to join the 26th Battalion, arriving at billets in the rear areas near the front. Over the next two days he was gradually introduced to his new comrades and the routines of the battalion.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH MAY 1917
On 2nd May 1917 he was formally taken on strength, marking his official inclusion in the unit. From that point, he began alternating between working parties, training, and short rotations in support positions, preparing for the upcoming operations in the Arras sector.
WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE
The soldiers now found themselves fighting the Germans in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire.
The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats.
The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:
The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.
APRIL TO JUNE 1917
After being taken on strength on 2nd May 1917, George Watego spent the following weeks familiarising himself with the routines of the 26th Battalion. He would have alternated between working parties, route marches, and training exercises in the rear areas, gradually learning the layout of the trenches, the signals and routines of the battalion, and how to carry out pioneer and infantry duties in the Arras sector. This period also allowed him to get to know his fellow soldiers and adjust to the conditions of life on the Western Front before being admitted to hospital in early June.
HOSPITALISATION VENEREAL DISEASE JUNE 1917
On 4th June 1917, George Watego was admitted to the 6th Field Ambulance suffering from venereal disease (VD), a common but serious problem among troops on the Western Front. He was shortly transferred to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre, where he received treatment according to the standards of the time. Management of VD in 1917 typically involved a combination of rest, isolation from the unit, and medical therapies such as applications of mercurial ointments or bichloride of mercury for syphilis, and bismuth or potassium permanganate treatments for gonorrhoea (sic). Soldiers were also given instruction on personal hygiene and preventive measures.
Treatment could be prolonged, sometimes lasting several weeks, and recovery required the soldier to remain away from active duty until fully cured. While under care, George would have lived in hospital wards alongside other men undergoing similar treatment, with daily inspections and strict routines to prevent reinfection or the spread of disease. After several weeks, he was deemed fit for duty and rejoined the 26th Battalion on 3rd July 1917.
JULY TO SEPTEMBER 1917
After rejoining the 26th Battalion on 3rd July 1917, George returned to the battalion’s routine in the Arras sector, alternating between support and reserve positions. During July and August, the unit was engaged in the aftermath of the spring offensives, repairing trenches, constructing strongpoints, and reinforcing defensive positions. Pioneers and infantry alike carried out long working parties, route marches, and training exercises to maintain readiness. Conditions were often harsh, with mud, rain, and the constant threat of artillery fire making even routine duties exhausting.
THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES AUGUST- SEPTEMBER 1917
By late August, the 26th Battalion had moved north to Belgium, near the Ypres Salient, in preparation for the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). The battalion rotated through front-line trenches, support lines, and rest billets, while also repairing roads, laying duckboards, and building dugouts under difficult conditions. Soldiers like George faced constant danger from artillery bombardments and sniper fire, and exposure to the wet and cold increased the strain on their health and endurance.
BATTLE AT WESTHOEK RIDGE, SEPTEMBER 1917
WOUNDED IN ACTION
On 20th September 1917, during the battle at Westhoek Ridge, George Watego was severely wounded in the head and jaw, a devastating injury that immediately removed him from front-line service.
HOSPITALISED & EVACUATED TO ENGLAND
He was first admitted to the 6th Australian Field Ambulance, where he received urgent first aid close to the battlefield, before being evacuated to England for specialist care. In London, he was admitted to King George’s Hospital, a centre equipped to treat serious facial and cranial wounds. Treatment at the time would have involved careful cleaning and dressing of the wounds, surgical intervention where possible, and long periods of rest to allow recovery. Soldiers often endured painful procedures and strict immobilisation, and recovery could be slow and uncertain.
COMMAND DEPOT WEYMOUTH DECEMBER 1917
On 23rd December 1917, George was marched into No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, a facility designed for men likely to be unfit for duty for more than three months. While at Weymouth, he continued drilling and training to keep physically fit and to stay abreast of the latest military techniques and equipment, which were evolving rapidly during the war. This period of convalescence allowed him to rebuild strength and maintain morale, even though he remained unable to return to active service at the front.
DEEMED UNFIT & REPATRIATED TO AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 1918
After approximately six months of treatment and rehabilitation, George was deemed unfit for further military duty and was repatriated to Australia. He embarked aboard the Balmoral Castle on 1st February 1918 and was formally discharged as medically unfit on 8th May 1918, concluding his wartime service. His bravery and endurance during recovery marked a significant chapter in his life, reflecting both the human cost of the war and the resilience of soldiers facing severe injury.
His brother Murray Watego, who enlisted on the same day, was assigned to the 41st Infantry Battalion and after also being wounded in action was returned home on the same ship, as his brother. Neither knew they would be returning on the same ship.
FOR HIS SERVICE
For his service, George was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
HOME LIFE
In June 1919 he married Sierra Leone Tabitha Turner (1886-1968) and found employment on the wharves of Brisbane, until his death in 1969.
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