Glenda Humes
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Today we remember Reginald Saunders, a Gunditjmara man, who was the first known Indigenous Australian officer in the Second World War. We hear from his daughter, Glenda Humes, who is committed to researching her father’s Second World War service, including his time on Crete.
Glenda Humes audio file (MP4 23.87 MB)
Glenda Humes audio script
75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War
Audio actuality
“Fellow Citizens, the War is over” — (The Hon J B Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia)
On the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War, Australia remembers Reginald Saunders, the first known Aboriginal officer in the Second World War. He was a Gunditjmara Man, who also served in the Korean War.
His daughter, Glenda Humes, is committed to finding out everything possible about her father’s Second World War service, including his time on Crete.
Glenda Humes
The Battle of 42nd Street took place, in May of 1941. It was an amazing battle. It certainly gave the Australians and New Zealanders time to get to the evacuation point across the White Mountains. But by the time they got there, all the ships had gone.
So dad, being a young bloke from an Aboriginal mission in Victoria, decided that he would go on the run. And that’s exactly what he did — he went on the run. And he stayed on the island of Crete until he was able to get off the island later on — 11 months after the Battle of 42nd Street. That battle certainly changed my father’s life.
Saturday, August 15 marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Let’s pay our respects to that amazing generation of Australians.