Events at today’s Anzac dawn service were extremely distasteful and so very UN-Australian, but reminded me of a story I was told whilst studying up in New England (you will get the irony later) where I was told about this story from one of William’s relatives I was studying with.

Portrait of Kamilaroi solider William Allan Irwin. Supplied by Australian War Memorial, AWM2017.995.1.1 

William Allen Irwin is a hero who has been forgotten by history. However, his family continues to share the story of his final moments as they fight to honor his bravery.

The family passed down the story of Irwin’s last moments, keeping it safe from claims that questioned his bravery, ensuring that the legacy of his courage would never be forgotten. Now, over a century after his death, his family are fighting to lay him to rest in Country, a longing that embodies their deep connection to the land and their heritage. Irwin was born at Forky Mountain, which later became Burra Bee Dee Aboriginal Mission, near Coonabarabran NSW in 1878, a place steeped in history and significance for the local Aboriginal community.

He was the eldest of three brothers who all worked as shearers across towns like Moree, Werris Creek, and Quirindi, laboring in the rugged outback that shaped their lives and character. At 37 years old, after a horrible heartbreak that shattered his spirit and left him yearning for a sense of purpose, he enlisted to the Australian Imperial Forces, driven by a desire to fight for his country while grappling with the personal demons of loss and longing. His story, rich with resilience and depth, reflects not only his individual struggle but also the collective memories of those who came before him, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by many in pursuit of a better future.

In May 1916, he became one of the first members of the 33rd Battalion, known as “New England’s Own”. This battalion was part of the 9th Brigade in the 3rd Australian Division and left Sydney for the United Kingdom in May 1916, as noted by the Australian War Memorial. After training in England, they moved to France in late 1916 and took part in the Battle of Messines in 1917, and they also fought during the German Spring Offensive in 1918.

The battalion’s first and only commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Morshead, who later became known for his role as commander of the “Fighting 9th” Australian Division during World War II. Praised by both Rommel and Montgomery!

Two years later, Irwin’s battalion was deployed to the Battle of Amiens, in an attempt to gain control over German-held territory near Péronne.

For those who are unaware the fighting near Péronne during World War I involved the capture of Mont Saint-Quentin and the town itself by Australian forces affectionally know as the “Hundred Days” campaign in August and September 1918. This action was part of a larger Allied offensive against the German Hindenburg Line

The ruined Town Hall

In the early morning light on August 31, Irwin courageously took out three machine-gun posts by himself, capturing fifteen German soldiers and three machine guns. The battalion planned to rush at six o’clock, but they would have been easily shot down. Instead, William got up first and took them all on alone.

As he reached the fourth machine-gun post, he was wounded by shrapnel in his back and thigh. He died from his wounds the following day.

This is the only remaining photo of William Irwin Allen, donated to the War Memorial by his family. AMW2017.995.1.1 Credit: Australian War Memorial

Irwin’s family learned about his bravery when a soldier from the 33rd Battalion visited them. He shared what he had witnessed, explaining that Irwin acted alone and struck before dawn. He mentioned that things would have been different without Irwin’s actions.

Now for that irony!

Later that morning, George Cartwright, an English soldier in the 33rd Battalion, took down the fourth machine-gun post that shot Irwin. He fired at the enemy, wounding one shooter and the two who replaced him, then launched a bomb at the post. On 30 September, he received the Victoria Cross (VC). After he died, he was honored in the New South Wales Garden of Remembrance, and his medals were donated to the Imperial War Museum in London.

George Cartwright VC

Not to take away from Cartwright’s heroic actions, in comparison, Irwin’s feat was celebrated only in September 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, for his “conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty”.

“He should have gotten the VC; they don’t share that story and have kept this guy hidden for 100 years because of George Cartwright. If he was a whitefella, he would have been number one up there, he’d be recognised from day one for those actions.” the family said.

I thought our attitude to racism had changed with regards to our war heroes, that is until today’s dawn service.

A well-known neo-Nazi has allegedly heckled an Indigenous elder’s Welcome to Country at an Anzac Day Dawn Service, with political leaders, the RSL and all “decent Australians” slamming the conduct. The “Welcome to Country” was marred by booing from numerous attendees during Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown’s welcome ceremony.

A Channel 9 reporter asked the leader of the incident, “Why do you think you have the right to be here today?” The reporter started to ask this while Hersant began to speak over him. “I’m a Victorian and an Australian, and I have the right to express my views to the public,” he said.