Each year since 2016 the Friends of the Odd Bods Association has awarded a prize for the best essay by a Wesley College student about the Spirit of ANZAC. The George V. Smith Award has enabled our association to focus on the Spirit of ANZAC as a key ingredient in Australian culture.
A recent article on the Australian War Memorial website and the surfacing of an essay from this years crop of submissions from students at Wesley has presented two excellent discussions on the Spirit of ANZAC.
"We were lucky, very lucky"
The full article can be found here - "We were lucky, very lucky".
"If Australia is good enough to live in, it is good enough to fight for."
Wesley Student Essay - this years George V. Smith Award for the best essay about the Spirit of ANZAC was presented to a very worthy student author in Khushi Deol (see article and essay in following articles). But there were many student essays and another has come to attention for a unique perspective on the Spirit of ANZAC that you may not have considered before. It concerns the contribution by Chinese ANZACs, the rascim they faced, and their indomitable determination to fight for Australia. Here is the essay -
Creative writing- World War I Research Task
August 1917
Dear son,
How is the battle going? I miss you everyday with concerns of your safety.
Your brother has told me that 213 other Chinese ANZACs like you have enlisted for this bloody war, and I am troubled for them as if they were my own sons, for how the military is treating them. And here I thought that the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 excluded our people, but they have released further legislations to restrain even the right to defend for your own country.
Despite the country's racism and discrimination, I am proud of you for making it through military training and finally be able to fight for the ANZACs. The Defence Act 1909 denies people 'not substantially of European origin' of enlistment. It was during your childhood that they released this law, but where their idea of exclusion and 'appropriate defence system for Australia' should have left you empty of loyalty, your naivety and courage has increased your sense of nationalism.
Regardless of my own conflicts with the current bureaucracy, I am continuously in encouragement of your thirst for justice, freedom, and peace. There are many others like you who wish to directly contribute on the warfront, however, were denied service. The community is taking out war loans to fund for war efforts on the homefront. That is how much they value fighting for their country. You are considered lucky to have passed the medical examination, where the medical certificate published you 'fit for active service', however, your brother's fate was unfortunate.
Two months after you had gone away to fight for the Australian Imperial Force, your brother was denied enlistment by a medical officer because he was 'not substantially of European origin'. He signed the attestation paper and answered the questions appropriately, stating that he is an Australian and was born in the country. The Defence Act 1909, preventing people 'not substantially of European origin or descent' to enlist in wartime, is no different from the Immigration Act of 1901 when they excluded specific nationalities. In the 1850s, in the goldrush fields, they feared we would 'outnumber the adult male population and lower the living standards of the white working class'. I have heard that the expeditionary forces on the battlefield excluded Chinese ANZACs, hence why I am so worried for what else they are excluding you from, which you rightfully deserve.
It breaks my heart you anglicised your name so that they could accept you. Australia is your only home, and you deserve appreciation of your identity just as much as your fellow diggers. I admire your spirit to fight and defend for this country, but this poor treatment and racism cannot go on. Chinese ANZACs Samuel John and Hedley David Tong Way served as sappers in the 3rd Division Signal Company in WWI. They signed up for gallant and selfless acts of service on the warfront and are sent off to repair communication lines nowhere near battle. The Langtip family that I am close with has had their 6 sons volunteer as enlistees, but two were turned away because they were from the same family. I am in disbelief of the logic of these medical officers. There are others I have heard whom received Distinguished Conduct Medals and the Bar and Military Medal but fought with strain to achieve recognition. You may know these heroic diggers- Caleb James Shang and William Edward Sing. Of the soldiers that ever returned home, only 19 Chinese Australians have received bravery medals. Not all Chinese diggers received the medal that they deserved for their contributions. When you come home, just know that I am so ever proud of you for every contribution you have made for this country.
You once told me that 'if Australia is good enough to live in, it is good enough to fight for'. I hope this is still true in your case. The current conditions they put our family through is becoming too harsh for me to bear. The Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 is a policy denying residents with Chinese origin of being naturalised as British subjects. Our family has lived in this country for over 70 years, but I am still unable to be naturalised as a resident in the country. You might be familiar that a consequence of the war is that residents who are not naturalised or born in Australia are deemed as 'aliens' by the government. One month after your brother was denied enlistment I was registered as an alien. Soon I will have to register at the police for national security reasons, to which I respond in low spirits.
I pray your experiences differ to mine, and that you are fighting well, healthily, and strongly for Australia.
Please, take care of yourself out there, I longingly wait for your return.
Mary Tong Way
References:
Chinese Museum (2021) Benjamin Moy Ling [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/beniamin-moy-linq
Chinese Museum (2021) Caleb and Sidney Shang [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/caleb-and-sidney-shang
Chinese Museum 2021 Chinese ANZACs [Retrieved on_April 1st 2022]
Chinese Museum (2021) Langtip brothers [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/langtip-brothers
Chinese Museum (2021) Lepp cousins [Retrieved on April 1 st 2022] https://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/lepp-cousins
Fang Jason et al (2019) ANZAC Day 2019: Historic racism hides the true extent of Chinese soldiers' legacy, historian says [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-0425/chinese-soldiers-reflect-on-forgotten-anzac-history/11037594
History Teacher's Association of Victoria et al (2015) Chinese ANZACs [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] htt s: cv.vic. ov.au media 1289 chinese-anzacs-ed-kit. df
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) Chinese-Australian brothers enlist twice in World War I [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] htt s: www.naa. ov.au learn learnin -resources learning-resource themes/war/world-war-i/chinese-australian-brothers-enlist-twice-world-war-i
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) Chinese-Australian serviceman- attestation form [Retrieved on April 1 st 2022] https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resourcesllearning-resourcethemes/war/world-war-i/chinese-australian-serviceman-attestation-form
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) Chinese-Australian serviceman has 'Advance Australia' tattoo [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resourcethemes/war/world-war-i/chinese-australian-serviceman-has-advance-australia-tattoo
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) 'Exemptions from personal service'- Defence Act 1909 [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resourcethemes/war/world-war-i/exemptions-personal-service-defence-act-1909
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) Mother enquiring about welfare of soldier son [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learninq-resourcethemes/war/world-war-i/mother-enquiring-about„welfare-soldier-son
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) World War l: Chinese ANZACs [Retrieved on April 1st 2022] https://www.naa.gov.a u/learn/learning-resources/learninq-resource-themes/war/world-wa ri world-war-i-chinese-anzacs
