Peter LONG #Depot

Indigenous Australian, Peter Long, Depot Battalion

Peter Long was born at Fassifern, Queensland in 1892. When he was 23 he volunteered his services with the first AIF in August 1915, he named his nephew Robert Fogarty as his next of kin. Long was allotted to the 6th Reinforcements for the 25th Infantry Battalion and trained at Frasers Hill Camp, Enoggera, just outside Brisbane.

Long was reported absent with out leave in November 1915 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was apparently working at Beaudesert and local police officers were instructed to locate him and place him under arrest. Long was apprehended not long after the warrant had been issued and papers were filed for his discharge, “his services no longer required”.

His attestation papers are annotated “not likely to become an efficient soldier” and he was discharged from the Army in December 1915.

Read more ...

• SERVICE RECORD:  LONG, Peter
• Scarlett, Philippa. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander volunteers for the AIF: the Indigenous response to World War One. Fourth edition, Indigenous Histories, Macquarie, ACT, 2018
• One of the soldiers featured in SLQ’s HistoryPin Collection
• Queensland’s Indigenous Servicemen [oral history]

The information in this blog post has been researched by State Library staff and volunteers, it is based on available information at this time. If you have more information that you would like to share or further research uncovers new findings, this post will be updated.