Story 90 - 104 Sig Sqn members
born overseas that served in
South Vietnam
By Robert Anderson
Over 800 soldiers served in South Vietnam from early 1967 until late 1971 with over 10% were born overseas. Detaills are shown in the graph below.
British Subjects 1
Unit members that served in 104 Sig Sqn in the Vietnam war born in the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland didn't need to be Australian citizens to serve in the Australian Military because all Australians, at the time, were British Subjects. This also included citizens from the Republic of Ireland who were treated as if they were British Subjects plus most British Commonweath Countries who citizen's status co-existed with Australian citizenship at the time.
Nick Quigley was born in New Zealand and was working in Australia, when called up for national service and served in South Vietnam with 104 Sig Sqn. Ian Crosthwaite born in Scotland and arrived in Australia with his parents at age 9. Ian was call up and didn't become an Australian citizen until it became an WA Police service requirement, post his Army/Vietnam 104 Sig Sqn war service. Another 104 Sig Sqn national service example is Bruce Meakins who was born in England and arrived in Australia with his family at age 12. After his Army/Vietnam war service, Bruce visited the UK on his British passport before our citizenship laws.
A regular Army example is Don Sutherland, who in 1956, at aged 15, arrived in Australia from Scotland. 10 years later he enlished in the Army and was allocated to Signals. He servied in South Vietnam with 104 Sig Sqn 1969/70 and post war service, remained in the Army. However in 1980, now a serviing officer, had to become an Australian citzen to continue his military career.
Others on the list would have served, either by joining the Army or being called up for national service because they were 'British Subjects'.
Changes started in 1969 which meant that Australian citizens technically ceased being British subjects 2.
The status of Australian citizenship over time changed and with the Australia Act 1986, the High Court ruled any persons without Australian citizenship to be aliens under the act 2.
While British Subjects could not have been considered foreign at the time of federation, the severing of constitutional ties with the United Kingdom created a definitive separation between the two countries; British citizens have since been considered subjects of a foreign power and would not have been able to served in the Australian Miltitary during the Vietnam War!
List of 104 Sig Sqn Vietnam Veterans Born Overseas
AGNEW, Douglas (Scotland)
ALLEN, David (England)
ASHTON, David (England)
BANNIGAN, William (Scotland)
BEARD, Andree (England)
BLAYNEY, Edmund (England)
BOYD, David (England)
BRADLEY, Terry (England)
BRAY, Anthony (England)
BUGGE, Michael (England)
CAMERON, Thomas (Scotland)
CHESTERS, Alan (England)
CHURCHILL, David (England)
CLARKE, Paul (England)
CLEMENS, Dennis (England)
COE, Kerry (England)
COGHLAN, Brian (New Zealand)
COLEMAN, Joseph (Egypt)
COLLINSON, Christopher (England)
COOKSLEY, Raymond (England)
CRANGLE, Ian (England)
CROSTHWAITE, Ian (Scotland)
DAY, George (Egypt)
DEJONG, Hilton (Ceylon)
DEY, John (Scotland)
DIAMOND, Edward (England)
DIDSMAN, Michael (Lithuania)
DOIDGE, John (England)
DONNELLY, Michael (England)
DUFF, Stephen (England)
DUNCAN, Brian (England)
DYAS, Kevin (Northern Ireland)
EBORALL, David (England)
EDWARDS, David (Wales)
EDWARDS, Francis (England)
EVANS, Arthur (England)
FISHER, Michael (England)
GOLDSWORTHY, Andrew (South Africa)
GOMER, Howard (England)
GREENWOOD, Kenneth (England)
GROOMBRIDGE, Robert (England)
HARDY, James (England)
HARPER, William (England)
HEATH, Walter (England)
HOWARTH, William (England)
HUSTON, Anthony (India)
JAMESON, Ian (England)
JOHNSON, Robert (Canada)
LAIRD, Karl (Signapore)
LAKE, Graeme (New Zealand)
LAWRINSON, Derek (England)
LUKER, Ronald (England)
MALE, Richard (England)
MATTHEWS, Aubrey (England)
McCASKILL, John (Scotland)
MEAKINS, Bruce (England)
MEREDITH, Graham (Germany)
MITCHELL, Michael (England)
MYNOTT, David (England)
NEWSOME, Terrence (England)
O'DONOGHUE, Michael (Ireland)
O'NEILL, Brian (England)
PANDELUS, Martin (England)
PATTERSON, George (Northern Ireland)
PERGUNAS, Francis (England)
PETHERRICK-COLLINS, Brian (India)
QUAYLE, Graham (England)
QUIGLEY, Nickolas (New Zealand)
REEVES, Terence (England)
RITCHIE, George (Scotland)
ROBERTS, Anthony (England)
SANDERSON, Gordon (Scotland)
SANKEY, Stuart (England)
SCREEN, James (England)
SEABURY, Samuel (Ireland)
SEXTON, Anthony (England)
See
Story 87 - An Englishman at Nui Dat
SKUTHORPE, Garnett (England)
SMITH, Clyde (Canada)
SMITH, Irvin (England)
STEPHENSON, John (Scotland)
STEVENSON, Alan (Northern Ireland)
STONER, Charles (England)
SUTHERLAND, Donald (Scotland)
TAYLOR, Gordon (Scotland)
TIERNEY, Michael (Ireland)
TOULMIN, John England)
TRICKETT, Bernard (England)
TRIDGELL, Brian (England)
WARD, John (England)
WARD, Joseph (England)
WATSON, David (England)
WATT, Ronald (Scotland)
WHELAN, Graham (New Zealand)
WILSON, Robert (Scotland)
WOJCIECHOWSKI, Wally (Germany)
Any names missing?
Email webmaster with details
pronto@au104.org
Notes:
1. Australian Nationality Law (Wikipedia).
2. Australian Nationality Law, Reform and Abolition of British
Subject Status (Wikipedia).