War service

Two of the boys of “Tommy” Ah Chong and his wife Emma of Moora (mentioned in an earlier story) served overseas with the AIF in World War 1.  This helps to illustrate that the men and women who served came from quite diverse backgrounds.  The image of the “bronzed ANZAC” is largely a myth.

Arthur Chong (No 8289), who was a sapper in a Tunnelling Company, enlisted from Western Australia.  He and his brother James had headed west around the time of the death of their father and brother Walter in Victoria in 1911.  Emma, their mother, was with them for a time in WA, before returning to Victoria.  

Tunnelling company

The fact that Arthur was recruited into a Tunnelling Company suggests that he may have had mining experience, although he listed his occupation as farmer on enlistment.  With the war raging on the Western Front locked into grinding trench warfare, tunnellers were an important part of the AIF.  They were engaged in all sorts of earthworks, including digging tunnels under enemy lines with a view to positioning explosives prior to attacks.

Arthur was 34 when he enlisted in Perth at the end of April 1917.  It was a brave move, considering the Allied forces were losing an enormous number of men on the killing fields of the Western Front at the time.  After basic training, he was assigned to reinforcements for the Tunnelling Companies and came back to Victoria for further training.  He eventually sailed for the UK via the Suez Canal in November.

Because of various illnesses and training, Arthur never made it to the front line.  Before he was discharged as medically unfit in July 1919, he met and married Englishwoman Lizzie Jane Gillman in the Registry Office at Bristol.  They were living in Bristol on his discharge.  Apparently, he lived in England after the war.

Gunner and driver

Arthur’s younger brother James was also living in Western Australia prior to the Great War.  Working as a sleeper hewer at Greenbushes in the forests of south-western WA, he signed up relatively early in October 1915 at the age of 22.  Perhaps he had picked up his skills in the Rushworth forest?  Like his older brother, James took a circuitous route to Europe after some issues with illness, namely a sexually transmitted disease.

James (No 22081) had trained as a gunner in the artillery but was later appointed as a driver for the 4th Artillery Column.  He finally made it over to France in May 1917 but his time at the front line was short-lived.  Two and a half weeks after arriving at the Western Front, James was severely wounded.  He was shipped back to England for treatment for wounds to the left shoulder, arm and chest.  His war service was effectively over.  Although he recuperated from his wounds, he was deemed unfit for further active service and sent back to Australia.  He lived in Western Australia on his return, but clearly his sleeper hewing days were over.  James died in West Perth in 1956.

World War 2

James Chong signed up again in the second World War for home service.  By then too old (50) for active service, he put in another two and a half years of service for his country.  At the time of his enlistment, he was at the euphoniously named Booloogooroo Station in the Carnarvon district of Western Australia.

Back in Victoria, the Cheong family of William and Caroline (nee Gilbert) provided a number of volunteers, including Albert (V331265) who served on the home front, pretty close to home.  At the time of his discharge, he was a Sapper at the No 3 POW and Internment camp near Waranga Basin.  Two of Albert’s brothers,  Arthur (VX126780) and George (VX116530) served in the Northern Territory and overseas respectively. 

These three members of the Cheong family were the grandsons of “Luke” Ah Cheong, the progenitor of the family in the Waranga area, and Ellen/Helen (nee Donovan).  By the time of the Second World War, the family was largely assimilated into the Australian population and made a significant contribution to the war effort.  Ellen lived to see this contribution and would have been justifiably proud of her grandsons. 

Sources:  AWM, DVA and NAA websites