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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-07 Daily Xml
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Animals of War

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. F. Pangallo:

That this council—

1. Recognises the extraordinary and inspiring service of Digger the war dog—the devoted companion of Sergeant James Harold Martin, a South Australian soldier who spent 3½ years fighting with the Australian Imperial Force in World War I;

2. Appreciates and respects the unique place Digger has in the hearts of South Australians; and

3. Praises the distinguished international award bestowed on Digger and Bill the Bastard, a horse in the Light Horse Brigade, this year in recognition of their outstanding service to the war effort.

(Continued from 19 September 2018.)

The Hon. T.T. NGO (16:26): I rise to support this motion moved by the Hon. Frank Pangallo. This motion is a salute to Digger, a brown and white bulldog who served Australia for 3½ years in one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War I. This motion is also dedicated to Australia's greatest warhorse, Bill the Bastard. I want to focus my short contribution on the heroic actions of Digger.

The Hon. Frank Pangallo's contribution detailed how Digger came to befriend Sergeant James Harold Martin and also detailed his decorated war history. What interested me the most about this story, as a resident of the western suburbs, was that Digger was honoured with a memorial at the West Croydon and Kilkenny RSL. I believe this was installed just last year. The RSL club president, Marie Southall, said the sub-branch was chosen to house a sculpture of Digger because of the area's connection to Sergeant Martin. Sergeant James Harold Martin was an electrician living in Hindmarsh before he enlisted in 1914 at the age of 22, and he adopted Digger as a mascot.

It has been reported that Digger was a stray dog that attached himself to soldiers training at Broadmeadows. Digger subsequently followed the soldiers down to the troop ships. After Sergeant Martin and Digger sailed together from Melbourne, Digger would remain by his owner's side through the fury of Gallopoli and the perils of the Western Front.

It is said that Digger went above and beyond his normal line of service on 16 occasions during his time in France and in Belgium. At the sound of gas alarms, it is believed that Digger would rush to his nearest human companions to have a gas mask fitted. There are also accounts of how Digger would take food to wounded men stranded in no-man's-land, sometimes bringing back written messages.

Digger was wounded and gassed at Pozieres in 1916. He was also shot in the jaw, losing three teeth, blinded in the right eye and was deaf in the left ear. Amazingly, Digger remained loyal to his master and accompanied him to the end. This was best demonstrated when Digger died, as an old dog, on Empire Day 24 May 1919, when he was frightened by the celebratory fireworks. Thinking he was under fire again, he attempted to jump the fence but failed and fell back, bursting a blood vessel. Digger managed to claw back into the house. He died on Sergeant Martin's bed. Sergeant Martin was in the Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick at the time, but he arranged, through a volunteer at the hospital, to have Digger's hide tanned. Digger's hide is presented at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

With Remembrance Day coming up, it is important for us to recognise the important role that animals play for their human counterparts in the horrors of war. With that, I commend this motion to the council.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:31): I rise to speak briefly in support of the animals of war motion moved by my colleague the Hon. Frank Pangallo. The contribution of animals of war is something that the Hon. Mr Pangallo is passionate about, and I note his advancement of this issue in his wonderful award-winning piece on Digger the war dog in his journalism days for Today Tonight. At the outset, I will be moving an amendment to the motion, which acknowledges the work of Nigel Allsopp and the Australian Animal Organisation in working to recognise the contribution of animals during Australian military service.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bonaros, you can move that now.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: I move to amend the motion with the addition of paragraph 4, as follows:

4. Acknowledges the work of Nigel Allsopp and the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation in working to recognise the contribution of animals during Australian military service.

I also commend the efforts of the Hon. John Dawkins in collecting items to be included in care packages being prepared by the Gawler RSL for our brave Australian service personnel and their canines, to be sent overseas in time for Christmas. An email has been sent to all members from the Hon. John Dawkins' office outlining the sorts of items to be included.

It makes specific reference to collecting items for explosive detection dogs, including dog biscuits, dried beef bones, tennis balls and toys. Just like the Hon. John Dawkins, I encourage all members and staff to donate to this wonderful initiative that lets our Defence personnel know that we value their contributions and we hold them in our hearts.

I also note the positive impact that animals can have on the health and wellbeing of returned service personnel. In May 2018, the federal government announced a trial that was long advocated for by Centre Alliance Senate candidate Skye Kakoschke-Moore involving the use of assistant dogs for veterans. That is something very close to Skye's heart. The innovative trial of PTSD assistant dogs for veterans is being undertaken by La Trobe University in Victoria in partnership with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Therapy Dogs Australia and the Centre of Service and Therapy Dogs.

In recently revised statistics released by the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing, the suicide rate among young former Defence personnel under 30 has deteriorated and, using a three-year aggregation, is now 2.2 times that of the general population. Dr Edward Scarr, lecturer with the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society, has reported that, and I quote:

The training and qualities that make good soldiers can be the very things that put these men and women at greater risk of harm, and leave them less able to seek help when it is needed.

No other career requires the selfless and complete sacrifice of an individual for the greater good, the defence of our country, our way of life and the values that we hold so dear, and such personal sacrifice should not come at the expense of the mental health of our Defence Force personnel.

It is the very uniqueness of service in the Defence Force that requires innovative, targeted and specific mental health solutions for its personnel. The trial of assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD will be a supplement to clinical treatment, and I look forward to the results of those trials in due course. We must do whatever we can to reduce the shocking statistics of veteran suicide.

I turn briefly to say a few words on the significance of Armistice Day 2018. Of course, this Sunday, the 11th day of the 11th month, is the centenary of armistice. One hundred years ago this Sunday, after four years of bloody war and the loss of at least 5,511 South Australians, Adelaideans, like millions around the world, keenly awaited the elusive peace promised by the leaders of Europe.

Cables arrived from America with the good news that at 7pm on 11 November 1918 the war had ended, but there was no official announcement until around 10.30pm when official confirmation was received that an armistice had finally been signed by Germany and that the weapons of war fell silent at 11 o'clock that morning, bringing to an end the First World War.

The news was met with jubilation across Adelaide, and excitement built as word spread throughout the city and its suburbs. An impromptu public holiday was called, with many people finishing work and joining the numerous parades throughout Adelaide's streets. Another public holiday was declared for the Thursday to allow those in rural locations to participate fully in armistice celebrations.

Australia paid a heavy price for its involvement in the First World War. The loss of life and casualties is too hard to comprehend, with more than 60,000 Australians killed in the war and another 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. The impact of the First World War on Australia is still felt today, and it is something we should be mindful of as we participate in Armistice Day commemorations this Sunday.

The ANZAC spirit was born on the battlefields of the First World War and continues to live on today in our defence forces and in the broader community of endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour and mateship. There are a lot of services on this weekend, and I encourage all South Australians, young and old, to take part where they can in those services and commemorations, harking back to the thousands of South Australians who took to the streets when armistice was announced 100 years ago. With those few words, I am very pleased to support the motion.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (16:37): I rise on behalf of the government to acknowledge and support the private members' motion on animals of war. Military animals have played a significant role throughout the history of warfare, even dating back to the 4th century AD.

As working animals, different military animals serve different functions during combat. Horses, camels, donkeys, even elephants have been used for transportation of both personnel and equipment as well as food, water, and medical supplies. Pigeons have been used for communication and photographic intelligence, canaries were used to detect poisonous gas and rats and pigs have been used in various specialised military functions.

Notably, dogs have played a role in a wide variety of military purposes, in particular these days focusing on guarding and bomb detection. With this coming weekend commemorating the centenary of armistice, let us focus on the animals of war from the First World War.

According to the Imperial War Museum, over 16 million animals served during World War I, and their main tasks were transportation, communication and, most importantly, companionship. Not all animals were employed to work, but some were kept as pets and mascots to raise morale and provide comfort amidst the hardships of war. Today's motion highlights two animals and outlines both the companionship and the war service of Digger the war dog and Bill the Bastard.

Digger the war dog was a brown and white bulldog who devoted himself to Sergeant James Harold Martin, from Hindmarsh in South Australia, during his 3½ years with the AIF during World War I. Their story is of true mateship, embodying the ANZAC spirit. Digger was a stray dog that attached himself to soldiers on their way down to the troopships in Melbourne. The 1st Division immediately adopted him as a mascot and Digger sailed with them to war on 20 October 1914. During Digger's remarkable service, official records identify that he went over the top 16 times during some of the worst battles of Gallipoli and the Western Front.

He was wounded and gassed at Pozieres in 1916, shot through the jaw, losing three teeth, was blinded in the right eye and lost hearing in his left ear. Despite these experiences, at the sound of a gas alarm, it was reported that Digger would rush to his nearest human companion to have his gas mask fitted. There were also occasions when Digger delivered food to wounded men stranded in 'no man's land,' sometimes bringing back written messages.

Sergeant Martin returned to Australia on 12 May 1918 and was discharged medically unfit. Digger accompanied him due to strict quarantine regulations and they remained in Sydney. Sadly, Digger died on 24 May 1919. In 2017, the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation, a not-for-profit, raised awareness of the bravery shown by all war animals by establishing a memorial at West Croydon and Kilkenny RSL to commemorate Digger's unique and incredible story. The memorial was unveiled on 29 October 2017.

To celebrate the companionship between Digger and Martin, and to commemorate their service, a children's book was written by John Gillam and Yvonne Fletcher, entitled A Tail of Two Diggers. The book narrates the service and sacrifice these two endured and also allows the reader to understand the indicators and impact that untreated post-traumatic stress has on its sufferers. It is incredibly important that children are made aware of the wounds inflicted upon our brave service men and women, both visible and invisible.

Bill the Bastard is another Australian story of war animal and soldier companionship. Bill was an Australian-bred Waler, described as powerful, intellectual and with unmatched courage. In performance and character he stood above the other 200,000 Australian horses sent to the Middle East in the Great War. Bill could only be ridden by one man Major Michael Shanahan, any other soldier was bucked off and seen to hit the dust.

The story of Bill and Major Shanahan is of great mateship as they depended on each other for survival, with Bill's heroic efforts and exceptional instincts in battle saving Shanahan and four of his men on one occasion. Bill became a legend, a symbol of courage and the unbreakable will of the ANZAC mounted force, and his name 'Bill the Bastard' was in the sense of endearment.

A book was written by Roland Perry, entitled Bill the Bastard: The story of Australia's greatest war horse, highlighting the importance of the service of our war animals. Earlier this year, both Digger and Bill were honoured with a Blue Cross for their service. The Blue Cross is a not-for-profit UK organisation which was established in 1897 to collect donations to assist horses on the front line and to provide vital veterinary services to animals on the battlefield. Blue Cross ensures that during commemorative ceremonies that brave men, women and animals who have fought and died in conflict are honoured and acknowledged.

The Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation stated in a recent media release that they will be responsible for the administration and award nomination process for Australian and New Zealand animals eligible for the Blue Cross Award. I commend the Hon. Frank Pangallo for bringing this motion to the chamber and for allowing honourable members to make a contribution to our military animals. Lest we forget.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:43): I would like to thank my colleague the Hon. Connie Bonaros, along with the other members who made contributions, the Hon. Tung Ngo and the Hon. Terry Stephens. I raised this motion first out of respect for our World War I service men and women as we prepare to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day on 11 November, and secondly, the recognition of animals used by our defence forces from Gallipoli to World War II, Vietnam and to the present day in Afghanistan, and the special bond they have with their human handlers.

I would like to acknowledge the presence today in the Legislative Council of family members of South Australia's very first Great War volunteer, Sergeant James Harold Martin, an electrician from Hindmarsh, in 1914. His grandchildren, Rex and Barbara Hoskin, and also another member of the extended family, Ken Stevens. Ken is a Vietnam veteran and comes from a family steeped in military tradition going back to the Boxer Rebellion, the Boer War and the Anglo-Zulu War.

Ken enlisted me in his successful fight to have military service medals awarded to the families of thousands of service personnel wrongly denied them on trivial grounds, including two of his uncles, the Boyes brothers from Port Adelaide, who were Rats of Tobruk.

It was also Ken who inspired me to do the story of Digger, the hero war dog who accompanied Sergeant Martin, a signalman, to Gallipoli and then to the Western Front 100 years ago, only to return broken, but not beaten, by the horrors they experienced. Like so many of his contemporaries, Sergeant Martin suffered post-traumatic stress disorder in silence for much of his life in Adelaide. Only since the Vietnam War have we come to appreciate and understand this debilitating condition, and we urge our government to help honour and recognise the commitments and personal sacrifices these brave service men and women gave their country.

I would also like to mention in dispatches an old colleague and friend, Ron Neate, who narrated and appeared in the short film I made for the Seven Network about Digger and Sergeant Martin for the ANZAC centenary in 2015. It has now taken on a life of its own. I would particularly like to acknowledge Nigel Allsopp, the 2017 ANZAC of the Year and founder of the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation. The Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation is a not-for-profit private charity that raises awareness of the deeds and sacrifices that animals have made in warfare. It also assists returned service personnel suffering from PTSD by purchasing dogs for veterans.

Last year, in cooperation with the people of Pozieres, the AWAMO proudly opened the first war animal memorial on the Western Front at Pozieres. This memorial recognises all animals from all nations that were involved in the Great War. Pozieres was the scene of some of the most bitter and costly fighting for Australian troops in World War I. Nine million animals lost their lives in that conflict.

Nigel lives on the Gold Coast and works with explosive detection dogs for Queensland police. He has served with the New Zealand and Australian defence forces, trained dog handlers for multiple Australian federal agencies and worked in several zoos and wildlife parks. He has done an amazing job with this organisation, establishing over 30 memorials, including Australia's first Indigenous Light Horse memorial and one for Digger at the Croydon RSL. His long-term project is a full-scale statue of Digger, and he is in talks with the Turkish government for an animal war memorial at Anzac Cove.

Nigel says animals went to war too and deserve some recognition for their valour and their enduring partnership with humans. Digger and the warhorse Bill the Bastard are recipients of the Blue Cross from the esteemed UK animal charity Blue Cross. It is the animal equivalent of a Victoria Cross. Nigel wants to establish more memorials dedicated to animals of war at selected RSLs and parks around Australia.

Not so long ago, the only animal that received any recognition from World War I was Corporal Simpson's donkey at Gallipoli. Digger and Bill served there too. There have also been pigeons, camels and elephants. They carried armies, were mascots, messengers, protectors and, above all, mates, giving comfort in indescribable and unimaginable situations and conditions.

I am pleased to report that much has happened since I first spoke on this motion more than a month ago, largely due to the internationally recognised work of Nigel Allsopp. The Blue Cross will be presented to the families of Digger and Bill the Bastard in a special ceremony next year at the Australian War Memorial by its chief, Dr Brendan Nelson. Digger's tanned hide and his service medal encrusted collar will be brought out of storage at the War Memorial for the occasion.

Moves are also afoot to have 23 August declared 'Purple Poppy Day', honouring animals that served in conflicts. I am proudly wearing the dual purple and traditional red poppy badge marking 11 November, Armistice Day. On Sunday at the 11th hour, animals of war will also be recognised in a ceremony at Centennial Park Cemetery for the first time. Rex Hoskin will lay a wreath on behalf of the AWAMO. I commend this motion to the Legislative Council.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.

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