- Billy Sing
Infobox Military Person
name= William Edward Sing
caption= Billy Sing
born= 1889
died=19 May 1943
placeofbirth=Clermont ,Queensland
placeofdeath=Brisbane ,Queensland
nickname= Billy
allegiance= flagicon|AustraliaAustralia
branch=Australian Imperial Force
serviceyears= 1914 - 1918
rank= Private
unit=
battles=World War II
*Gallipoli Campaign
*Western Front
*Battle of Polygon Wood
awards=Distinguished Conduct Medal Mention in Despatches Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
relations=
laterwork=William Edward Sing DCM (
1886 -19 May 1943 ) was an Australian soldier ofWorld War I , and distinguished sniper during theGallipoli Campaign .Early life
Sing was born in
Clermont ,Queensland , in 1886, of Anglo-Chinese ancestry, to John Sing (ofShanghai , China) and Mary Anne Sing (née Pugh) (ofStratford , England).Prior to the war, Sing was well known for his skills as a
kangaroo shooter, and as a competitive target shooter as a member of the "Proserpine Rifle Club".World War I
On October 24, 1914, two months after the outbreak of war, Sing enlisted as a trooper in the
Australian Fifth Light Horse Regiment of the Australian Imperial Force. Sing won international fame as asniper during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-1916. Serving as dismounted infantry in the Gallipoli campaign, Sing partnered with his spotterIon Idriess (later author of "Desert Column", "Cattle King", "Lassetter's Last Ride"), and later Tom Sheehan. Regimental records list Sing as having taken 150 confirmed 'kills'. However, on October 23, 1915, General William Birdwood, commander of theAustralian and New Zealand Army Corps , issued an order complimenting Sing for his 201 unconfirmed 'kills'. [http://www.lighthorse.org.au/Pershist/billsing.htm Trooper William Edward "Billy" Sing ] ] In Sing's killing records there was allegedly a turkish sniper nicknamed "Abdul the Terrible" who was sent to get rid of him, apparently though Sing found Abdul under cover, still oblivious to his presence. Certainly, Sing fired first and ended such a duel successfully. [ [http://history.163.com/07/0402/15/3B37FFC300011OS5.html 一人歼敌201名:最冷血的华裔狙击杀手(图)_网易新闻中心 ] ] In February 1916, Sing wasMentioned in Despatches by Commander Allied Forces, General Sir Ian Hamilton. On March 10, 1916, he was awarded theDistinguished Conduct Medal .After the evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula, Sing transferred to the infantry in August 1916, joining the 31st Battalion of the Australian 5th Division and sailing for France for service on the Western Front. It is not clear whether Sing worked as a sniper on the Western Front, though bearing in mind his skill-set and reputation, it seems quite probable. Certainly, in September 1917, Sing led a unit in the
Battle of Polygon Wood in counter-sniper operations, for which he was awarded the Oorlogskruis (the Belgian Croix de Guerre).On the Western Front, Sing was repeatedly wounded in action, as well as being hospitalised for sickness and illness caused by old wounds. During one of these periods of convalescence, Sing met Elizabeth Stewart, a waitress, in Scotland, whom he married on June 29, 1917.
Later life
Sing returned to Australia in 1918 on submarine guard duty and was discharged from service in Australia on November 28, 1918. His marriage broke down a few years after, shortly after the pair moved to Clermont, Australia, a mining area.
His final days were spent in relative
poverty , working as a labourer. He died alone in his room in aBrisbane boarding house on May 19th 1943 aged 57 years. Cause of death was a rupturedaorta . His only significant possessions were a hut worth approximately £20 located on a mining claim, plus the sum of 5shilling s found with him in his room.References
*National Archives of Australia. Digital Records
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