Billy Sing

Billy Sing

Infobox Military Person
name= William Edward Sing


caption= Billy Sing
born= 1889
died= 19 May1943
placeofbirth= Clermont, Queensland
placeofdeath= Brisbane, Queensland
nickname= Billy
allegiance= flagicon|Australia Australia
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 May1943) was an Australian soldier of World War I, and distinguished sniper during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Early life

Sing was born in Clermont, Queensland, in 1886, of Anglo-Chinese ancestry, to John Sing (of Shanghai, China) and Mary Anne Sing (née Pugh) (of Stratford, 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 a sniper during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-1916. Serving as dismounted infantry in the Gallipoli campaign, Sing partnered with his spotter Ion 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 the Australian 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 was Mentioned in Despatches by Commander Allied Forces, General Sir Ian Hamilton. On March 10, 1916, he was awarded the Distinguished 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 a Brisbane boarding house on May 19th 1943 aged 57 years. Cause of death was a ruptured aorta. His only significant possessions were a hut worth approximately £20 located on a mining claim, plus the sum of 5 shillings found with him in his room.

References

*National Archives of Australia. Digital Records


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Billy Bragg — Bragg at a protest calling for electoral reform in 2010 Background information Birth name Stephen William Bragg …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Joel — Datos generales Nombre real William Martin Joel …   Wikipedia Español

  • Billy (Saw) — Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw films. He was used by the series primary antagonist John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer, to communicate with his victims. Although he has never been identified in the actual films themselves, Billy is the …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Gilbert (1894-1971) — Billy Gilbert est un acteur, scénariste et réalisateur américain né le 12 septembre 1894 à Louisville, Kentucky (États Unis), décédé le 23 septembre 1971 à Hollywood (Californie). Il figura dans de nombreux film de Laurel et Hardy. Sommaire 1… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Billy Bones — is a fictional character, a pirate in the first section of Robert Louis Stevenson s novel Treasure Island . toryBilly Bones appears at the very outset of the story with a mysterious sea chest, looking for a wayside inn with a view of the sea but… …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Eckstine — (* 8. Juli 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania als William Clarence Eckstein; † 8. März 1993 ebda.) war ein US amerikanischer Jazzsänger und Bandleader, der auch Trompete, Posaune und Gitarre spielte. Auch als Billy X. Stine trat er kurzzeitig auf.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Billy Zane — en 2008. Nombre real William George Zane Jr. Nacimiento 24 de febrero de 1966, 45 años …   Wikipedia Español

  • Billy Nayer Show — is a New York based musical group of questionable genre. The band consists of lead singer and songwriter Cory McAbee, drummer Bobby Lurie and bassist Frank Swart [http://www.frankswart.com] . Discography *Meet the Bunny King (1990) *Married to… …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Rose's Aquacade — was a music, dance and swimming show produced by Billy Rose at the Great Lakes Exposition in 1937.Later Aquacade moved to the 1939 New York World s Fair where it was the most successful production of the fair (Lowe). The Art Deco 11,000 seat… …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Thermal — is a band formed by hit songwriter Billy Steinberg in 1979. The name Billy Thermal comes from the vineyards located in Thermal, California where Steinberg s father Lionel Steinberg owned Freedman Farms.Fact|date=February 2007The Band consisted of …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”