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Reginald Walter Saunders MBE

Reg Saunders' Way

Photo: Reg Saunders at sea in 1941

Reg Saunders' Way is not far from the Australian War Memorial, in Canberra, and is named after Australian war hero, Reginald Walter Saunders, who served in World War Two and the Korean War.

Reg was born in Victoria on 7 August 1920. His father, Chris and uncle William, served in World War One.  A love of Australia motivated, Reg, an Aboriginal man, to enlist to fight for his Aboriginal Gunditjmara land.

Reg enlisted in the 2/7th Battalion on 24 April 1940 and served in the Middle East where he experienced German air attacks in the deserts of Libya and Egypt.

On 9 April 1941, Reg relocated to Greece. Reg and other Allied forces retreated to Crete for a full evacuation of the campaign. Unfortunately, Reg was left behind on the island and survived 12 months of German occupation.

After escaping Crete in May 1942, Reg returned to Australia and then rejoined the 2/7th Battalion in Papua New Guinea.

In 1944, Reg became the first Aboriginal man to obtain the rank of Lieutenant.

After World War Two, Reg served in Korean war and fought at the battle of Kapyong.

Photo: Captain Reg Saunders (right), commander of C Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), shakes hands with a member of K Company, 19th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), 6th Republic of Korea (ROK) Infantry Division, which has just arrived on Salmon to relieve 3RAR. A few days after the handover, the ROK troops abandoned the hill when Chinese forces attacked. Captain Saunders was the first Aboriginal serviceman to command a rifle company.

Serving the community

After resigning from the military in 1954, Reg helped further the rights and recognition of military veterans and Aboriginal people.  Reg joined the St Mary's RSL Sub-branch in Victoria in 1962. In 1969, Reg was selected as a liaison officer for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

Reg was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE)  in 1971 for service to the community.

In 1985 , Reg was appointed to the Council of the Australian War Memorial

Reg died on 2 March 1990.

Reg Saunders was researched for the Frank MacDonald Memorial Study Tour 2022 by Noah Gladdish,  of Kingston High School.

Read Noah Gladdish report about Reg Saunders.