TONG WAY, Samuel John
| Service Number: | 19531 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 June 1917, Daylesford, Vic. (third attempt). |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 5th Divisional Signal Company |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 25 August 1894 |
| Home Town: | Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | High school teacher |
| Died: | Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, 10 May 1988, aged 93 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Kangaroo Flat Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Alfredton Humffray Street State School Roll of Honor, Ballarat Golden Point State School, Parkville Old State College Memorial Windows |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jun 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 19531, Army Medical Corps (AIF), Daylesford, Vic. (third attempt). | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1918: | Involvement Private, 19531, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 8 May 1918: | Embarked Private, 19531, Army Medical Corps (AIF), RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 15 Aug 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 5th Divisional Signal Company, UK | |
| 20 Mar 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sapper, 19531, 5th Divisional Signal Company, RTA 5 January 1920 and discharged (TPE). |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
In 1916, Samuel Tong Way applied to enlist but was rejected twice due to his Chinese ancestry. He succeeded on his third attempt on June 1917, aged 23, and was accepted into the Australian Army Medical Corps.
He was deployed in France and was later transferred to the 5th Division Signals Company, in which his brother Hedley David (SERN 20455) also served.
After the armistice, he studied at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London and the University of Oxford. Sam returned to Australia in February 1920 and completed his Bachelor at the University of Melbourne.
He had a long a career as head teacher in Victoria until his retirement in 1960.
Source: chinesemuseum.com.au
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