Ray Kelly talks about the service of his Uncle and Great Uncle in World War 2. He speaks about the great pride and honour in which his relatives who served are held in his family, and the sadness of losing his Uncle Dick in New Guinea, somewhere on the Kokoda Trail. Ray also expresses the disconnection and confusion of having pride in service at a time when his family lived on a mission and weren’t allowed to be citizens. Ray also recounts stories about an ornately carved frame holding a photo of his Uncle Dick, as well as memories of Anzac Day and other family members who have served.

This interview took place on 10 March 2014 in Newcastle and was conducted by Professor John Maynard and Professor Mick Dodson with Amanda Kelly as part of the Australian Research Council-funded research project Serving our Country: a history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the defence of Australia.

The interview recording above is made available to be listened to here by permission of the interviewee(s), Ray Kelly. The recording may not be copied, reproduced or communicated in whole or in part without the prior permission of the interviewee(s). Requests for permission for use of this material should be made to the Serving our Country research project: our contact details.

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