Leo Ritchie

Leo Ritchie was an Aboriginal serviceman whose life reflects both the resilience of First Nations servicemen in the Second World War and the challenges faced by Aboriginal families in mid-20th-century Australia. Enlisting at Orbost in 1942, he appears in military records as Leo Stewart (Ritchie) Service No. V265691, with his mother, Bella Simms (known along the coast as Nana Bella), listed as his next of kin. He served in the 4 Motor Regiment.

His family recall a story of him breaking open bullets and swallowing the wicks to raise his blood pressure in an effort to force a medical discharge. His efforts were eventually rewarded in 1944. His discharge papers state that this was to enable him to “perform useful service under congenial conditions among members of his own race at Orbost”. Like many Aboriginal soldiers of his generation, Leo returned home to a society that did not grant him the rights or recognition afforded to other veterans.

Life after the war was shaped by the constant threat of child removal during the Stolen Generations era. Leo and his family travelled across New South Wales and Victoria in his truck following seasonal work, picking beans, peas and corn and working at timber mills. Using a community “bush telegraph” families were warned of the approach of the welfare officers. His family recall him telling his son Ronnie to hide when “the black car” approached. Despite these constant challenges, Leo found time to provide for his family through fishing, gathering abalone, and passing down knowledge of bush skills that are still carried on by his great-grandchildren. Leo built a life grounded in family leaving a legacy that continues through the knowledge he passed down.