Tom Brown

Yuin man Thomas Patrick John Brown served as a Private in the Australian Army with the 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion during the Second World War (Service No. NX 49443). His service record is held in the collection of the Australian War Memorial.

Enlisting from New South Wales, he joined the 2/18th Battalion which saw action in the Middle East and North Africa before being redeployed to the Pacific theatre. His role as a private would have involved infantry duties such as patrolling, defensive operations, and engaging in the harsh environments of wartime campaigns.

As an Aboriginal Australian, Thomas Brown’s service took place in a period where Aboriginal servicemen faced significant discrimination both in the armed forces and back home. Official enlistment policies did not always acknowledge Aboriginal heritage, and many Aboriginal veterans returned to a society that had not yet recognised their service.

Later, his name appears on the AWM’s Indigenous Service List, in an ongoing effort to document and properly honour the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s armed forces. His story contributes to the broader history of Aboriginal service in war, representing men who fought for their country despite unequal conditions.