Billy Sing

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Billy Sing

William Edward Sing DCM (1886-1943) was an Australian soldier of World War I, who was born in Clermont, Queensland, in 1886, of Chinese ancestry, to John Sing (of Shanghai, China) and Mary Anne Sing (née Pugh) (of Stratford, England).

Sing was an Australian sniper of the Australian Imperial Force, who won international fame for his combat record during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-1916.

Prior to the war, Sing was well known for his skills as a kangaroo shooter, and as a competitive target shooter as a member of the Proserpine Rifle Club.

Two months after the outbreak of the war, Sing enlisted as a trooper on October 24, 1914 in the Australian Fifth Light Horse Regiment of the Australian Imperial Force.

Serving as dismounted infantry in the Gallipoli campaign, Sing partnered with his spotter Ion "Jack" Idriess (later author of "Desert Column", "Cattle King", "Lassetter's Last Ride"), and later Tom Sheehan. Regimental records list Sing as having taken 150 confirmed 'kills'. However in October 23 1915, General William Birdwood, commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps issued an order complimenting Sing for his 201 unconfirmed 'kills'.^[1] In February 1916, Sing was Mentioned in Dispatches by Commander Allied Forces, Sir Ian Hamilton. On March 10th 1916, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

After the evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula Sing transferred to the infantry in August 1916, joining the 31st Battalion of the Australian 5th Division and sailing for France for service on the Western Front.

It is not clear as to whether Sing served as a sniper on the Western Front. However, in September 1917, Sing led a unit in the Battle of Polygon Wood in counter sniper operations for which he was awarded the Oorlogskruis (Belgian Croix de Guerre).

On the Western Front, Sing was repeatedly wounded in action, as well as being hospitalised for sickness and illness caused by old wounds. During one of these periods of convalescence, Sing met Elizabeth Stewart in Scotland, whom he married on June 29th 1917.

Sing returned to Australia in 1918 on submarine guard duty and was discharged from service in Australia on 28th November 1918. Sing died in 1943 in Brisbane. He was alone in his house with only 5 shillings found in his room.^{[citation needed]}