Clement (Bill, Kookaburra) Coolburra

Early life

Clement William 'Bill' Coolburra was born on 20 June 1945 on Palm Island, Queensland. He was the son of William 'Billy' Goolburra (Coolburra) and Lucy Coleman. Bill was a proud Bwgcolman man. 'Bwgcolman' means 'many tribes', signifying the many different First Nations people removed from their Country and brought to the Palm Island Aboriginal Settlement.

Military service

Little information is documented about Bill's early life.

Bill joined the Australian Army in 1964, where he was known as 'Kookaburra' to his mates. He finished corps training at the School of Military Engineering in 1964. He served in Borneo for 6 months before his posting in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966. There he served in 3 Field Troop of 1 Field Squadron as a combat engineer, often called a 'sapper'.

In Vietnam these soldiers were nicknamed the Tunnel Rats for their work finding and destroying the tunnel networks of the Vietcong. These underground networks were used by the Vietcong to store and move supplies and people and for communications. Vietcong fighters could wait unseen in the tunnels then attack, or they could use the tunnels to retreat from attack. The tunnel systems were often extensive and sophisticated, those at Cu Chi included hospitals, stores and kitchens. It was vital to destroy the tunnel networks.

The tunnels were very small. This meant that sometimes the only supplies that Bill and his fellow sappers could take were a pistol, torch and sometimes a gas mask. He had to clear booby traps and land mines, and often encountered rats, scorpions and snakes.

AWM BLA/66/0109/VN

Bill's commander, then Captain Sandy MacGregor, spoke of Coolburra's bravery and invaluable skills.

He was a morale booster in Vietnam! He's not forgotten. That's for sure. He used to do things that nobody else would do. And he was a good soldier as well. Well, Billy was always involved in tunnel clearance. He would be going down tunnels, with a pistol, with another mate. And he would never hesitate. He'd be one of those engineers that would go forward and clear the mine. He was a brave guy. We were the first down tunnels in Vietnam. We would actually go down and chase them. The Americans weren't doing that. The Americans were blowing up the entrances all the time. But we physically went down the tunnels to clear them.

Captain Sandy MacGregor, quoted from Stories of Service: Bill Coolburra, Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2021

Bill was wounded twice in Vietnam. He was treated for asphyxiation in a tunnel at Ho-Bo Woods. Bill remembers his near death experience;

I was gassed in a tunnel once and the next thing I knew the padre was pronouncing the last rites over me...I have been unable to sleep in the dark since.

[Bill Coolburra in 'Football star continues his work with DVA', Vet Affairs Vol 32, No. 2, Winter, Department of Veterans' Affairs, June–August 2014]

Another time he was injured when a bag of rice exploded, a common booby trap set by Vietcong forces. In 1966, The Canberra Times newspaper listed 'C.W. Coolburra' as one of 10 war casualties.

After his return from Vietnam, Bill married Edna in 1967. He went on to serve in Malaya between 1967 and 1968, then in Singapore between 1971 and 1973. Edna and their children lived overseas with him during this period.

Equality in service

Bill served with 3 other First Nation Australian engineers in the Vietnam War:

• (Temporary) Corporal Dave Cook, an Aboriginal man of mixed descent from Ebor, New South Wales, who did not self-identity from any mob
• Sapper Koostantinoes William 'Bill' Unmeopa, a Torres Strait Islander from Thursday Island
• Warrant Class Officer 2 Frank Charles Mallard AM, a Yamatji man from Northampton, Western Australia.

Of these 4 First Nation Australians soldiers, their Commanding Officer, Captain Sandy MacGregor, wrote:

they were rarely, if ever, subjected to racism. The strong bond between soldiers – and engineers in particular – transcended more obvious differences like colour and culture.

Both Bill and David Cook commented on the contrasting prevalence of racism in the United States Army, with David recalling:

[t]he whitefellas lived here, the blackfellas lived here. The blackfellas ate in this mess and the whitefellas ate in this mess … Even the Australians were shocked at the racism that it was because they’ve never seen it so blatant

It was often a different story when soldiers returned to Australia and went back to civilian life. After being rejected from RSL membership, Frank Mallard became an activist for Indigenous rights.

Known prankster

Bill was a larrikin amongst his peers who could boost morale. And he loved singing. One year, he was pulled onstage at a Christmas concert to sing for the troops.

Christmas can be hard to for soldiers who are away from their families. Recorded messages from soldiers to their family during holiday periods were common. Bill sent this message to his mother at Christmas in 1967.
 

Captain MacGregor remembered Bill as a peacemaker who stopped many a 'dust-up' between African-American engineers and Australian sappers. For many he would lift their spirits and relieve the stress from the dangerous conditions they all faced.

He was a man of good nature, courage, compassion, humility and humour … I remember the times Bill would come back to camp at Bien Hoa after a day’s leave – laughing, singing, barefoot, with his boots around his neck.

[Captain Sandy MacGregor, Stories of Service: Bill Coolburra, Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2021]

George 'Snowy' Wilson was one of Bill's best friend, nicknamed for his fair skin and hair. They were famously known as the ‘twins’ and called each other ‘twin brother’. On a visit to Vietnam, Former Prime Minister Harold Holt took it literally, only to be shocked that Bill was an Aboriginal. Bill and Snowy met at 19 and their close friendship continued long after service.

Well he nearly always had a big cheesy grin on his face. Bill was a larrikin. He enjoyed playing the guitar and singing to entertain all his mates. I miss him every day, every day. Not a day goes by when I don't think of him or something that we've done.

[George 'Snowy' Wilson, Stories of Service: Bill Coolburra, Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2021]

AWM KEL/65/0051/VN

Life after service

Bill served 16 years in the Australian Army. On leaving, he, Edna and their 6 children moved back to Palm Island. As a lay preacher, he took on the role of pastor for the local community, where he remained for many years.

Bill became ill and underwent kidney dialysis. In 2001, he was given 6 months to live. But Bill found support and a kidney donor from his best friend and 'twin' Snowy. The successful operation gave Bill another 9 years of life with his family.

Bill's wife Edna, interviewed by Mick Dodson, remembered times of mental hardship that Bill and other Vietnam veterans suffered and how Bill redirected that hardship into support for his community.

Bill became an Elder and worked hard in supporting and mentoring Indigenous youth. Over the years, Bill actively encouraged youth participation in sport. The Bill Coolburra Shield started in 2008. It's an annual rugby league match played between the Palm Island Skipjacks and Army Thunder. It is seen as a way of strengthening the relationship between the Indigenous community of Palm Island and the Army.

Bill Coolburra died in 2009. Over 500 people attended Bill's funeral, where he was honoured with a 3-volley salute fired by the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment.

In 2013, the Coolburra Memorial was dedicated to Sapper Clement (Bill) Coolburra and commemorates Indigenous soldiers who served in World War II. It is a return to Country circle and a story board.