Billy Sing
Australian soldier in World War I · Australia · On the map · Lived 1886 to 1943 · aged 57
William Edward Sing, DCM, known as Billy Sing, was an Australian soldier of Chinese and English descent who served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, best known as a sniper during the Gallipoli Campaign.[a] He took at least 150 confirmed kills during that campaign, and may have had over 200 kills in total.
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Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Turkish soil at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915
Sing's first official commendation came from General Sir Ian Hamilton
In contrast to his fame during World War I, Sing died in relative poverty and obscurity in West End, Brisbane
Billy Sing's medals on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Programme Billy Sing Memorial Dedication 2015About this person
However, contemporary evidence puts his tally at close to 300 kills. Towards the end of the war, Sing married a Scottish woman, but the relationship did not last long. Following work in sheep farming and gold mining, he died in relative poverty and obscurity in Brisbane during World War II.