George Cubby was one of several Indigenous Australians who were members of the 2/26 Battalion.
George & his brother Bertram both enlisted in the A.I.F. on 11 July 1940 at Warwick, Queensland, Australia.
Both men, soon settled in to Army life, where they were very popular with everybody. George with his amazing smile seemed to have a very special place in the heart of the Commanding Officer, Colonel Arthur Boyes, whom George jokingly referred to as "Boss".
Once in Singapore it was found that Bertram could not acclimatise to the severe heat & humidity of South East Asia and he was invalided back to Australia, though George proved to be an excellent soldier both during further training in Singapore and later in the conflict.
It is said that he has a natural for night patrol, for as well as being silent of foot, he could blend into the background & jungle and one would only know he was present if he smiled. His "pearly whites" gave him away all the time.
George was assigned as a member of "F" Force, where he would gladly shoulder and carry the belongings of those others who were ill and feeble. His shoulders & back was always there to assist when necessary.
George suffered his share of illness during his time as POW on the line, but was always there to try to share the burdens of others.
Once the railway was complete, the remnants of "F" were returning to Singapore, when George again contacted Malaria and was admitted to F & H Forces Hospital Camp. It was here, that this remarkable man, seemed to "give up", when one day he left his hospital bed, staggered over to a nearby tree, sat down and willed himself to die.
He was originally buried in F & H Hospital Camp No 3 Burial Grounds in Grave No. 472.
George is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial in Canberra and at the Ex-POW Memorial Wall at Ballarat, Victoria.
"When you go home,
Tell them of us, and say,
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today."
Photo of A.I.F. Badge used with kind permission of Iain MacFarlaine.
George & his brother Bertram both enlisted in the A.I.F. on 11 July 1940 at Warwick, Queensland, Australia.
Both men, soon settled in to Army life, where they were very popular with everybody. George with his amazing smile seemed to have a very special place in the heart of the Commanding Officer, Colonel Arthur Boyes, whom George jokingly referred to as "Boss".
Once in Singapore it was found that Bertram could not acclimatise to the severe heat & humidity of South East Asia and he was invalided back to Australia, though George proved to be an excellent soldier both during further training in Singapore and later in the conflict.
It is said that he has a natural for night patrol, for as well as being silent of foot, he could blend into the background & jungle and one would only know he was present if he smiled. His "pearly whites" gave him away all the time.
George was assigned as a member of "F" Force, where he would gladly shoulder and carry the belongings of those others who were ill and feeble. His shoulders & back was always there to assist when necessary.
George suffered his share of illness during his time as POW on the line, but was always there to try to share the burdens of others.
Once the railway was complete, the remnants of "F" were returning to Singapore, when George again contacted Malaria and was admitted to F & H Forces Hospital Camp. It was here, that this remarkable man, seemed to "give up", when one day he left his hospital bed, staggered over to a nearby tree, sat down and willed himself to die.
He was originally buried in F & H Hospital Camp No 3 Burial Grounds in Grave No. 472.
George is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial in Canberra and at the Ex-POW Memorial Wall at Ballarat, Victoria.
"When you go home,
Tell them of us, and say,
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today."
Photo of A.I.F. Badge used with kind permission of Iain MacFarlaine.
George Cubby was one of several Indigenous Australians who were members of the 2/26 Battalion.
George & his brother Bertram both enlisted in the A.I.F. on 11 July 1940 at Warwick, Queensland, Australia.
Both men, soon settled in to Army life, where they were very popular with everybody. George with his amazing smile seemed to have a very special place in the heart of the Commanding Officer, Colonel Arthur Boyes, whom George jokingly referred to as "Boss".
Once in Singapore it was found that Bertram could not acclimatise to the severe heat & humidity of South East Asia and he was invalided back to Australia, though George proved to be an excellent soldier both during further training in Singapore and later in the conflict.
It is said that he has a natural for night patrol, for as well as being silent of foot, he could blend into the background & jungle and one would only know he was present if he smiled. His "pearly whites" gave him away all the time.
George was assigned as a member of "F" Force, where he would gladly shoulder and carry the belongings of those others who were ill and feeble. His shoulders & back was always there to assist when necessary.
George suffered his share of illness during his time as POW on the line, but was always there to try to share the burdens of others.
Once the railway was complete, the remnants of "F" were returning to Singapore, when George again contacted Malaria and was admitted to F & H Forces Hospital Camp. It was here, that this remarkable man, seemed to "give up", when one day he left his hospital bed, staggered over to a nearby tree, sat down and willed himself to die.
He was originally buried in F & H Hospital Camp No 3 Burial Grounds in Grave No. 472.
George is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial in Canberra and at the Ex-POW Memorial Wall at Ballarat, Victoria.
"When you go home,
Tell them of us, and say,
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today."
Photo of A.I.F. Badge used with kind permission of Iain MacFarlaine.
George & his brother Bertram both enlisted in the A.I.F. on 11 July 1940 at Warwick, Queensland, Australia.
Both men, soon settled in to Army life, where they were very popular with everybody. George with his amazing smile seemed to have a very special place in the heart of the Commanding Officer, Colonel Arthur Boyes, whom George jokingly referred to as "Boss".
Once in Singapore it was found that Bertram could not acclimatise to the severe heat & humidity of South East Asia and he was invalided back to Australia, though George proved to be an excellent soldier both during further training in Singapore and later in the conflict.
It is said that he has a natural for night patrol, for as well as being silent of foot, he could blend into the background & jungle and one would only know he was present if he smiled. His "pearly whites" gave him away all the time.
George was assigned as a member of "F" Force, where he would gladly shoulder and carry the belongings of those others who were ill and feeble. His shoulders & back was always there to assist when necessary.
George suffered his share of illness during his time as POW on the line, but was always there to try to share the burdens of others.
Once the railway was complete, the remnants of "F" were returning to Singapore, when George again contacted Malaria and was admitted to F & H Forces Hospital Camp. It was here, that this remarkable man, seemed to "give up", when one day he left his hospital bed, staggered over to a nearby tree, sat down and willed himself to die.
He was originally buried in F & H Hospital Camp No 3 Burial Grounds in Grave No. 472.
George is commemorated in Australia at The Australian War Memorial in Canberra and at the Ex-POW Memorial Wall at Ballarat, Victoria.
"When you go home,
Tell them of us, and say,
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today."
Photo of A.I.F. Badge used with kind permission of Iain MacFarlaine.
Inscription
QX1113 Private G. E. Cubby 2/26 Infantry Battalion 17th December 1943 Age 30
Gravesite Details
"Blessed are the dead which died in the arms of the Lord." Rev. 14:13
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