NEGRO SOLDIER FOUND SHOT DEAD
IN BUSH NEAR HIS CAMP AT DARRA, BRISBANE, QLD
ON 14 DECEMBER 1943

A woman was raped by a negro soldier at her house at Darra on Saturday 11 December 1943. The woman told Police that she was asleep when the negro appeared at her bedroom window. She frightened him away with a rifle but he returned later and attacked her.

An intensive Police search for the negro soldier was undertaken. Inspector O'Driscoll of the South Coast area was assisted by Sub-inspector Stolz, Detective Sergeant Bischof of the CIB and his staff at Darra to interview thousands of negro soldiers at their Darra camp. This camp was most likely Camp Freeman where soldiers that worked at the Darra Ordnance Ammunition Depot lived.

The search ended early on the morning of Tuesday 14 December 1943, when the soldier's body was found about 400 yards from his camp. He disappeared from his camp and soon after a rifle shot was heard. His body was found with a rifle, beside it and a fatal chest wound. The Police were scheduled to interview him the previous day. The Police stated that this was the man they were after for the rape of the woman on Saturday.

REFERENCES

"The Telegraph" (Brisbane), Tuesday 14 December 1943

"The Daily Telegraph" (Sydney), Wednesday 15 December 1943

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This page first produced 9 January 2019

This page last updated 22 April 2020