Private William George Lampan, 15th Battalion
Australian War MemorialToday we remember and pay tribute to Private William George Lampan.
William Lampan, known as “Willie”, was born in Queensland on 15 July 1895 to Sarah and William Lampan. His father’s original name was Lam Pan. He was a Chinese immigrant who had settled in Millchester, now a suburb of Charters Towers in Queensland, where he was a prominent member of the Chinese community, working as a herbalist and doctor. In September 1901, when Willie was six years old, his mother died, and Dr. Lam Pan was left to raise six children aged between two and 16.
While there was a degree of acceptance of the Chinese community in Charters Towers, racism was still prevalent, and the Lampan children suffered. With the loss of their mother they became hard to control. Willie was arrested for stealing at least once, although his father’s influence seems to have spared him time in a reform school, which was suffered by his partner in crime. Lam Pan is said to have become increasingly difficult and strict with his children.
Dr Lam Pan died when Willie was 15 years old, at which point he went to live with his older sister, Mary Ann, and her husband. In 1910, Mary Ann’s father in law, Charles McAllister, took on a property in Ayr, Queensland. Willie, his sister and her husband went to live there. He initially worked on McAllister’s plantation, but five years later reported that he was working as an engine driver in Ayr.
Willie Lampan enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1915. He underwent a period of training in Australia before embarking for active service overseas with reinforcements to the 15th Battalion. He went to Egypt, where he continued training in the desert, before being sent to fight on the Gallipoli peninsula. He joined the rest of his battalion there on 2 August 1915. Four days later the battalion left its bivouac lines in Reserve Gully and headed for the heights. They went on to attack Abdel Rahman Bair heights, known to the Australians as Hill 971, on 8 August.
At some point during this battle, Private William Lampan was killed in action. Little is known of the manner of his death, although his friend, Private John McKenzie, wrote to Mary Ann McAllister to say that “Private Lampan was killed fighting like a hero in the Turkish trenches between 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning.” He had been on the Gallipoli battlefields just six days.
The body of William George Lampan was lost in the heavy fighting, so today he is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. He was 20 years old.
- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1639533
