Alfred Aghan

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Alfred Aghan
Portrait of Alfred Aghan
Nickname	Alf
Born	19 July 1890 Victoria, Australia
Died	14 October 1961 (age 71)
Allegiance	New Zealand Australia
Branch	Army
Service years	1916–1918
Service number	WWI 13300
Unit	New Zealand Mounted Rifles
Conflicts	1914–1916 Egypt
Awards	British War Medal (1914–1920)
Relations	David Aghan

Alfred John Aghan (19 Jul 1890 – 14 Oct 1961), also known as Alfred or Alf Ah Gan, was an Australian Chinese soldier who fought in the New Zealand Army during World War I.

Aghan was born in Victoria, Australia on 19 July 1890, to mother Elizabeth Southgate and father William Ah Gan and was one of eleven children.^[1] In 1904, the 'Ah Gan' family anglicised their name to Aghan during the White Australia policy.^[2] Despite being Australian-born with Chinese heritage, the brothers were unable to enlist for service in Australia. The Defence Act in place during WWI meant that some Australians with Chinese ancestry were able to overcome barriers of discrimination that were put in place to deter Chinese and other minority groups from the war effort.^[3][2]

At age 25, Aghan left his job in Melbourne as a French polisher and, with his brother David, moved to New Zealand.^{[4][failed verification]} Alfred and David joined their brother and sister, who already lived in Hastings, and stayed at that address before enlistment. The brothers socialised as Australians and not Chinese, in order to successfully enlist, as they were members of the British Empire by virtue of being Australian citizens.^[5]

Aghan left New Zealand on the HMNZT Willochra on 17 April 1915.^{[6][failed verification]} Alfred and his brother David served with the Auckland Mounted Rifles from 1916 to 1918 in Egypt and Palestine. As part of the 13 Squadron and 13th Mounted Rifles, where Aghan held the title of Private and Trooper. He also did a brief transfer to the Veterinary Corps.^[1]

Aghan married Violet Catherine Reardon in 1921.

In 1935, he was president of the New Zealand branch of the Returned Soldiers' League.^[7]

In 2016, a descent of Aghan, Brett Aghan, gifted Auckland War Memorial Museum a selection of artefacts belonging to Albert Aghan to add to their collections.^[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alfred Aghan.

• Aghan Brothers Online Cenotaph at the Auckland Museum