Russian ANZACs

[ANZAC]

As ANZAC day approaches tomorrow in what is one of Australia's most defining day's, and I prepare to march wearing my Granfather and Fathers awards, I want to share the following story about Russians enlisting in the Australian Army and fighting for their adopted country.

Many Russians came here in the first decades of the twentieth century—the years just before the First World War were the peak period. Others were seamen who left their ships here. The main centre for Russians was Brisbane, with Stepanoff’s boarding house the focal point of the community, but there were groups also in Melbourne and Perth. They joined up because Russia was fighting in the war and they couldn’t go back to enlist there. But one soldier, after fighting at Gallipoli, tried to find his way home. Others joined up because of nascent Australian identification.

After the war they had divided loyalties. To whom should the Russian Anzacs be loyal? To the current Bolshevik regime? Or to the Russia they had left but which no longer existed? Some supported the Soviet government out of a misguided and romantic loyalty to the land of their birth, in contrast to Russian immigrants who came after the First World War, who were mostly anti-Soviet refugees.

They found it hard to adjust, and some were restless and impoverished. Most married, had families, threw down roots and led stoic, hardworking lives with little material success. Isolated, they got a raw deal not because of prejudice but because of lack of interest. Nobody took up their cause—they were too dispersed and individualised to attract sympathy.

The most tragic case was the journalist Peter Chirvin from Vladivostok, who fought bravely at Gallipoli and on the western front, was twice wounded and won the Military Medal. On the troop ship coming home, he was taunted by his fellow soldiers over his Russian background, developed delusions about Bolshevik conspiracies, and committed suicide.

Peter Komersaroff was in contrast, a success story. Like Chirvin he fought and was wounded on the western front. After the war he set up as an optician in Melbourne, and worked to assist Jewish immigration to Australia in the late 1930s. At a meeting of the Carlton-Fitzroy sub-branch of the RSL in 1943, when a resolution was moved against foreign-born persons conducting business in the area, he tore up his RSL card and never joined again.

A striking case was Basil Greshner. His father, the secret police chief in Nizhny Novgorod, was assassinated by a revolutionary in 1905. Basil jumped ship in Geelong in 1915. By the time he enlisted, he had acquired tattoos with both Russian and Australian insignia, signifying his dual allegiance. On the western front he performed an extraordinary act of bravery and was awarded a DSM. In 1932 Greshner left Australia to visit his mother and relatives in Russia, whom he found living in Moscow in terrible conditions. He was interrogated by the OGPU, imprisoned, and on release, got back to Australia as quickly as possible.

I hope you all found it interesting

Beer and two-up gambling for me tomorrow

Regards

Brendan

[Dante688i]

Originally Posted by ANZAC

I hope you all found it interesting

Beer and two-up gambling for me tomorrow

Brendan,

Very interesting stuff - thanks for sharing!

I'll raise a draft to you on the 25th in hopes of adding to your good luck with the coins.

- Sean

[Koopyetz]

ANZAC:
Thank you very much for the interesting story. You are an excellent writer.
I felt as if I was reading a history textbook.
Regards
Rick

[ANZAC]

How lucky is this.....

While forming up for Marching in the Anzac parade on Wednesday I spied what I thought was an elderley gentleman wearing some Red Banners. Pushing through the crowd I came to the section of 'Allied Forces'. Looking around I saw the man again and he was wearing what I believed to be a T1V2 Nevsky, 4 Red Banners and a wealth of other awards.

Not having time to approach him I memorised where he was in the march and was intent on finding him after the formalities.

2 Hours later I set off amongst the thousands of veterans and their families looking for what I hoped to be an insightful meeting. Tracking back along the street I found where the Allied Forces Banner was and lo and behold I found this gentlemen. Plucking up the courage to approach him, since I was more interested in his story than his awards at the time, I introduced my self and my hobby on collecting Soviet Awards.

By chance his name was Alexei and was more than happy to talk, i was wrapped with this since a lot of veterans are reluctant to recount their time in war. We proceeded to a nearby bar and sat in a quiet corner and told me the following story over a 3 hour period. His memory was excellent some places but clouded in others.

He joined the Army with his friends shortly after the Invasion of the Soviet Union he ended up being attached to the 13th Guards Rifle Division which was part of the 5th Guards Army. I asked him what was his most vivid memory of the war? His answer made my eyes pop out of my head, Stalingrad! First of all I thought he was having me on, but as he spoke more and more about details I new this old man had been there.

He had crossed the Volga to the city under intense artillery fire, they were sent straight away into action to capture 'Mamayev Kurgan'. they captured the hill and kept pushing towards the railway station. The suffered heavy losses and he himself was wounded. Out of 10,000 men most were killed or wounded.

He refused to be evacuated and stayed on the hill helping repulse countless German counter attacks. He was eventually moved down the hill and treated.

At this point in his story he seemed reluctant to go further. i didn't push it and thanked him for sharing a part of history that he was involved in creating. We spoke for a little while longer about his awards and how they were presented to him. I was cursing that I didn't have my camera, but maybe that's how it should've been.....

Brendan

[Nack]

Very cool, to say the least. Probably not a lot of Russkies out there in Oz. Very cool to see he still considers us all allies after the long history after the war.

BTW, the ANZAC memorial in Sydney is the best war memorial I've ever seen.

[Lapa]

Tim,

The Russian community is quite important down there, especially in Melbourne and Sydney.

Marc

[CtahhR]

Originally Posted by ANZAC

I prepare to march wearing my Granfather and Fathers awards.

This may be a slightly late reply but on the point of wearing next-of-kin awards the British Commonwealth protocol is to wear your own on the left (if you are in service, you can chose not to if out) and on the right (if you choose) those of one deceased recipient you are honouring.

In the simple context of protocol wearing two other recipients' awards (even if they were father and son, husband and wife, etc.) is incorrect.

I'm sure if this wasn't the case many people throughout the Commonwealth could be absolutely coated in awards. If you have your own service, then a Father in Vietnam (or other contemporary overseas engagement), two Grandfathers in the Second World War/Korea, four Great Grandfathers in the Great War you soon get weighed down just going back 100 years on Campaign Medals alone.

I know this is a rather British (Commonwealth) quirk and some cultures have some very different standpoints on "other people's Medals" but that's just the way we do it.

[andrew6767]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

This may be a slightly late reply but on the point of wearing next-of-kin awards the British Commonwealth protocol is to wear your own on the left (if you are in service, you can chose not to if out) and on the right (if you choose) those of one deceased recipient you are honouring.

Its law in Australia. You can be charged with impersonating a returned serviceman if you wear medals not awarded to you on the wrong side.

This is mainly to stop military service impersonators , but if you have them on the wrong side someone will be telling you about it very quickly.

There is a website called ANZMI in Australia that is constantly shaming and catching out impostors.

[CtahhR]

I believe I've seen their site and workings before. It really is disgraceful how many imposters are out there. Especially with the dwindling numbers of real veterans out there (only saw 1 WW2 Veteran at the local cenotaph this last year).

I'm sure that these imposters usually get off too lightly. They all need a beasting from a WO like I once saw an incompetent private in the "Special Pension Service" get.

As a "Tommy", I've always had the highest respect for the "Diggers". Their hardware in Korea really saved the day, whilst allies farther afield were still mobilising.

If people wish to be an imposter these days they can always buy an array of tinnies (not beer!) such as the Cold War Commemorative, Jubilee Thingy or any other "somewhere" Mint nonsense. It's legal but very little more. That is probably cheaper than having the psychological issues addressed.