John Ludwig Bepper

Born 25.08.1895
Place Riga, Latvia
Ethnic origin Latvian / Scottish
Religion Lutheran
Father Arthur Thomas Bepper
Mother of Scottish origin
Family

Wife Maud Bepper (née Hardman), married in 1919 in England; children Mabel Lea, b. 1925; Joyce, b. 1926; James Edward, b. 1926; Leslie Thomas, b. 1929; Iris June, b. 1931

Arrived at Australia from Holland
on 18.03.1913
per Herzogin Sophie Charlotte
disembarked at Newcastle, NSW
Residence before enlistment Moonan Flat via Scone, NSW
Occupation 1916 bush worker, 1920 painter and decorator
Naturalisation 1920
Residence after the war Crows Nest, Sydney
Died 15.04.1939, Castle Cove, Willoughby (suicided)

Service #1

Service number 13
Enlisted 9.02.1916
Place of enlistment West Maitland, NSW
Unit 34th Battalion
Rank Private
Place Western Front, 1916-1919
Casualties WIA 1917 (twice)
Final fate RTA 18.12.1919
Discharged 31.03.1920

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

Allied subjects enlist. - The Maitland Daily Mercury, 9 February 1916, p. 4.

War notes. Sconeites arrive safely in Egypt. - The Scone Advocate, 13 June 1916, p. 3.

Moonan Brook. Private J.L. Bepper - The Scone Advocate, 20 February 1920, p. 2.

Fears of war. - The Argus, 6 May 1939, p. 1.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

John Bepper was a 'bush-worker' from Moonan Flat, near Tamworth in New South Wales, when he enlisted; he was wounded in both arms on the Western Front. Following that, he trained as painter and decorator in England and subsequently settled in Sydney with his English wife. In 1932 he wrote a song called 'Our Harbour Bridge' -- a hymn to the Australian people:

From North to South it links the soil.
The massive Bridge o'er water blue;
It's manly toil that links that soil
O Sydney Bridge we're proud of you.

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