Matti Harsila

Born 12.09.1874
Place Lapua, Vaasa, Finland
Ethnic origin Finnish
Religion Church of England
Father Salmon Harsila
Arrived at Australia from Finland via London
on 9.09.1915
per Port Phillip
disembarked at Adelaide
Residence before enlistment Adelaide
Occupation 1915 seaman, 1925 labourer
Naturalisation 1926
Residence after the war Adelaide, 1919 - 1922 Finland, Halifax, Cairns, Brisbane, Cooktown, Innisfail, Ingham, Tully, Maroochy River, Granite Creek, Brisbane
Died 1966, Qld

Service #1

Service number 2344
Enlisted 20.09.1915
Place of enlistment Adelaide
Unit 32nd Battalion, 48th Battalion
Rank Private
Place Western Front, 1916-1917
Casualties WIA 1916, 1917; POW 1917
Final fate RTA 5.03.1919
Discharged 10.6.1919

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

Pinned under cane truck. - Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser, 20 October 1944, p. 6.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Hjalmar Karhu, a Finnish former seaman from Western Australia, gave his account of what he called 'the first "stunt" at Bullecourt' [1917], in which he was wounded as he tried to retreat. 'We reached the second line of enemy trenches. "Fritz" counter-attacked us and our bombs ran short. Our chaps were retreating, and I tried to get back to our lines.' The wounded Karhu was captured by the Germans. Another four Russians were also captured on the same day: three other Finns -- Matti Harsila, Konrat Troyle and Frans Fredrikson -- and Charles Reppe, from Riga, who was one of the first Russians to enlist.

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