Adolf Saarijarvi

Born 13.02.1877
Place Orivesi, Tampere, Finland
Ethnic origin Finnish
Religion Buried as Jewish
Father Adolf Saarijarvi
Mother Louisa Saarijarvi
Family

Wife Anna Janne Saarijarvi (née Tuomisto), married 1918 in London

Arrived at Australia from Norway
on 24.03.1902
per Serena
disembarked at Melbourne
Residence before enlistment South Gippsland, Chinchilla, Dalby, Qld
Occupation 1908 labourer, 1916 selector
Naturalisation 1909

Service #1

Service number 2709A
Enlisted 29.03.1916
Place of enlistment Toowoomba, Qld
Unit 4th Pioneer Battalion
Rank Private
Place Western Front, 1917-1918
Casualties WIA 1918
Awards MM (16.07.1918)
Final fate 28.10.1918 DOW and influenza in England
Cemetery 1 Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, Britain

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Adolf Saarijarvi, a Finnish selector from Chinchilla, Queensland, was in a 4th Pioneer Battalion working-party in this battle [Villers-Bretonneux, 1918] and it was one of those occasions when pioneers had to take up their rifles and fight. Saarijarvi 'displayed great courage and presence of mind', his commanding officer wrote; 'he continuously placed himself in position from which effective fire could be made from his rifle and passed messages to Lieut Reid and those about him so that men in the vicinity could be used to the best advantage'. His actions on this day won Saarijarvi a Military Medal but he did not live to see victory: wounded in August 1918 in the advance on Amiens, he died from influenza in October 1918 in England, with his Finnish wife at his side -- they had married just a month before his death.

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