Application for naturalisation (NAA)

Digitised service records (NAA)

Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM) (Fritz Lepin)

Digitised court martial records (NAA)

Alien registration WWII 1 2 3 (NAA)

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

Woman's death. Husband under arrest. - The Canberra Times, 11 May 1929, p. 1

Antin inquest. - The Canberra Times, 13 June 1929, p. 1

Russian on murder charge. - The Argus, Melbourne, 13 June 1929, p. 7

Charge of murder. Not guilty. - The Canberra Times, 3 July 1929, p. 5

Murder charge fails. Story of accidental shooting. - The Argus, Melbourne, 3 July 1929, p. 11

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Martin Antin, a Latvian former seaman, went through Gallipoli and was twice wounded at the Western Front fighting with the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, but then when he was in England he suddenly deserted. He was apprehended and at his court-martial stated, 'I enlisted in November 1914 under the name of Fritz Lepin. When I went to France in 1916 they all called me a German. In January 1918 I sent papers from France to London to have my name changed to my right name which is Martin Mikkel Antin. My alteration of name was read out on parade but my comrades still called me Fritz. Then I got gassed and was sent to England. ... I wanted to explain my case to a Court Martial so I stayed away.' And, again, as frequently happened at courts-martial, the initial charge of desertion was reduced to being absent without leave; Antin was sentenced to eight months, but six months were remitted 'on the grounds of the matter contained in his evidence and his long service'.