William George Averkoff
AWM memorial panel 143
William George Averkoff
Courtesy of Averkoff's family
Standing: Osiph Rinkevich (left), Nikalas Kiva (right); sitting: William Averkoff (left), Konstantin Diachkoff (right), Brisbane, 1916
Courtesy of Osiph Rinkevich's family
William Averkoff (position unclear) with Australian soldiers from 4/47 and 19/9 battalions at Chermside Camp, Brisbane, 1916
Courtesy of Osiph Rinkevich's family
Russian spelling
Василий Сергеевич Аверков
Born 1896 (information in service records) or 1898 (information from the relatives)
Place Moscow, Russia (information fron his relatives) or Vladivostok, Russia (service records)
Ethnic origin Russian
Religion Roman Catholic (probably Russian Orthodox)
Father Sergius Averkoff
Mother Annie Averkoff (née Goozieff)
Arrived at Australia
from Far East with parents and siblings
on 13.11.1910
per Nikko Maru
disembarked at Brisbane
Residence before enlistment Innisfail, Qld
Occupation Book binder
Service service number 2124
enlisted 25.03.1916
POE Townsville
unit 47th Battalion
rank Private
place Western Front, 1916-1917
final fate KIA 7.06.1917
cemetery 168 Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium
Naturalisation father naturalised 1913
Materials
Digitised naturalisation of father (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Digitised Roll of Honour circular (AWM)
Family tree on Ancestry.com
Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial dedicated to Private William George Averkoff - 22 February 2020 (see story at 11:20).
Blog articles
Newspaper articles
A command obeyed. - Cairns Post, 10 August 1911, p. 4.
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
William George Averkoff added two years onto his real age of 18 years, and joined up, despite having just become the family breadwinner. In 1910 his family, which included the 12-year-old William and his six younger brothers and sisters, had come to Australia, but in 1915 his father died in an accident, leaving William, then working as a bookbinder, to support the large family. William never returned from the war.