Russian AnzacsJohn 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
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Digitised musical work 'Our Harbour Bridge' (NAA)
Digitised Army Militia service records (NAA)
Family Tree on Ancestry.com
Blog article
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.