Arvid Berkis
AWM memorial panel 46
Alias Berger
Born 12.11.1892
Place Riga, Latvia
Ethnic origin Latvian
Religion Lutheran
Arrived at Australia
from Japan
on 5.06.1909
per Yawata Maru
disembarked at Brisbane
Residence before enlistment NSW, SA, WA, Melbourne
Occupation Sailor, 'worked in the forest and copper mines' (from Roll of Honour circular)
Service service number 1507
enlisted 18.12.1914
POE Broadmeadows, Melbourne or Cangai, NSW (Roll of Honour)
unit 6th Battalion
rank Private
place Gallipoli, 1915
casualties WIA 1915
final fate DOW 15.07.1915
cemetery Buried at sea
memorial 6 Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipol
Naturalisation 1914
Materials
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM) (David Berkis)
Blog article
Newspaper articles
The boxing carnival. - Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail, 12 November 1913, p. 4
Soldiers on way to front hold sports. Carnival on board. - Referee, Sydney, 26 May 1915, p. 9
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
The botanist Jakob Serennikoff and the seaman Arvid Berkis, who had just arrived with the 3rd reinforcements, were wounded in [charge at Krithia, Gallipoli]. Serennikoff was evacuated to Australia but Berkis, after recovering in Egypt, rejoined his battalion and was severely wounded again in the fight for German Officers' Trench in July. He died of his wounds aboard the ship returning him to Egypt and was buried at sea -- a sailor's fate.