Russian AnzacsWilliam Brining
| Alias | William Bertul Brining |
|---|---|
| Born | 1886 |
| Place | Riga, Latvia |
| Ethnic origin | Latvian |
| Religion | Lutheran |
| Mother | Anna Brining |
| Arrived at Australia |
from South America on Ca 1917 |
| Residence before enlistment | Newcastle, NSW |
| Occupation | Seaman / labourer |
| Naturalisation | Served as Russian subject |
Service #1
| Service number | 3254A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted | 18.04.1917 |
| Place of enlistment | Newcastle, NSW |
| Unit | 36th Battalion, 34th Battalion |
| Rank | Private |
| Place | Western Front, 1918 |
| Final fate | KIA 31.08.1918 |
| Cemetery | 511 Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension, France |
Materials
Blog article
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
The sudden charge on Mont St Quentin on 31 August [1918] by several battalions of the 2nd Division (by now some battalions had only 300 men fit to fight) took the Germans by surprise, and many fled or were surrounded. But the Australians had many casualties, too. Among the fallen were three former seaman: Jack Aloe, who had failed in his bid to be granted naturalisation on the eve of his enlistment, William Brining, and Jacob Leffow. The last to arrive in Australia, the last to enlist -- there is probably some reasonable explanation that accounts for the high rate of casualties among seamen in these last weeks of the war. And yet the fate of these vagabonds dying on the crippled earth seems especially tragic.
Gallery
AWM memorial panel 123