James Cochura
James Cochura, 1939
WWII service records (NAA)
Russian spelling
Яков Прохорович Кочура
Born 13.08.1885
Place Aleksandrovsk (Zaporozhe), Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine
Ethnic origin Ukrainian
Religion Russian Orthodox
Father Prohor Cochura
Residence before arrival at Australia Served 3 years in the Russian foot guards
Arrived at Australia
from Vladivostok
on 12.12.1913
per Nikko Maru
disembarked at Sydney or Thursday Is
Residence before enlistment Cobar, West Maitland, Sydney, Broken Hill, Port Macquarie, NSW
Occupation Miner, labourer, wharf labourer
Service 1 service number 2812
enlisted 21.01.1916
POE Liverpool, NSW
unit 7th Light Horse Regiment
rank Private
place Egypt, Palestine, 1916-1918
final fate RTA 26.01.1919
discharged 4.08.1919
Service 2 (WWII)
service number Q187092
enlisted 20.10.1939
POE Brisbane
unit 1st Garrison Battalion
rank Private
discharged 18.10.1945
Naturalisation 1947
Residence after the war Temora, NSW, Sydney, Brisbane, Southport, Qld
Died 10.04.1961, Queensland
Materials
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised WWI service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Blog article
Publications
Queensland's 'forgotten' Ukrainian Anzacs honoured for service // Courier Mail
Newspaper articles
Struck guide post. Man thrown from truck. - Dalby Herald, 11 April 1939, p. 3.
Claim for damages. - Dalby Herald, 8 August 1939, p. 3.
Claim for damages. - Dalby Herald, 22 August 1939, p. 3.
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
James Cochura seemed to be having an especially hard time during these years [in Egypt]. A peasant from southern Russia, he had been a foot guard in the Russian army for three years before coming to Australia in 1913. While working in a Newcastle coal mine in 1914, he suffered severe injuries, including to his skull. Under the strain of his war service his old skull injury caused him unbearable headaches, despite which he took part in all the major battles fought by Australian troops.
From Falling stars: The story of Anzacs from Ukraine:
The Great Depression hit many Anzacs hard. [...] James Cochura [...] had to leave his block of land [in Temora] in 1933. He suffered from headaches after his skull was fractured in a mining accident in 1914; his condition was most probably aggravated by his army service in Egypt, where he spent several months in hospitals. He also suffered from back pains, but all his applications for a war veteran's pension fell on deaf ears at the Repatriation Department. He had to move to Sydney, and then to Brisbane, where he took 'casual work as a wharf labourer'.