Naturalisation (NAA)

Digitised WWI service records (NAA) (Janschewsky)

Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)

Court martial records (NAA)

WWII service records (NAA) (Janshwesky)

Investigation service file (NAA)

Alien registration (NAA)

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

"On the Rocks". Successful presentation. - The Australian Worker, Sydney, 17 October 1934, p. 7

Workers' Art Club. - The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 March 1935, p. 10

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Drinking together, as mentioned earlier, was important in building bridges between people; but sometimes even this did not help. Edward Janshewsky, a Russian from Libava, left home when he was 17 and worked as a fireman on steamships, along the way collecting tattoos on his arms -- butterfly, cross, heart and anchor, skull and snake, clasped hands, dagger, US flag and girl -- which seemed to express something about his fears and aspirations. When he landed in Australia on a voyage from South America to Russia, the Russian consul in Australia made him enlist in the AIF. But his service did not go well. Court-martialled for going absent without leave in December 1917, his explanation to the court was: 'I am a Russian and consequently was not much liked in the Coy. I consequently took to drink and went away.' I believe that in his case, and in a number of other cases, Russianness was only one of the factors contributing to a soldier's unpopularity. Janshewsky, though he enlisted in September 1915 and was in France until May 1918, when he ended up deserting, saw hardly any service with his unit (1st Pioneer Battalion), spending most of his time in hospitals, at base depots, being absent without leave and in detention. Later, he was found not to be eligible for war medals. Nevertheless we shall meet him again later -- a quite different man this time, an Australian.