Digitised naturalisation (NAA)

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Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)

Biographical file (AWM)

Application for admission of relatives 1 2 (NAA)

Roll of Honour Circular (AWM)

Blog article

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English

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

It was common for seamen to have been at sea from an early age but, as previously noted, many of them had unexpected family backgrounds -- like George Kamishansky from Kerch, whose work in Australia as an ordinary seaman on coastal ships belied his original background. His father, Petr Konstantinovich Kamishansky, was a St Petersburg court prosecutor who had committed some kind of legal infraction and been sent into internal exile; but, because of his high social rank, he served out his exile as a provincial governor. George knew French, German and English and was obviously well-educated; later, when serving in the AIF in military intelligence, he was able to put his linguistic skills to good use.

[...] The very first contingent [...] -- this First Fleet of the new Australian nationhood -- left Australian waters in early November 1914 with at least 12 Russians: the Finns Baer and Hiltunen, the ethnic Russians Arn, Kamishansky, Sast and Sindeeff, the Polish-born Markowicz and Watson, the Jews Zander and Levene, and the Russian-born Englishmen Ball and Dyson.

[...] George Kamishansky was another educated Russian, with a knowledge of French and German; after getting sick in France, he was transferred from the artillery and attached to Intelligence staff at 1st Anzac Corps Headquarters.

[...] A few Russians who managed to gain qualifications and experience ended up having successful professional careers here. [...] George Kamishansky, whose health was shattered after Gallipoli, studied electrical engineering, also at Sydney Technical College. He found work first as a telephone mechanic, studied accountancy and, after passing his exams, was finally employed in the Customs Department in Sydney, where 'he found scope for his linguistic ability'.

[...] George Kamishansky 'spent the greater part of his time up to 1921 in hospitals and convalescent homes' and married an AIF sister, Jane Smith, in 1921.