Hjalmar Karhu
Born | 22.01.1891 |
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Place | Vyborg, Finland (now Russia) (service records) or Trangsund, Uleaborg (Oulu), Finland (naturalisation) |
Ethnic origin | Finnish |
Religion | Church of England |
Father | Gabriel Karhu |
Family | Wife Lily Violet Karhu (née Warwick), married 1918 in London; son Arthur John Karhu, b. 1922, served in the AIF in WWII |
Residence before arrival at Australia | Was seaman for 8 years |
Arrived at Australia |
from Brazil on 07.1915 per Aleyan disembarked at Fremantle, WA |
Residence before enlistment | Perth |
Occupation | 1915 seaman, 1921 boot maker |
Naturalisation | 1921 |
Residence after the war | 1921 Swanbourne, WA, 1925 Cottesloe, WA |
Died | 29.04.1973, Perth |
Service #1
Service number | 4638 |
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Enlisted | 4.11.1915 |
Place of enlistment | Perth |
Unit | 16th Battalion, 48th Battalion |
Rank | Private |
Place | Western Front, 1916-1917 |
Casualties | WIA 1916, 1917; POW 1917 |
Final fate | RTA 13.12.1918 |
Discharged | 1.08.1919 |
Materials
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Alien registration file (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Statement as prisoner of war (AWM)
Red Cross POW file (AWM)
Digitised Red Cross wounded and missing file (AWM)
Personal case file 1 2 3 4(NAA)
Blog articles
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
Hjalmar Karhu, a Finnish former seaman from Western Australia, gave his account of what he called 'the first "stunt" at Bullecourt' [1917], in which he was wounded as he tried to retreat. 'We reached the second line of enemy trenches. "Fritz" counter-attacked us and our bombs ran short. Our chaps were retreating, and I tried to get back to our lines.' The wounded Karhu was captured by the Germans. Another four Russians were also captured on the same day: three other Finns -- Matti Harsila, Konrat Troyle and Frans Fredrikson -- and Charles Reppe, from Riga, who was one of the first Russians to enlist.