Michael Klatchko

Russian spelling Михаил Эммануилович Клячко
Born 3.05.1883
Place St Petersburg, Russia
Ethnic origin Jewish / Russian
Family

wife Phyllis Olga Klatchko (née Duckett) (1894-1936), married 1917 in Australia, daughter of Arthur H. Duckett; daughter Masha Klatchko, b. in Melbourne in 1920

Residence before arrival at Australia 17.06.1914 left England for Russia via Suez, India & Japan on Lutzow, which was captured by German navy in Red Sea; 13.08.1914 'Lutzow' was recaptured by British, 14.08.1914 arrived in Egypt, 9.09.1914 attached to British Army for duty with the Medical Units, later attached to AIF
Arrived at Australia from Egypt
on 16.09.1916
per Borda
disembarked at Melbourne
Residence before enlistment Egypt
Occupation Doctor, specialist in plastic surgery of jaws and face, dental surgeon
Naturalisation Served as Russian subject
Residence after the war 16.12.1917 left Australia for Vladivostok, after 1921 lived with his family in Shanghai, visited Australia on many occasions
Died 06.1968, Hong Kong

Service #1

Enlisted 17.07.1915 (attached to Australian Forces)
Place of enlistment Egypt
Unit 1st Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital
Rank Captain
Place Egypt, 1915-1916
Discharged 02.1917 left service

Materials

Dr M Klatchko - Application for certificate of naturalization (digitised file)  (NAA)

KLATCHKO I M (Dr) - Russian Imperial Reserve (digitised file) (NAA)

Assistance given to Captain KLATCHKO during visit to Western Australia (digitised file) (NAA)

[Australian Imperial Force Headquarters (London) Administrative Registry - Medical personnel administration files]: [...] [/1] Driver M Klatchko (AWM)

Dr Klatchko [travel to Japan as Official Bearer to Russian Legation] (digitised file) (NAA)

Klatchko, Michail Emanuilovitch - Re-admission (digitised file) (NAA)

KLATCHKE Olga Artusovna (alien registration) (NAA)

Klatchko, Olga Arturovna (alien registration) (digitised file) (NAA)

Madame Klatchko (Australian - daughter A Duckett, Ed Duckett & Sons) Russian subject by marriage. Authority granted for admission to Australia with Russian nurse (digitised file) (NAA)

Agrenava Slaviansky Choir and Dr Klatchro - Report on (digitised file) (NAA)

Cost of cable to British Consul-General, Shanghai - Case of Dr Klatcho (NAA)

Dr Klatchko and Wang King Yaig - ex "Taiping" (Sydney) August 1935 (digitised file) (NAA)

Chee Ya Ti (Chinese Amah to Mrs Klatchko) - Departure per "Changte" March 1935 (digitised file) (NAA)

Dr Michail Klatchko (Russian) Madame Phyllis Dlatchko (née Duckett) Australian born wife and daughter - Permission to visit Australia (digitised file) (NAA)

Mrs Phyllis Olga Klatcho (digitised file) (NAA)

Mrs Phyllis Olga Klatcho (NAA)

KLATCHKO Michael born 1881; nationality Stateless travelled per TAIPING arriving in Melbourne on 25 July 1939 (NAA)

KLATCHKO Michael - Nationality: Stateless - Arrived Sydney per Aorangi 29 October 1951 Departed Commonwealth on 09 February 1952 (NAA)

ENGMANN Masha - Nationality: American - Arrived Sydney per Aorangi 29 October 1951 Departed Commonwealth on 09 February 1952 Also known as KLATCHKO (NAA)

Photos

Keswick Hospital: Capt. Klatchko (Russian Doctor) and Officers at 7th A.G.H 1 2 3 (State Library of South Australia)

Grave monument in Happy Valley cemetery, Hong Kong

Blog articles

Russian Anzacs in Russian

Russian Anzacs in English

A life full of surprises - Klatchko/Klyachko/Клячко, by Tana on 'Find Russian Heritage'

Newspaper articles

A Russian doctor. - The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 September 1916, page 12

Russian and Australian trade. - The Mercury (Hobart), 28 February 1917, page 4

Russian trade commissioner. - The Mercury (Hobart), 28 February 1917, page 7

Trade with Russia. - Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 28 February 1917, page 6

Victoria League and Russian trade commissioner. - The Mercury (Hobart), 1 March 1917, page 3

The Russian revolution. - The Advertiser (Adelaide), 22 March 1917, page 6

Russia and Australia. - The Register (Adelaide), 22 March 1917, page 6

A Russian visitor. - The West Australian (Perth), 31 March 1917, page 8

M.Klatchko. Relations with Russia. - The West Australian (Perth), 3 April 1917, page 8

Russian-Australian Bureau. - Western Argus (Kalgoorlie, WA), 3 April 1917, page 6

Russia and Australia. Avenues for trade. Interview with Dr. Klatchko. - Western Argus (Kalgoorlie, WA), 10 April 1917, page 30

Trade with Russia. Address by Dr. Klatchko. - The West Australian (Perth, WA), 12 April 1917, page 6

Trade with Russia. - The Advertiser (Adelaide), 21 April 1917, page 12

Trade with Russia - Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW), 6 May 1917, page 4

Victorian marries Russian doctor - Weekly Times, Vic., 5 January 1918, page 9

Back from Russia. Melbourne woman's experiences - Northern Star, Lismore, 8 May 1924, page 6

Will be conflict in East - Daily Standard, Brisbane, 5 August 1935, page 5

Car tragedy at Montrose. - The Argus (Melbourne), 26 September 1936, page 17

Double suicide. Coroner's finding in Montrose case. - The Argus (Melbourne), 10 October 1936, page 17

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

A most unusual story was that of Michael Klatchko, a Russian doctor. On the eve of the war he left England aboard the German ship Lutzow, bound for the Russian Far East. At the outbreak of war the ship was in the Red Sea and the German crew immediately interned him on board. The British soon captured the ship, however, and Klatchko was landed in Egypt, where at first he was attached to the British army for duty with the medical units. In July 1915 he was transferred to the AIF and worked in No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis and in auxiliary hospitals. He turned out to be a very skilled plastic surgeon, especially with the face and jaws. Many Anzacs evacuated from Gallipoli with severe head injuries experienced the benefits of his skill and his work was appreciated at the highest level. Lieutenant-Colonel Ramsay Smith, No. 1 Australian General Hospital's commanding officer, confirmed that 'His splendid surgical knowledge, his manual dexterity, and his mechanical genius, made his services invaluable to the wounded'. Major T.F. Brown, No. 1 Auxiliary Hospital's commanding officer, added: 'your keen desire to assist us in every way you could, reflects evidence of the good will of the Russian people towards us. We Australians are only a small portion of the British Empire, but I assure you we appreciate it very much.' Even the minister for Defence sent Klatchko official thanks for his services. In September 1916 he accompanied wounded soldiers being repatriated on the Borda and, once in Australia, was employed recruiting Russians across the country. His career ended quite unexpectedly and suddenly: in 1917 he ran off to Vladivostok with a girl from an upper-class Melbourne family.

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