Russian AnzacsLauri Mannerman
| Born | 22.02.1891 |
|---|---|
| Place | Lahti, Finland |
| Ethnic origin | Finnish |
| Religion | Lutheran |
| Father | Leander Rekolin |
| Residence before arrival at Australia | Worked for 8 years on steamers, calling at ports of England, Holland and Germany |
| Arrived at Australia |
from England on 5.10.1915 per Port Lincoln disembarked at Sydney |
| Residence before enlistment | Kurri Kurri, West Maitland, NSW |
| Occupation | before arrival at Australia: stoker on ship, 1916 colliery wheeler, 1928 labourer |
| Naturalisation | Applied 1928 |
| Residence after the war | Rockhampton, Mundubbera, Townsville, Innisfail, Tully, Banyan, Malanda, Butcher's Creek, Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Feluga, Quartpot Creek, Shelter Shed, Charters Towers, Qld |
| Died | 26.03.1945 or 27.03.1945, Tully, Queensland |
Service #1
| Service number | 124A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted | 21.01.1916 |
| Place of enlistment | West Maitland, NSW |
| Unit | 34th Battalion, 4th Battalion |
| Rank | Private |
| Place | Western Front, 1916-1918 |
| Awards | 13.08.1918 awarded Military Medal (LG 6/08/1918) |
| Final fate | RTA 20.11.1918 |
| Discharged | 19.02.1919 |
Materials
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Court martial records 1 2 (digitised) (NAA)
Digitised recommendation for award (AWM) (Louis Manneman)
DVA medical case file (NAA)
Blog article
Newspaper articles
Alleged shooting. - Townsville Daily Bulletin, 24 April 1924, p. 4.
Worse than Gallipoli. - Western Star and Roma Advertiser, Toowoomba, 3 May 1924, p. 2.
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
Laurie Mannerman was a Finnish stoker who left his ship in Australia in 1915 and joined the AIF shortly afterwards; somewhat headstrong, his conduct in the army had been far from exemplary, but suddenly here [at Hazebrouck] he showed a new side. 'During the advance of his Company [4th Battalion] at Strazeele on night 16th/17th April [1918], it was found necessary to get covering fire from an outpost of another Company. Pte. Mannerman was sent with a message to the Commander of the outpost and succeeded in getting through in spite of the fact that the ground to be covered was under intense artillery and machine gun fire. It was then found necessary to communicate with the Battalion on the right and this soldier volunteered and carried a message through the same intense barrage'. For his actions here he was awarded a Military Medal.
[...] by 1928 [Laurie Mannerman] had lived all over northern Queensland -- in Rockhampton, Mundubbera, Townsville, Innisfail, Tully, Malanda -- but he obviously kept in touch with the RSL. When the military authorities were looking for him in 1934 to give him his Military Medal, it was the RSL that informed them of Mannerman's whereabouts: 'Mr Mannerman has been travelling about for many months'.