Steven Orloff

Alias Stephen
Russian spelling Степан Александрович Орлов
Born 25.11.1885
Place Plashkino, Ostrov, Pskov, Russia
Ethnic origin Russian
Religion Church of Christ
Father Alexander Orloff
Mother Epimia (Efermia) Sergeiff
Arrived at Australia from Vladivostok
on 8.12.1912
per Nikko Maru
disembarked at Brisbane
Residence before enlistment Brisbane, Cairns, Yamba, Masonic Hike, Rockhampton, Qld
Occupation 1912 blacksmith; 1916, 1947 labourer
Naturalisation 1948
Residence after the war Cairns, Brisbane, Charleville, Qld, Sydney
Died 1966 North Ryde, NSW

Service #1

Service number 2372
Enlisted 5.05.1916
Place of enlistment Rockhampton, Qld
Unit 42nd Battalion
Rank Private
Place Western Front, 1917
Casualties WIA 1917
Final fate RTA 5.04.1918
Discharged 21.08.1918, MU

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

Central district volunteers. - Capricornian, Rockhampton, 13 May 1916, p. 7.

Motor car accident. A soldier injured. - Daily Standard, Brisbane, 4 September 1916, p. 4.

L. Berk et al., 'Protest by Russian Soldiers'. - Daily Mail, Brisbane, 5 September 1918, p. 8.

L. Berk et al., 'Russian Soldiers' Protest'. - Daily Mail, 17 September 1918, p. 7.

Alleged stabbing. - The Brisbane Courier, 1 September 1927, p. 11.

Alleged stabbing. - Telegraph, Brisbane, 1 September 1927, p. 5.

Cut chest and broken rib. - Daily Standard, 12 October 1927, p. 1.

Criminal court. Alleged assault at West End. - Telegraph, 12 October 1927, p. 2.

Supreme court. - The Brisbane Courier, 13 October 1927, p. 16.

Criminal court. Russian found guilty. - The Telegraph, 13 October 1927, p. 7.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

But let's spend a little longer listening to the voices of these Russian swaggies as they emerge from the documents. 'In 1922 I left my discharge with my swag at Babinda Railway station North Queensland and the whole of goods which I had in my swag was stolen by some person unknown.' This is Steven Orloff -- another whose life took many different turns. At Ypres he was severely wounded, on the same day as Ankudinow, and invalided back to Australia. On his return, Orloff supported Leo Berk's anti-bolshevik group even though before the war he had raised money to send to political prisoners in Russia and even though, in 1921, he is found on Simonoff's repatriation list. He did not go back to Russia, however, and ended up sundowning in Queensland and New South Wales. In 1947, when applying for naturalisation, he still had no permanent address, being apparently camped out at La Perouse, Sydney.

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