Russian AnzacsAdolf Saarijarvi
| Born | 13.02.1877 |
|---|---|
| Place | Orivesi, Tampere, Finland |
| Ethnic origin | Finnish |
| Religion | Buried as Jewish |
| Father | Adolf Saarijarvi |
| Mother | Louisa Saarijarvi |
| Family | Wife Anna Janne Saarijarvi (née Tuomisto), married 1918 in London |
| Arrived at Australia |
from Norway on 24.03.1902 per Serena disembarked at Melbourne |
| Residence before enlistment | South Gippsland, Chinchilla, Dalby, Qld |
| Occupation | 1908 labourer, 1916 selector |
| Naturalisation | 1909 |
Service #1
| Service number | 2709A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted | 29.03.1916 |
| Place of enlistment | Toowoomba, Qld |
| Unit | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Rank | Private |
| Place | Western Front, 1917-1918 |
| Casualties | WIA 1918 |
| Awards | MM (16.07.1918) |
| Final fate | 28.10.1918 DOW and influenza in England |
| Cemetery | 1 Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, Britain |
Materials
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM)
Digitised recommendation for award (AWM)
Roll of Honour (AWM)
Blog article
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
Adolf Saarijarvi, a Finnish selector from Chinchilla, Queensland, was in a 4th Pioneer Battalion working-party in this battle [Villers-Bretonneux, 1918] and it was one of those occasions when pioneers had to take up their rifles and fight. Saarijarvi 'displayed great courage and presence of mind', his commanding officer wrote; 'he continuously placed himself in position from which effective fire could be made from his rifle and passed messages to Lieut Reid and those about him so that men in the vicinity could be used to the best advantage'. His actions on this day won Saarijarvi a Military Medal but he did not live to see victory: wounded in August 1918 in the advance on Amiens, he died from influenza in October 1918 in England, with his Finnish wife at his side -- they had married just a month before his death.
Gallery
Adolf Saarijarvi
Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to The Queenslander, 30 September 1916, p. 26
AWM memorial panel 174