Morris Saffar

Alias Moische Seifer; Saffer; Maurice
Russian spelling Мойше (Моррис) Сейфер
Born 20.05.1887
Place Volyn, Russia (WWI attestation); Ostrow, Poland (consul's information); Paris, France (naturalisation and WWII attestation)
Ethnic origin Jewish
Religion Jewish (WWI), Roman Catholic (WWII)
Family

Wife Sarah Saffar, daughters Ella b. 1910, Freda, b. 1912, and Millie, b. 1924

Arrived at Australia from Bremen
on 20.04.1914
per Gneisenau
disembarked at Fremantle
Residence before enlistment Perth
Occupation 1916 mechanical engineer, 1925 mechanic, 1937 panel beater, 1939 chef
Naturalisation 1921
Residence after the war 1921 Brisbane, 1925 Perth, 1937 Melbourne, 1947 Soldiers' Home, Myrtlebank, Adelaide
Died 12.09.1947 Glenelg, South Australia

Service #1

Service number 132
Enlisted 15.03.1916
Place of enlistment Perth
Unit 3rd Division Cyclist Company, 51st Battalion
Rank Private
Place Western Front, 1918
Casualties WIA 1918
Final fate RTA 11.12.1918
Discharged 10.03.1919

Service #2 – WWII

Service number V83857
Enlisted 25.10.1939
Place of enlistment South Melbourne, Vic.
Unit 3 District Ordnance workshops
Rank Private
Discharged 15.07.1942

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

A happy man. - Queensland Times, Ipswich, 22 November 1922, p. 4.

After 7 years. - Evening News, Sydney, 27 November 1922, p. 1, portr.

Touching scenes. A family reunited. - Northern Miner, Charters Towers, 28 November 1922, p. 2.

A Russian drama. Seven years of torture. - Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, 6 December 1922, p. 10.

Together after ten years. - Daily Mail, Brisbane, 9 December 1922, p. 11.

'Together after ten years'. - The North Queensland Register, 15 January 1923.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Morris Saffar (or Moische Seifer) was an engineer. When applying for Australian naturalisation Saffar passed himself off as a Frenchman; in common with many of the Jews who left Russia to settle elsewhere, he identified more profoundly with where he'd settled, instead of the Russia he had left.

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