Russian AnzacsMorris 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
Digitised naturalisation (NAA)
Digitised WWI service records (NAA)
Digitised Embarkation roll entry (AWM) (Saffer)
Alien registration (NAA)
Investigation Branch file (NAA)
Blog article
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.
Gallery
** Morris Saffar reunited with his family after ten years (1923)**
_ The North Queensland Register_, 15 January 1923