Paul Smirnoff

Russian spelling Павел Александрович Смирнов
Born 7.11.1899
Place Vologda, Russia
Ethnic origin Russian
Religion Church of England
Father Alexander Smirnoff
Arrived at Australia on 03.1914
Residence before enlistment Catherine Hill Bay, Kurri Kurri, East Maitland, Aberdare, Sydney, Lithgow, Newcastle, Cessnock, NSW
Occupation 1916 labourer, 1917 clipper, wheeler, 1918 labourer, miner, interpreter
Naturalisation Served as Russian subject
Died 1973 Westminster, UK (?)

Service #1

Service number 59174
Enlisted 15.05.1918
Place of enlistment Cessnock, NSW
Unit 17th Battalion
Rank Private
Place France, 1919
Discharged 21.05.1919 in London

Service #2 – British Army

Enlisted 1919
Unit Middlesex Regiment, the North Russian Relief Force
Rank Acting Sergeant, served as an interpreter
Place Russia, 1919-1920
Discharged 1920

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

Newspaper articles

Police court. - Scone Advocate, 18 September 1917, p. 2.

Enlistments. - Maitland Daily Mercury, 18 May 1918, p. 2.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

[...] five Russians enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment, mostly as interpreters, and served with the North Russian Relief Force: Alex Alexandroff, from Vladivostok (a former cook), Robert Meerin and Anthony Minkshlin, from the Baltic region (both former seamen), Ivan Odliff, from Nizhny Novgorod (a former boiler-maker), and Paul Smirnoff, a 19-year-old former miner from Vologda, northern Russia. Richard Gregorenko planned to join them but later changed his mind and returned to Australia. They arrived in Archangel in summer 1919 and fought against the pro-Bolshevik forces in the area until the final evacuation of Allied forces a year later. Minkshlin was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for this campaign.

Gallery

Paul Smirnoff
SL NSW a872373

Map