Russian AnzacsOscar Strauberg
| Born | 1891 |
|---|---|
| Place | Riga, Latvia |
| Ethnic origin | Latvian |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Father | Peter Strauberg |
| Mother | Bertha Strauberg |
| Contacts | Arrived at Australia and enlisted with Edward Seltin and Alexander Mentze |
| Arrived at Australia |
from Cardiff, England on 18.11.1916 per Gryfevale disembarked at Port Adelaide, SA (deserted) |
| Residence before enlistment | Port Adelaide, SA |
| Occupation | AB Seaman |
| Naturalisation | Served as Russian subject |
| Residence after the war | Port Kembla, 1936 Sydney |
| Died | 22.08.1941, Moorong Hospital, Ryde, NSW |
Service #1
| Service number | 3631 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted | 21.11.1916 |
| Place of enlistment | Adelaide |
| Unit | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Rank | Private |
| Place | Western Front, 1917-1919 |
| Final fate | RTA 23.08.1919 |
| Discharged | 13.11.1919 |
Materials
Blog article
From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:
Other seamen found work in whatever capacity they could, after returning from the war, if not at sea then on the waterfront -- as the stories of the two Latvian seamen Edward Seltin and Oscar Strauberg show. Both men had deserted their ship, the Gryfevale, during the war and were pressured to enlist by the Russian consul in Adelaide; when they came back in 1919 their paths took different directions.
Edward Seltin's son tells what became of them both. 'Oscar resumed his seafaring life and he worked on the coastal shipping out of Port Kembla, and we saw him only on very rare occasions. I don't think Oscar ever married ... following an accident on the ship when he lost his arm... he died.'