Saveliy Tkachenko

Alias Savelly
Russian spelling Савелий Авксентьевич Ткаченко
Born 3.10.1894
Place Gusiatin, Kamenets-Podolskii, Ukraine
Ethnic origin Ukrainian
Religion Russian Orthodox
Father Aksenti Tkachenko
Mother Pelahia Sakevech [Sakevich]
Residence before arrival at Australia Lived in Siberia for 6 months
Arrived at Australia from Dairen
on 27.10.1913
per St Albans
disembarked at Townsville
Residence before enlistment Townsville, Brisbane
Occupation Labourer
Naturalisation 1937
Residence after the war Brisbane
Died 24.10.1985, Queensland

Service #1

Service number 1004A
Enlisted 8.03.1915
Place of enlistment Townsville, Qld
Unit 25th Battalion, 26th Battalion
Rank Private
Place Gallipoli, 1915; Western Front, 1916-1918
Casualties Wounded 1915 (self-inflicted)
Final fate RTA 28.03.1919
Discharged 27.07.1919

Materials

Blog article

Russian

English

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

A former railway labourer, a Ukrainian, Saveliy Tkachenko (25th Battalion) shot off the index finger on his right hand early on the morning of 4 November [1915]. He had already been a few months on Gallipoli at this stage and had only just returned from hospital, where he was suffering from nerves. Along with other soldiers who had self-inflicted wounds, Tkachenko was tried by court-martial. His commanding officer characterised Tkachenko as an 'indifferent soldier', and stressed that he 'has been hard to understand, not being conversant with the English language. He is of Russian nationality.' His self-inflicted wound did not in any case help him to get out of the army: by that stage every man was needed. Later, in France, Tkachenko would try more than once to desert; he was even sentenced once to 'Penal servitude for life', although the sentence was suspended not long after and he was sent back to the trenches.

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