Русская версия

Alto, Jurgens, Zygas

John Alto

  • John Alto, a Finnish seaman from Varkaus, came to South Australia in 1909. He worked as a seaman and labourer in the port cities of the state, but later moved to New South Wales.
  • Enlisting in the AIF in Sydney in September 1917, he was discharged a few days later as medically unfit.
  • After the war he married an Australian girl, Martha Margaret Williams, and lived with his family in the Newcastle area, working as a fitter.

Alexander Jurgens

  • Alexander Jurgens, an Estonian seaman from Piarnu, came to San Francisco in 1915 and then sailed to Sydney where he worked as a labourer.
  • He enlisted in the AIF in Sydney the same day with Alto and was similarly discharged a few days later.
  • In January 1918 he was already in San Francisco where, being unemployed, he tried to enlist in the American Army.
  • He stayed in the city, serving on the ships, and naturalised in 1925.

Stanley Zygas

  • Stanley Zygas, a Lithuanian sailor from Survilishkis, came to South Australia in 1909 and worked as an agricultural labourer and handyman.
  • Enlisting in the AIF in Adelaide, he served with the 32nd and 50th battalions on the Western Front.
  • After the war, in July 1919, he married Kathleen Green in London and returned to Australia with his wife. They lived in the Adelaide suburbs, where Stanley worked as a mechanic.