Martin Mikkel Antin

Alias Mahrtin; enlisted as Fritz Lepin

Born 16.12.1887  Place Riga, Latvia      Ethnic origin Latvian     Religion Lutheran

Father Antin, Mickel            Mother Antin, Margarita

Arrived at Australia

from Russia   on 11.1912   per Davemby   disembarked at Sydney

Residence before enlistment Sydney

Occupation seaman, 1941 munition worker

Service

service number 1408   enlisted 14.11.1914   POE Liverpool, NSW

unit 13th Battalion, 4th MG Battalion   rank Private, saddler

place Gallipoli, 1915, Western Front, 1916-1918      casualties WIA 1917 & 1918 (2 times)

final fate RTA 19.12.1918       discharged 28.03.1919

Naturalisation 1941-1942 - refused

Residence after the war Sydney, Newcastle

Died 9.08.1957

Materials application for naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

digitised court martial records (NAA)

alien registration WWII   1      2     3   (NAA)

Woman's death. Husband under arrest. - The Canberra Times, 11 May 1929, page 1

Antin inquest. - The Canberra Times, 13 June 1929, page 1.

Russian on murder charge. - The Argus (Melbourne), 13 June 1929, page 7

Charge of murder. Not guilty. - The Canberra Times,  3 July 1929, page 5.

Murder charge fails. Story of accidental shooting. - The Argus (Melbourne), 3 July 1929, page 11.

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Martin Antin, a Latvian former seaman, went through Gallipoli and was twice wounded at the Western Front fighting with the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, but then when he was in England he suddenly deserted. He was apprehended and at his court-martial stated, ‘I enlisted in November 1914 under the name of Fritz Lepin. When I went to France in 1916 they all called me a German. In January 1918 I sent papers from France to London to have my name changed to my right name which is Martin Mikkel Antin. My alteration of name was read out on parade but my comrades still called me Fritz. Then I got gassed and was sent to England. … I wanted to explain my case to a Court Martial so I stayed away.’ And, again, as frequently happened at courts-martial, the initial charge of desertion was reduced to being absent without leave; Antin was sentenced to eight months, but six months were remitted ‘on the grounds of the matter contained in his evidence and his long service’.

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