Victor Carlson-Vesala

Alias correct name Frans Viktor Vesala (Wesala)

Born 2.03.1883     Place Kepola, Koylio, Pori, Finland

Ethnic origin Finn     Religion Unitarian

Father Wesala, Kalle     Mother Wesala, Johanna Sophia

Arrived at Australia

      from London    on 20.08.1905   per Myrtle Holme    disembarked at Hobart

Residence before enlistment Hobart, Adelaide

Occupation seaman

Service

service number 1670   enlisted 20.05.1915   POE Liverpool, NSW

unit 19th Battalion   rank Private

place Gallipoli, 1915; Western Front, 1916       casualties WIA 1915

final fate KIA 14.11.1916

memorial details 26 Villers-Bretonneux, France

Naturalisation 1913

Materials digitised naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

digitised Red Cross wounded and missing file (AWM)

digitised Roll of Honour card (AWM)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

[Among casualties at the Somme] was Victor Carlson, ‘a big Dane, over 6ft, fair, big moustache’ (his real name was Frans Viktor Vesala, a seaman from the Finnish village of Koylio); he had survived being wounded at Gallipoli but after the battle of Flers was missing in action. His comrades later testified: ‘In the advance at Flers [we] carried him into our trench badly wounded in the thigh by shell. He had lain out in the open all day and when we were out looking for ammunition at night, we heard him calling, and so we found him.’ Stretcher-bearers could only reach the trench by the night, by which time the trench had been captured by the enemy and so his body was never recovered.

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