Paul Smirnoff

Russian spelling Павел Александрович Смирнов

Born 7.11.1899     Place Vologda, Northern Russia     Ethnic origin Russian     Religion Church of England

Father Smirnoff, Alexander

Arrived at Australia 03.1914

Residence before enlistment Catherine Hill Bay (NSW), Kurri Kurri, East Maitland, Aberdare, Sydney, Lithgow,  Newcastle, Cessnock, NSW

Occupation 1916 labourer, 1917 clipper, wheeler, 1918 labourer, miner, interpreter

Service

service number 59174     enlisted 15.05.1918     POE Cessnock, NSW

unit 17th Battalion       rank Private

place France, 1919

discharged 21.05.1919 in London, enlisted at Middlesex Regiment, the North Russian Relief Force (Acting Sergeant) served as an interpreter

Naturalisation served as Russian subject

Materials digitised service records (NAA)

SMIRNOFF P (A/Sergeant) - Middlesex Regiment (digitised file) (NAA)

alien registration (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

[...] five Russians enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment, mostly as interpreters, and served with the North Russian Relief Force: Alex Alexandroff, from Vladivostok (a former cook), Robert Meerin and Anthony Minkshlin, from the Baltic region (both former seamen), Ivan Odliff, from Nizhny Novgorod (a former boiler-maker), and Paul Smirnoff, a 19-year-old former miner from Vologda, northern Russia. Richard Gregorenko planned to join them but later changed his mind and returned to Australia. They arrived in Archangel in summer 1919 and fought against the pro-Bolshevik forces in the area until the final evacuation of Allied forces a year later. Minkshlin was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for this campaign.

Back to home if you do not see frames