Oscar Yurak

Alias Yurack, Jurak

Born 12.11.1885     Place Salismunde, via Riga, Latvia     Ethnic origin Latvian     Religion Lutheran

Father Yurak, John

Arrived at Australia -

Residence before enlistment Sydney

Occupation labourer

Service

service number 2668     enlisted 20.07.1916     POE Sydney

unit 39th Battalion, 8th Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1917

final fate RTA 27.09.1917      discharged 10.12.1917, services no longer required

Naturalisation served as Russian subject

Residence after the war Melbourne

Materials digitised service records (NAA)

alien registration (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Even when they lacked support from the Russian authorities in London, Russian soldiers who applied for a discharge before the revolution were not prosecuted by the AIF. Oscar Yurak, from Riga, argued in April 1917: ‘I enlisted in Australia on the assurance of the Russian consul in Sydney that I would be transferred to the Russian Army on my arrival in Europe’, but his request was refused. He added, ‘I believe … in battlefield, every soldier to be amongst his own people’ and affirmed that he did not ‘intend to soldier with the Australian Army’. No disciplinary action was taken against him, however, and he was returned to Australia in September 1917.

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