Toivo Alexander Haapanen

Born 13.08.1886    Place Tammerfors (Tampere), Finland     Ethnic origin Finn    Religion Lutheran (1st enlistment); C o E (2nd enlistment)

Father -       Mother Haapanen, Josephina

Arrived at Australia

            from South America     on 06.1913    per Kitty     disembarked at Sydney

Residence before enlistment Portland, Cobbora, Thallom, Qld; 1917 Wynnum, Qld

Occupation seaman, tattoo

Family wife Hannah Haapanen, b. Finland, son Eric b. 1916

Service 1

service number 2374   enlisted 7.05.1915 POE Goondiwindi, Qld

unit 15th Battalion, Camel Corps, 18th Battalion (?)   rank Private

place Gallipoli, 1915; Egypt, 1916; England, 1916-1917

final fate RTA 13.02.1917      discharged 23.05.1917, 9 months home service

Service 2

service number 1564   enlisted 24.08.1918   POE Brisbane

unit AN&MEF   rank Private

place New Guinea and New Britain, 1918-1919

final fate RTA 5.08.1919       discharged 8.10.1919

Naturalisation 1918

Residence after the war 1935 Darwin; 1942 Broome, WA

WWII served 1942-1944, 11 NW Bn VDC

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised WWI service records (NAA)

WWII service records (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

[Among those] who served in New Britain was the Finnish seaman Toivo Haapanen; he had become sick while serving in Egypt with the Camel Corps but, after recovering in Australia, in August 1918 joined the AN&MEF and served for nearly ten months. Later, Haapanen will defend Australia for a third time — during the Second World War.

Back to home if you do not see frames