Matti Harsila

Born 12.09.1874   Place Lapua, Vaasa, Finland   Ethnic origin Finn   Religion Church of England

Father Harsila, Salman     Mother -

Arrived at Australia

            from Finland via London   on 9.09.1915     per Port Phillip   disembarked at Adelaide

Residence before enlistment Adelaide

Occupation 1915 seaman, 1925 labourer

Service

service number 2344   enlisted 20.09.1915   POE Adelaide

unit 32nd Battalion, 48th Battalion   rank Private

place Western Front, 1916-1917       casualties WIA 1916, 1917; POW 1917

final fate RTA 5.03.1919       discharged 10.6.1919

Naturalisation 1926

Residence after the war Adelaide, Finland 1919 – 1922, Halifax, Cairns, Brisbane, Cooktown, Innisfail, Ingham

Materials digitised naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

POW statement (AWM)

digitised Red Cross wounded and missing file (AWM)

Red Cross POW file (AWM)

Harsila, Matti - naturalised 1 October 1926 (NAA)

Department of Veterans' Affairs file 1    2  (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Hjalmar Karhu, a Finnish former seaman from Western Australia, gave his account of what he called ‘the first “stunt” at Bullecourt’ [1917], in which he was wounded as he tried to retreat. ‘We reached the second line of enemy trenches. “Fritz” counter-attacked us and our bombs ran short. Our chaps were retreating, and I tried to get back to our lines.’ The wounded Karhu was captured by the Germans. Another four Russians were also captured on the same day: three other Finns — Matti Harsila, Konrat Troyle and Frans Fredrikson — and Charles Reppe, from Riga, who was one of the first Russians to enlist.

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