Alexander Peter Karelin

Russian spelling Александр Петрович Карелин

Born 13.03.1889       Place Vladivostok, Far East     Ethnic origin Russian      Religion Russian Orthodox

Father Karelin, Peter Konstantinovich        Mother -

Arrived at Australia

            from Vladivostok    on 31.08.1907   per Neva    disembarked at Bowen, Qld

Residence before enlistment Proserpine, Rockhampton, Blackall, Brisbane

Occupation sailor, labourer

Service 1

service number 2168   enlisted 12.04.1915   POE Townsville

unit 9th Battalion   rank Private

place Gallipoli, 1915

final fate RTA 3.11.1915

Service 2

service number 2168   enlisted 24.03.1916   POE Chermside(?)

unit 9th Battalion   rank Private

place Western Front, 1916-1917

awards MM (LG 26.05.1917)

final fate KIA 7.05.1917

memorial details 26 Villers Bretonneux, France

Naturalisation 1914

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

digitised recommendation for award (AWM)

digitised Roll of Honour card (AWM)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

On 7 May Bullecourt finally fell to the 9th Battalion (Queensland) and British troops. Among the fallen at this battle was Alexander Karelin, an educated man from a well-off St Petersburg family, who came to Australia as a sailor not long after the abortive 1905 Russian revolution and may have been involved in radical politics in Russia. He worked as a railway-construction labourer at Proserpine, Rockhampton and Blackall in Queensland and, in letters contributed to the Russian newspaper in Brisbane, wrote about Queensland working conditions. Enlisting in April 1915, he fought at Gallipoli but contracted enteric fever there and was returned to Australia. He re-enlisted and rejoined his unit in France, fighting at the Somme. Then, at Lagnicourt, when the Germans counter-attacked, his moment came. His commanding officer wrote how he ‘led a party across 150 yards of open roadway swept by machine gun and rifle fire and took up a position where he brought fire to bear on a party of the enemy which was attempting to outflank the company. Although two of his men became casualties he hung on to the position and finally succeeded in keeping back the advance of the enemy on that flank.’ For this exploit, ‘his coolness and courage cannot be too highly commended’, and he was put forward for a Military Medal — the award was made the day after he was killed in action at Second Bullecourt. There was a diary in his kit but it never reached his Russian family.

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