Moisey Kotton

Alias Koton; known as Max Kotton     Russian spelling Моисей Котон

Born 8.06.1892      Place Kremenchug, Ukraine      Ethnic origin Jewish      Religion Jewish

Father Kotton, Solomon      Mother Kotton, Ester

Arrived at Australia

            from Dairen, Korea      on 4.02.1912    per Kumano Maru     disembarked at Brisbane

Residence before enlistment Toowoomba, Drake NSW, Sydney, Naughtons Gap, Millthorpe, NSW

Occupation 1914 labourer, 1916 carter

Service

service number 1235   enlisted 26.04.1916   POE Bathurst, NSW

unit LTM Battery, 4th Battalion   rank Private

place Western Front, 1917-1918

final fate KIA 19.09.1918

cemetery details 1495 Templeux-le-Guerard British Cemetery; St Quentin, France

Naturalisation 1914

Materials naturalisation (NAA) (Koton)

digitised service records (NAA) (Kotton)

Roll of Honour card (AWM) (Kotton)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Fear resonates, too, in the words of Moisey Kotton, a Ukrainian Jewish Anzac who arrived in Australia with other Russian emigrants travelling via the Far East. When applying for naturalisation, he wrote: ‘Since I arrived in Australia I lived under the name of Max Kotton. The reason I done so was the fear being send back to Russia: I have not done any crime except leaving the country, which is a crime itself according to the Russian law.’ In the end, though, he didn’t have to worry about returning: a few months before the armistice he made the supreme sacrifice — as an Australian, which he had wished to be.

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