Vladimir Paul Lopaten

Russian spelling Владимир Павлович Лопатин

Born 8.07.1892     Place Aleksino, Smolensk, Central Russia     Ethnic origin Russian     Religion Russian Orthodox

Father Lopaten, Paul Jacob     Mother -

Arrived at Australia

            from Harbin      on 24.01.1913     per St Albans     disembarked at Brisbane

Residence before enlistment Brisbane

Occupation 1915-1921 labourer, 1922 printer

Service

service number 2230   enlisted 27.04.1915   POE Longreach, Qld

unit 15th Battalion   rank Private

place Gallipoli, 1915      casualties WIA 1915

final fate RTA 11.03.1916       discharged 14.06.1916

Naturalisation 1922

Residence after the war Brisbane, Bingera, Ingham, Stanthorpe, Brisbane, Southport, Qld

Family wife Elsie Lopaten (née Clarkson), daughters Letty Larose b. 1925, Joan Tehersa (sic) b.1926, son Ronald Paul b. 1930

Died 7.10.1961

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

alien registration (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Ron Lopaten, reflecting on his father’s escape from Russia in 1913 with four other 20-year-olds, says: ‘I am not sure why he came to Australia, … they all decided to take off for some specific reason, either for adventure or to get away from something. The only thing I can guess is that he did not want to end up in the czar’s army. He did say that there were signs on the parks which said “No soldiers or dogs allowed”. He did mention that. I guess in 1913 the Russian army was not very well treated or not very well paid.’

    [...] ‘My father never mentioned anything about Gallipoli’, Vladimir Lopaten’s son says, ‘other than the fact that when he was wounded he was laying sandbags, and he was bending over, laying down a sandbag and he was shot by a sniper, the bullet passed through his lung, just missed his heart, came out his back and then the bullet hit a New Zealander in the bottom! So the New Zealander was jumping up and down.’ Russian Anzacs seemed to be able to see the funny side of things even when in mortal danger, just like their Australian comrades did.

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