Frans Albert Nyblom

Born 16.05.1887     Place Bromarv, Finland     Ethnic origin Finn     Religion Church of England

Father -        Mother Saderland (Soderlund), Eva

Arrived at Australia

            from Liverpool     on 18.12.1913     per Celtecglaw     disembarked at Melbourne

Residence before enlistment Melbourne

Occupation 1916 sailor, 1942 able seaman, ships officer

Service

service number 1891     enlisted 29.02.1916     POE Melbourne

unit 38th Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1916      casualties WIA, POW 1916

final fate RTA 31.01.1919       discharged 11.08.1919 MU

Naturalisation 1920

Residence after the war Melbourne

Family wife Nora Nyblom, married 1920, son Nyblom, Francis Alfred, b.1924

WWII 1942-1945, 1 st Bn, VDC

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised WWI service records (NAA)

digitised Red Cross wounded and missing file (AWM)

Red Cross POW file (AWM)

statement as POW (AWM)

alien registration (NAA)

WWII service records (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

During the winter months of 1916–17 the Australian 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions were holding positions near Gueudecourt, engaged in what the official history referred to as ‘minor operations’. [...] The Finnish seaman Frans Albert Nyblom tells about one such ‘minor’ operation at Armentières one night in December: ‘I was with a party of Bombers … Our objective was to enter the enemy trenches, remain there 15 minutes, do as much damage as possible and then return.’ No sooner had they started to cut the wire than enemy machine-guns opened up and the Australians were pinpointed by the search-lights, although they still managed to throw a few bombs. Every member of this party of eight was killed or wounded, and it was believed Nyblom had been killed, too. Sergeant W.S. Roe gave evidence, saying: ‘Nyblom, I am almost sure, was immediately in front of me. In fact his body must have received several bullets that were intended for me. I have no doubt that that person was killed.’ Others saw him ‘absolutely riddled with bullets’. Nyblom did survive, however; wounded in the foot, he lay out on no-man’s-land until morning, when he was found by the Germans and taken prisoner.

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