Louis Pasvalsky

Alias known as Louis Walters; nickname in the army 'Charlie Chaplin'    Russian spelling Луис Пасвальский

Born 1897     Place Opotzk (Opochka?, North-Western Russia)     Ethnic origin Jewish     Religion Jewish

Father Pasvalsky, Earon     Mother Pasvalsky, Rebecca

Brother Isidore Walters; nephew Philip Walters

Arrived at Australia ca 1912

Residence before enlistment Perth

Occupation metal polisher

Service

service number 4872     enlisted 30.11.1915     POE Perth

unit 11th Battalion, 51st Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1916

final fate KIA 3.09.1916

memorial details 26 Villers Bretonneux, France

Army connections William Gorkoon

Naturalisation served as Russian subject

Materials digitised service records (NAA)

digitised Red Cross wounded and missing file (AWM)

digitised Roll of Honour card (AWM)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Louis Pasvalsky was an 18-year-old Jewish boy from Perth, a former metal-polisher, whose family were from Opotsk in Poland. He was ‘a very bright little Russian’, according to his comrades, and only 5 feet 2 inches tall, with dark curly hair. The court of enquiry was told that four men including Pasvalsky (who his comrades called Charlie Chaplin): ‘were killed together at Mouquet Farm on Sept. 3rd while digging in. As we came back for cover again I was asking about Charlie Chaplin, and was told that the four men were working together when a shell blew them all up.’ Another man added, ‘I was told by one of my pals … that Pasvalskey (whom we nicknamed “Charlie Chaplin”) “went for a ride on a shell”, by which I understand that he was blown to pieces’. In the face of death they tried to avoid sentimentality …

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