Frank Payton

Alias Dave Libman (true name)

Born 15.04.1892     Place Riga, Latvia     Ethnic origin Jewish     Religion Jewish

Father Payton, Solomon (Berkoff, Solomon)     Mother -

Residence before arrival at Australia at 13 years of age ran away from home and changed name, worked as a sailor

Arrived at Australia

            from Argentine     on 02.1913     per Nordlysset (as a sailor)     disembarked at Geraldton, WA

Residence before enlistment Geraldton

Occupation sailor, fisherman, painter, wharf labourer

Service

service number 4200     enlisted 29.12.1915     POE Blackboy Hill, WA

unit 28th Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1916-1918       casualties WIA 1916, 1917, 1918

final fate RTA 23.09.1918       discharged 10.04.1919

Naturalisation 1945

Residence after the war Western Australia, Darwin, 1942 evacuated to Adelaide

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Frank Payton had a colourful life — he ran away from his Jewish family in Riga at just 13 years of age and reached Australia as a sailor; on the Western Front he was wounded four times. After the war he worked in Western Australia as a wharfie, a whaler, and a prospector, and on the wharves in Darwin but was evacuated from there in 1942, to South Australia, where he ran into some difficulties over his nationality and observed: ‘I have never been subject to such indignities as I have suffered here since it had been discovered that I am apparently not a British subject and I want to be naturalized as soon as possible’.

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