Ian Rosing

Alias Rozitis (correct name)

Born 26.06.1887     Place Omsk, Siberia (naturalisation) or Latvia (information from the family)

Ethnic origin Latvian (knew Russian, modern Greek, German and English languages)

Religion Roman Catholic (WWI enlistment); Russian Orthodox (WWII enlistment)

Father Rosing (Rozitis), Ian (Ianis)     Mother Elizabeth nee Eiklon

Residence before arrival at Australia ex-imperial Russian cavalry officer

Arrived at Australia

            from Japan     on 6.12.1915     per Aki Maru     disembarked at Melbourne

Residence before enlistment Melbourne

Occupation 1915 farmer, 1919 clerk, 1928 attorney, merchant, 1941 importer

Service

service number 393     enlisted 9.12.1915     POE Melbourne

unit 37th Battalion       rank Sergeant, Company/Sergeant/Major (Warrant Officer Cl.II)

place Western Front, 1916-1918      casualties WIA 1917 (twice), 1918

awards DCM, gallantry at the battle of Messines (LG 25.08.17)

final fate RTA 4.01.1919       discharged 30.09.1919 MU

Naturalisation 1919

Residence after the war Melbourne, Sydney

Family wife Jeanne-Marie Rosing (née Chiffre), married 1918; son Ian Frank Rosing, b. 1920, Jack Charles Rosing b. 1926

Cousins John Amolin and John Robert Krauklys

WWII served 1941-1946, E.C. HQ, clerk, Sergeant

Died 21.01.1968

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised WWI service records (NAA) (includes photo)

digitised recommendation for award 1     2  (AWM)

American troops visiting A Company Headquarters, of the 37th Battalion. E02695 & E02695K (AWM)

application for free passage for wife of J.A.W. Rosing (digitised file) (NAA)

ROSING J Russian Trade Representative (NAA)

Appointment of Mr. J. Rosing as Russian Trade Representative in Australia (NAA)

applications for admission friends 1     2   (NAA)

International Oil and Trading Co Australasia Ltd - Jan Rosing (NAA)

WWII service records (NAA)

Stranded Australian Mrs Jean Marie Rosing (NAA)

World War II security investigation dossier (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Nevertheless, among the Baltic peoples, as much as elsewhere in the Russian Empire, some seem genuinely to have taken on a dual ethnic identity. Ian Rosing certainly seemed to be one: a Latvian (though in his naturalisation papers he claimed Omsk in Siberia was his birthplace) who had had three years’ service in the Russian army, he felt strong connections with both sides, and after the war made attempts to represent on an official basis both Latvian and Russian interests in Australia. His son Jack Rosing told me that his real Latvian name was Rozitis and described how, ‘He was very fond of Russia and Latvia. I remember my dad meeting some Russian people and some Latvian people and Latvians said, “Your dad speaks perfect Latvian, he has no foreign accent”, and I have heard the same from Russian people that my dad spoke perfect Russian.’ His linguistic skills stretched beyond that to also include modern Greek and fluent German and English.

    [...] Sergeant Ian Rosing (37th Battalion), a Latvian who had joined the AIF in December 1915, three days after arriving in Australia, showed ‘conspicuous gallantry’ here [Messines, June 1917], for which he was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal. At a critical moment, when his officers ‘had become casualties’, he took command ‘capturing the objective and re-organising his men against possible attacks’.

    [...] A Russian away from his unit was likely to arouse the suspicion of those he came into contact with because of his ‘foreign accent’. Ian Rosing’s son tells about one time during the war when his father got lost in the trenches at night. ‘He was detained by British soldiers … and they asked him from where he was and he said “I am Australian, I am in the Australian army”. Then this fellow says, “You are wearing the Australian uniform, but you’ve got a Russian accent”. And they got somebody who could speak Russian and my dad spoke perfect Russian to them, and he got suspicious, and then my dad got in touch with his commanding officer and this commanding officer said to the British commanding officer, “Please, release that man, he is one of my best men, let him go”, and my dad abused them.’

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