Alexander Paul Sank

Russian spelling Александр Павлович Санк

Born 4.08.1895     Place Aleksandrovsk, Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine     Ethnic/cultural origin Jewish/Russian     Religion Russian Orthodox & Russian Jewish (sic)

Father      Mother Sank, Elizabeth

Residence before arrival at Australia served in the Russian Army for 1 year

Arrived at Australia

            from Port Dairen & Japan     on 9.10.1913     per St Albans     disembarked at Brisbane

Residence before enlistment Rockhampton, Brisbane

Occupation 1915 motor mechanic, 1918 engineer, 1920 tram guard, motor engineer

Service

service number 2851     enlisted 24.07.1915     POE Rockhampton, Qld

unit 25th Battalion, 9th Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1916      casualties WIA 1916

final fate RTA 31.08.1916       discharged 8.11.1916 MU, Home service 28.08.1917-19.03.1918

Naturalisation 1920

Residence after the war Brisbane, Halifax, Brisbane, Sydney, 1921-22 Harbin, China

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

alien registration (NAA)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

The front around Armentières was described as a ‘nursery sector’ since it was supposedly quiet, but many Australians experienced their baptism by fire almost as soon as they arrived. On 20 April [1916 ...] the farmhouse and outbuildings at Rouge de Bout, where 9th Battalion’s C Company was billeted, received a direct hit under heavy shelling, which killed and wounded many men. C Company included many Russians: Akim Petroff, who was severely wounded in the knee and hands, was evacuated to England and had his right leg amputated; Nicholas Sholmatoff and Alexander Sank were also severely wounded. All three were repatriated to Australia. Lavrrenty Rogojnekoff was the only one of this group to escape from this shelling with only minor injuries, but a few weeks later at Sailly he sustained more serious wounds. These were the first Russian Anzac casualties on the Western Front.

    [...] Beyond that, though, it [discharge certificate] also took on a spiritual significance. ‘I’m, justly, highly proud in possession’ of it, Alexander Sank wrote, seeking its speedy return from officials. This again was in connection with a naturalisation application, which Sank was making as he was in trouble with the police in Sydney for not registering as an alien: ‘His excuse was that being a returned soldier, even though Russian, he did not think it necessary’. The police dealt with many other such cases leniently, but not Sank’s. Major Jones, the Investigation branch director, wrote, ‘A perusal of the police file showed that despite warnings, this man, then a tram conductor, took no notice, and failed to register, treating the police generally, both by word and deed, most insolently, and they were most desirous of processing against him’. With two years of army service, Sank clearly considered the demand to register as an alien to be an insult to his Anzac pride. He was prosecuted and fined 10 shillings.

Back to home if you do not see frames