George Peter Sekachoff

Russian spelling Георгий Петрович Секачев (Секачов)

Born 13.12.1884     Place Saransk, Penza, Central Russia     Ethnic origin Russian     Religion Russian Orthodox

Father Sekachoff, Peter     Mother Sekachoff, Eudokia

Arrived at Australia

            from Russia     on 28.12.1913     per Empire     disembarked at Cairns, Qld

Residence before enlistment Cairns, Townsville, Qld

Occupation 1915 labourer, 1922 cabinetmaker

Service

service number 2208     enlisted 8.03.1915     POE Townsville, Qld

unit 9th Battalion, 49th Battalion, 11th FAB       rank Private, a/Corporal, saddler, Gunner

place Gallipoli, 1915; Western Front, 1916-1918

final fate RTA 19.10.1918       discharged 23.02.1919 (on account of Russian nationality)

Naturalisation 1922

Residence after the war Brisbane, Gunnewin Qld

Family wife Lucy Sekachoff (née Uscinski), married 1920 (sister of Vincent Uscinski); children: Anna, b. 1921, Lucy, b. 1923, John b. 1927

Died 28.12.1945, buried: Roma cemetery

Materials naturalisation (NAA)

digitised service records (NAA)

alien registration (NAA)

Lucy's alien registration (NAA)

Group portrait of the 11th Howitzer Battery of the Australian Field Artillery. E02506, E02506KLEFT, E02506KRIGHT (AWM)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

Russians who joined the army together, or who met up at training camp, would often embark together. [...] The Karoola, which left Brisbane on 12 June 1915, carried eight Russians mostly from northern Queensland: Glowacki, Roomianzoff, Sekachoff, Karelin (6/9th Battalion), and Lopaten, Grehoff, Smagin and Volkoff (6/15th Battalion). In Sydney they were joined by three of their countrymen — Kozakoff, Harbert and Kozakovshonok.

    [...] Among those who were returned ‘on account of Russian nationality’ there were several men who had made no application to be discharged, and were not in any case noted for radical inclinations: John Siwezynski, who was decorated with a Belgian Croix de Guerre, Nicholas Korotcoff, Justin Gooliaeff, George Sekachoff (all from artillery units), and Richard Gregorenko from the 14th Field Ambulance. This selection of men, fuelled by the Russian scare, seems rather arbitrary. Nearly all of them were from the 4th Division (its 11th Field Artillery Brigade, where Smagin had earlier served, was completely purged of Russians); other divisional commanders did not bother to purge their ranks of Russians.

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