Emerick Shimkovitch

Alias Schimkovitch      Russian spelling Эмерик (?) Иосифович Шимкович

Born 5.01.1894     Place Novo-Aleksandrovsk (Zarasai), Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania     Ethnic origin Pole/Byelorussian     Religion Roman Catholic

Father Shimkovitch, Joseph     Mother -

Residence before arrival at Australia ‘left native land around 1911’

Arrived at Australia

            from England      on 15.01.1916     per Howth     disembarked at Geelong, WA

Residence before enlistment Melbourne

Occupation seaman

Service

service number 4538     enlisted 29.01.1916     POE Melbourne

unit 22nd Battalion       rank Private, Corporal

place Western Front, 1916-1918

awards MM (14/05/1919)

final fate RTA 17.03.1919       discharged 14.06.1919

WWI contacts arrived, enlisted and served together with John de Raupak-Ropenberg

Naturalisation 1923

Residence after the war 1923 Coburg, Vic., 1929 Cape Schank Lighthose, via Rosebud, Vic,

Wife Ester Shimkovitch

Died 3.03.1951

Materials digitised naturalisation (NAA) (Shimkovitch)

digitised service records (NAA) (Schimkovitch)

digitised recommendation for award (AWM) (Shimkovitch)

alien registration (NAA) (Shimkovitch)

Group portrait of A Company of the 22nd Battalion. E02460 (AWM) (Electronic image currently unavailable) (Shimkovitch)

From Russian Anzacs in Australian History:

During [August 1918] Australian units continued their ‘peaceful penetration’, gradually pushing back the Germans towards the old Somme lines of 1916, in actions that often turned into fierce battles. Two such attacks are described in the citations for the Military Medals received by Corporal Nicholas Lagutin, from Moscow, who was a labourer when enlisting, and Corporal Emerick Schimkovitch, a former sailor from Lithuania. [...] Schimkovitch was in charge of a Lewis gun during the attack at Herleville, near Lihons, on 18 August: ‘Soon after leaving the Jumping-off Tape his Company came under heavy fire’ as his commanding officer describes it. ‘This N.C.O. at once moved in front of the platoon and with his Lewis Gun opened fire on the enemy Machine Gun positions. He continued to advance firing from the hip. At about 25 yards from the objective he rushed forward to a small mound and brought his gun into action. In spite of the fact that bombs were thrown all round him he remained in position firing his gun until the Company had completed its movement. The determination and gallant action of this N.C.O. and his skilful handling of his Lewis Gun undoubtedly saved many casualties to us and accounted for many of the enemy.’

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