Nicholas Sholmatoff

Alias Sholmateff; changed name to Nicholas Nicholls     Russian spelling Николай Николаевич Шолматов

Born 26.11.1888     Place Moscow, Central Russia     Ethnic origin Russian     Religion Church of England

Father Sholmatoff, Nicholas     Mother Sholmatoff, M.

Residence before arrival at Australia served in the Russian Army 1 ½ years

Arrived at Australia

            from Russia     on 25.06.1912     per Nikko Maru     disembarked at Brisbane

Residence before enlistment Brisbane, Mount Morgan, Qld

Occupation 1915 miner, 1927 smallgoods man

Service

service number 2842A     enlisted 14.08.1915     POE Rockhampton, Qld

unit 25th Battalion, 9th Battalion       rank Private

place Western Front, 1916       casualties WIA 1916

final fate RTA 24.06.1916       discharged 4.10.1916 MU

WWI contacts: enlisted together Malisheff, Akim Petroff, Sholmatoff, Tarasenkoff, Tugarin, and Yannin

Naturalisation 1928

Residence after the war Brisbane

Family wife Ethel Nicholls; children Margaret Peace b. 1919, Jayce, b. 1921, Jack, b. 1925, Walter Roy b.1927

Died 21.01.1957

Materials naturalisation (NAA) (Nicholas Nicholls)

digitised service records (NAA) (Sholmatoff)

Nicholls, Nicholas - Naturalization certificate granted 15 June 1928 (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.

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