Who was Frank A Welsh?

On the Lone Pine Memorial in Turkey, there is a name that says Welsh, F A. He belonged to the 15th Battalion, Australia Imperial Force, and he died on August 7, 1915.

The LONE PINE MEMORIAL stands on the site of the fiercest fighting at Lone Pine and overlooks the whole front line of May 1915. It commemorates more than 4,900 Australian and New Zealand servicemen who died in the Anzac area – the New Zealanders prior to the fighting in August 1915 – whose graves are not known. Others named on the memorial died at sea and were buried in Gallipoli waters.

The memorial stands in LONE PINE CEMETERY. The original small battle cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when scattered graves were brought in from the neighbourhood, and from Brown’s Dip North and South Cemeteries, which were behind the Australian trenches of April-August 1915.

There are now 1,167 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 504 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate 183 soldiers (all but one of them Australian, most of whom died in August), who were known or believed to have been buried in Lone Pine Cemetery, or in the cemeteries at Brown’s Dip. (Source: CWGC)

Frank Augustus Welsh enlisted in April 3rd, 1915, in Casino, New South Wales, Australia. He was an immigrant, but it is not yet know when he immigrated. I will try to find that information later. He stated in his application that he was born in Brunswick, Canada, and that his next of Kin is a friend called Mr Snyder, living in Ohio, North America.

In his attestation papers I also found an address, pointing to an an individual in Sweden, Mrs M A Sjostrom, Karlshamn, Sweden. That made me curious.

It turns out that Frank A Welsh was actually the Swedish born soldier Frans August Sjöström. Frans was born in Västra Vingåker parish in Nyköping county, Södermanland, Sweden. He was not age 41 when he signed his attestation papers, he was actually 43, as he was born on November 19, 1871.

He probably tried to state that he was a bit younger, even if I think he anyway was quite old at that time, to sign up as a soldier.

He is stated as absent in the Swedish church books, from around 1906, and then noted in the book of absent in around the year of 1910. He was then married to Maria Augusta Espelund, who later became M A Sjöström, and they got married on July 24th, 1902, in Karlshamn, Blekinge, Sweden. Their daughter, Eva Augusta Kristina, was born July 24th, 1903, on the same date as their one year anniversary of their marriage.

Below a photo assumed to be a wedding photo, taken at the place of the Photographer Falk in Karlshamn. (Source: Ancestry)

A lot of questions remain

He must in some way had emigrated from Sweden to Canada or North America, but at this moment I haven’t yet succeeded to find any document that says when or which route he took.

In some way he must have been immigrated to Australia, but I haven’t been able to find any records or documents that shows that. I will of course try to find the full story of his movements around the world. It is hard to know if he travelled under the name of Sjöstrom, Sjostrom or Welsh, or if he stated that he immigrated from Sweden or Canada. I would also be interesting to know when he changed his surname from Sjostrom to Welsh, and why he did it.

In some cases in the period of the Great War, some people thought that their Swedish heritage could be connected to Germany, as Sweden politically stood closer to Germany at that time, at least among the upper classes in Sweden.

Frans August’s wife, Maria Augusta, lived further on in Sweden, and in the Swedish church books from 1949, she is noted as a widow from the August 7th, 1915, a widow from Frans August Sjöström. Their daughter Eva Augusta Kristina, seems to haved lived with her mother until at least 1924.

The last note I have found so far is that the daughter, Eva Augusta Kristina Sjöström, worked as a teacher in Ystad parish, Skåne, Sweden, in 1944.

It will be very interesting to try to get more information about how and why Frans August suddenly wanted to leave Sweden, spend some time in North America or Canada, if he did, and then end up as a soldier in the Australian Imperial Force, in the Great War.

His death is mentioned in the book of death in the Swedish church archives.

May the family rest in peace, and I really hope that I one day will be able to travel to Turkey, to the area where the Swedish born soldiers are buried and commemorated, no matter under which name they served.

The search will continue.

Friends from home – Joined in heaven.

#577 in my research. Eric J Johnson (Erik Julius Johansson) was born in Landa parish, Halland, Sweden, May 21st, 1894. He emigrated from Sweden to North America in April 1911 and arrived in Boston May 11th, 1911. He was settled in Detroit when he signed the Draft in June 1917.

He fought for 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, AEF, when he was killed in action 1st of August, 1918, near the Nesles Wood, north of Seringes-et-Nesles, France. He was initially buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery before he was disinterred and shipped back to US in June, 1922, and reburied in Oak Hill Cemetery, Geneva, Illinois.

Many of the Swedish soldiers knew each other quite well even if they belonged to different units in the Great War. They were often active in different societies, like the Swedish “Order of the Vikings”.

Eric met other Swedish born soldiers in this society, and sadly they met the death as well. Like Anton W Lundell, who drowned just before the transport ship “Moldavia” reached the English coast, and Axel Julius Peterson, who also belonged to 4th Division, he was killed in action August 6, 1918. Eric, Axel and Anton belonged to the same society by Frank Shurtleff Carlson, with Swedish roots (Grandparents from Sweden). Frank fell June 5th, 1918, for the US Marines. This is a small indication that the Swedes knew each other and met to keep their Swedish Immigrant heritage together. May they all rest in peace.

Below some photos from different archives together with my own, with photos of the soldiers and their final resting place.

Swedish soldiers in the Australian Imperial Force and in New Zealand Expeditionary Force in FWW

Part three – Australian and New Zealand units

Based on the information obtained, the Swedes who chose to fight for the German and French sides did so as volunteers, although there were Swedes who also voluntarily joined the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces, as Australia didn’t have conscription at that time, and New Zealand first initiated the Military Service Act in August 1916.

New Zealand Compulsory military training (CMT), a form of conscription, was practised for males in New Zealand between 1909 and 1972.

Up to this date I have noted 58 Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell for the AIF and three Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell for N.Z.E.F.

They are buried and commemorated in Belgium, France and Turkey. I have not yet added those who are buried in Australia and New Zealand.

They are presented below in battalion order.

In this post I choose to present the collection of patches of the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, representing the different units of the both forces. They are found at the webpage of Western Front Association and at a photostream from Flickr

(The colors in lists are just for internal notes)

Australian units

New Zealand Units

Do you want to read more about the individuals? In my first book (link in main menu) I have stories about those who are buried in Belgium. More books will follow during upcoming years.

Here is a list of the names, sorted in which battalion or other type of unit they belonged to. They are not sorted in Divisional order.

Lists of individuals

List is sorted in:

Surname and name

Cemetery

Branch

Unit

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Age when died

2nd to 13th Infantry Battalion AIF

14th to 26th Infantry Battalion AIF

27th to 45th Infantry Battalion AIF

48th to 58 Infantry Battalion AIF

Miscellaneous units AIF

New Zealand Expeditionary Force – List of Individuals

I have found that the Swedish immigrants, who served for the Australian and New Zealand forces, were mostly sailors who decided to jump ship, for whatever reason in those countries. The three Swedish soldiers who fought and fell for New Zealand emigrated together with their families.

It is really interesting to read about Swedish emigration to Australia and New Zealand. You can read about Swedish emigration to New Zealand through my article here on my blog.

Swedish soldiers in the Canadian Expeditionary Force

Part two – Canadian units

At this moment I have found 117 Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War. 1,680 Immigrated Swedes signed up for Canada in the FWW. 1,233 as volunteers and 447 as conscripts.

122 of them died of reasons connected to their time on the battlefield. I have noted 117 of them in my database as they are buried or commemorated on the Western Front.

(One soldier is buried in Canada and one soldier is commemorated in Arkhangelsk, Russia. They are also included). The Battalion symbols below represents the patches worn on the uniform.

I will soon continue to present those Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell for the Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Expeditionary Force, followed by those who fought for British Units, French Foreign Legion and the German units. Stay tuned.

If you want to know where the soldiers in the list are born in Sweden, you can find them through the main menu on this site or through this link (Still updating)

Do you want to read more about the individuals? In my first book (link in main menu) I have stories about those who are buried in Belgium. More books will follow during upcoming years.

Here is a list over the names, sorted in which battalion or other type of unit they belonged to. They are not sorted in Canadian Division order.

(The colors in lists are just for internal notes)

List is sorted in:

Surname and name

Cemetery

Branch

Unit

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Age when died

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1st to 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion

7, 8, 10, 13, 14

7th to 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion

15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27

15th to 27th Canadian Infantry Battalion

28, 29, 31, 42, 43

28th to 43rd Canadian Infantry Battalion

44, 46, 47, 49, 50

44th to 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion

52, 54, 72

78/85, 102, 116, 2MG Syren Party (Arkhangelsk)

1CMR, 2CMR (Canadian Mounted Rifles)

Miscellaneous units

Symbols: https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/insignia/formations/cefform.htm

Some more Swedish born soldiers may be buried in England as they never reached the battlefield. I will later on take them into my database. May them rest in peace.

Swedish soldiers in American Expeditionary Force Divisions

Part one – American units

At this moment I have found and noted 363 Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell for the American Expeditionary Force in First World War. There are a lot more who participated but that will be another project.

If you want to know where the soldiers in the list are born in Sweden, you can find them through the main menu on this site or through this link (Still updating)

Here is a list over the names, sorted in which Division they belonged to.

(The colors in lists are just for internal notes)

List is sorted in:

Surname and name

Cemetery

Branch

Unit

Division

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Age when died

First Division

2nd Division

3rd Division

4th Division

5th Division

6th Division

7th Division

26th Division

27th Division

28th Division

29th Division

30th Division

31st Division

32nd Division

33rd Division

34th Division

35th Division

37th Division

38th Division

40th Division

41st Division

42nd Division

76th Division

77th Division

78th Division

79th Division

80th Division

81st Division

82nd Division

83rd Division

84th Division

85th Division

86th Division

88th Division

89th Division

90th Division

91st Division

96th Division

Miscellaneous units

The Divisions which stands out when it comes to the amount of Swedish soldiers are the First, Fourth, 32nd, 33rd, 77th, and 91st Divisions.

Most likely based on the amount of Swedish Immigrants to the different states at the time.