Ludwig Ahbol
On 14 August 1907, Seaman Ludwig Edward Ahbol sailed into the port of Newcastle aboard the River Falock, which he had joined a few months earlier in Cape Town. Ludwig had left his hometown of Kuldiga in western Latvia nine years earlier.
Since he first went to sea in 1898 Ludwig had tried to conceal his German and Russian origins by using the more British- or Scandinavian-sounding alias of William Anderson. This was not uncommon among those from the Baltic States who were of German origin. The Russian government wanted to erase the strong German influence in Latvia and encouraged people to embrace a more Russian style and character.
Ludwig spent the next eight years in Australia, working with Russian-born Australians on ships between Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane. They spoke Russian or German to each other and shared memories of home.
Ludwig was single, and had no relatives in Australia. However, he did have a good friend, Kathleen Kennedy, who lived in Annandale in Sydney. She had been kind to him ever since he arrived in Australia, and they always drank tea together at the Botanical Gardens whenever he was in Sydney.
Many Russian-born Australians served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War, including some of Ludwig's seafaring mates. In October 1915, Ludwig enlisted in the AIF and served with the 41st Battalion under his alias "William Anderson". He corrected his name three months later, for life insurance purposes.
Ludwig trained at the dry and dusty Bell's Paddock Camp in Queensland as a Lewis gunner, and left for England in May aboard the troopship Demosthenes. There were long weeks of drills and parades, with card playing and the occasional concert in the evenings to ease the boredom. In July, the ship finally docked at Plymouth.
From July to October Ludwig and his battalion trained at Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. They slept on wooden boards in tin sheds and had to contend with chalky mud after rain, and dust when it was dry. At 36, Ludwig was older than most and demonstrated leadership and sound judgement. Younger men looked up to him. In October he was promoted to lance corporal.
The battalion finally arrived in France on 25 November 1916 amid freezing temperatures – the country's coldest winter in 30 years. Here the men heard stories from battle-weary soldiers about the fighting at Pozières. However, Ludwig did not experience the horrors of trench warfare, as he was admitted to the 8th Casualty Clearing Station just over one week later with pneumonia. He died from this illness four days later.
Ludwig was buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord) near the town of Armentières. No living relatives could be found, so Ludwig’s friend Kathleen was given the opportunity to write the epitaph for his gravestone. Loved ones were able to submit a personalised message with a maximum of 66 characters (including spaces) for engraving, and were expected to cover the cost. It does not appear that Kathleen accepted this offer, as only Ludwig’s name, battalion, date of death, and religion (Jewish) were included.
Ludwig is also commemorated on Roll of Honour panel number 133 at the Australian War Memorial.