George Herman KOTY

KOTY, George Herman

Service Number: 2109
Enlisted: 6 July 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 40th Infantry Battalion
Born: Kiev, Ukraine, Russian Empire, 27 October 1897
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Seaman
Died: New York, USA, 2 July 1966, aged 68 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
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World War 1 Service

6 Jul 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2109, 43rd Infantry Battalion
28 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2109, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: ''
28 Aug 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2109, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide
12 Nov 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 40th Infantry Battalion, George was moved from the 43rd battalion to the 40th, in Larkhill
3 Feb 1917: Wounded Gun shot wound to neck
5 Aug 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2109, 40th Infantry Battalion, Gun shot wound to left thigh.

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Biography contributed by St Aloysius College

George Herman Koty was a Jewish man born in Kieff, Russia on the 27th of October 1897. He migrated to the USA in 1906 at age 9 with his Mother, Fanny Koty and his father, Harry Koty. Lots of Russian migration to Australia, America and the UK was occurring at this time. He worked as a seaman and enlisted in the AIF in Adelaide on the 6th of July 1916 at age 19, though his records say he was 21 at time of enlistment. George was a part of a large number of Russian Anzacs in the First Australian Imperial Force. They were the largest national group in the AIF after British, New Zealand and Canadian born servicemen. Russia and Australia were allies during the war and, since George was in Australia, he fought with the Anzacs instead of with Russian armies. On his enlistment forms, his citizenship was stated as ‘Russian subject’.

George embarked from Adelaide on the 28th of August 1916 on aboard the HMAT A68 Anchises. They had a brief stop in Egypt for training. His unit then disembarked in Plymouth on the 11th of October 1916. They trained here while other divisions were on the Western Front. George served in the 40th Battalion on the Western Front until the end of the war. George Herman Koty requested that the Russian Consul be advised of any casualty reports and also asked to have part of his pay sent to the Imperial Russian Acting Consul. He had to get his mother to send his birth certificate from Brooklyn, New York, to prove he was Russian, so this could be approved.

On the 12th of November 1916 George was moved from the 43rd battalion to the 40th, in Larkhill. This could have been due to the battle of Flers/Guedecourt on the 18th of October – 16th of November 1916. On the 28th of November 1916 they proceeded over Southampton to France. On the 28th of January 1917 in Armentieres, George received a gunshot wound to the neck and was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital. He recovered and returned to his unit on the 1st September. 

Upon arrival George was wounded. This injury happened on the 5th of April 1918 in Dernancourt, France, along the Western Front. Soon afterwards, in May, he was admitted to hospital suffering from influenza. George eventually rejoined his unit at the beginning of July.

George was wounded in action on a third occasion on the 5th of August 1918, experiencing a gunshot wound to his left thigh that removed some bone and knee joint function. This is recorded on his service record as a compound fracture of the femur. This injury caused George many issues as he spent the 18th to the 23rd of December, 1918, in hospital due to the knee wound. On the 11th of March 1919 fungal infections and all wounds were healed. He had a fusion of the knee and a slight limp due to the same injury and got referred to Keswick station for further medical care. Just two days later, on the 13th of March 1919, George was approved for treatment as an invalid, pension included, by the medical board. He was deemed unfit for service with ¼ available capacity, at Keswick station.

George returned to Australia on the 18th of January 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on the 20th of April 1919. He had moved to New York by 1920. He married a woman named Lillian and with her had two children; Dolores Elaine, born in 1929 and Glenda, born in 1934. George worked as a conductor in 1920 and a cleaner and dyer from 1930 onwards. His home during 1940 was 95 Teneyck Walk, Kings, New York. George Herman Koty died on the 2nd of July, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Name: George Herman Koty

Service number: 2109

Physical and Personal

Date of Birth: 27th October 1897

Citizenship: Russian subject

Parents and siblings: Mrs. Fanny Koty (Stilzner – maiden name, mother) Mr. Harry Koty (father)

Place of birth: Kieff, Ukraine, Russia (migrated to Australia with family in 1906, age 9)

Height: 5 feet 5 ½ inches

Weight: 132 lbs

Complexion: French (fair)

Eyes: hazel

Hair: brown

Enlistment and embarkation

Date of enlistment (oath): 6th July 1916

Age at enlistment: 21

Place of enlistment: Adelaide

Marital status: Single at time of enlistment

Address: Salvation Army, Adelaide, South Australia

Next of kin: Mrs. Fanny Koty (mother)
Next of kin’s address: 416 Wyona street, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Religion: Jewish

Occupation: Seaman

Prior military service: none

Unit: 43rd Infantry Battalion, 3rd reinforcement, then 40th batallionn

Unit from nominal role: 40th battalion

Rank at enlistment: private

Place of embarkation: Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia

Date of embarkation: 28th August 1916

Ship: HMAT A68 Anchises

AWM embarkation roll number: 23/60/2

Date of disembarkation: 11th October 1916

Place of disembarkation: Plymouth

Casualties: wounded in action 1917, 1918 (twice)

Fate: returned to Australia 18th January 1919

Discharged: 20th April 1919

After the war

Residence after the war: New York, USA by 1920

Occupation after the war: Conductor (1920) Cleaner & dyeing clothes (1930)

Marital status after the war: Married to Lillian Koty

Children: Dolores Elaine Koty (born: 1929) Glenda Koty (born: 1934)

Death: 2nd July 1966, Brooklyn, New York (age 69)

Cemetery: unknown

George Herman KotyGeorge Herman Koty seaman certificate

 

 

 

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