John Arthur OLOFSON b. 1884/04/05

[Håkan]

I wonder if anyone knows what happened with the swede John Arthur Olofson who emmigrated to Australia around 1911. He joined the Australian army April 16th 1916 and was discharged April 30th 1916.
He was born as Johan Artur Martin Olofsson April 5th 1884 in Tuggensele, Lycksele, Västerbottens län, Sweden

[pinefamily]

Hello and welcome to Rootschat! 
I assume you have viewed his service record, as you give his joining and discharge dates. He must have created quite a disturbance to be discharged. 
Seeing as he enlisted in Goulburn, NSW, I checked the NSW BDM indexes online, but there is no marriage or death for him.

[majm]

Welcome from me too

When attesting at Goulburn, John stated his occupation as Sailor, and that his postal address was Binalong.   The Swedish Consul confirmed 18 April 1916 that his nationality was Swedish.   To me, that clashes with the Oath taken 17 April 1916 “I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force ….”  That King of course was George V,  "His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India"  It was not Gustaf V, and Sweden was neutral during WWI.   He needed to be a British Subject for his enlistment in the AIF to be finalised. 

What was a sailor doing in Binalong, NSW in April 1916 ….. Binalong is not near any seaport.

May I ask for some more details about his emigration to Australia ....

do you know the name of the ship,  and perhaps the port he arrived at,

do you know if he relatives in Australia ...

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8004521  the AIF papers.

Cheers,  JM

[whiteout7]

I thought 'undesirables' were people of uncertain loyalty in WW1 and they were rounded up and held in detention camps during the war. Perhaps they were not certain he was Swedish after enlistment and discharged him just incase.  I wasn't aware you could escape enlistment back then by just getting drunk or lots of them would have done it!

I wonder if he was detained during WW1 in Australia at all?

[majm]

We did not lock up neutrals.... 

John Arthur Olofson would have needed to become a British Subject to remain in the AIF.   I think you will find he was 'undesirable' simply because he was not qualified (a Swedish national as per certificate 18 April) to take the Oath of Allegiance. 

Enlistment in the AIF was voluntary, and available to British Subjects.  There are examples of enlistees completing the process only after becoming naturalised.

Aime Constant Verpillot was born Switzerland of French parentage,  he fell at Fromelles.    http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=34229 Naturalisation
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8398154 AIF
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/721898/VERPILLOT,%20AIME%20CONSTANT CWGC Fromelles.

Cheers,  JM

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

My own view is that I agree with JM.

John rolled up an he was attested on 17th April 1916 only to find out that not being a NBBS or naturalised he was unlikely to be able to remain in the AIF.  The Swedish Consulate was contacted and they had a document signed on 18th April stating that John was Swedish but this was not to help and he was discharged being labelled "undesirable" because he wasn't a NBBS or naturalised and it had little to do with being drunk in the barracks. 

Gerry

[whiteout7]

He would have died within the last 100 years, I can't see a naturalisation entry is this because it was less than 100 years ago too?

[pinefamily]

My thinking is he may have gone back to the sea, after being discharged.

[majm]

No, there are Naturalisation records at the NAA that are quite recent.     At this very moment I am looking at the digitised image for a naturalisations 1955-1956.

At this link enter "Naturalisation" and then a year.   If you leave the years blank you will not get any returns as there's too many to display.

http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/index.aspx    Select Record Search

At Record Search Keywords "Naturalisation" and for the years enter say 1966 to 1966....  (less than 50 years ago)

Cheers,  JM