Louis Pasvalsky was born in Opochka, Russia c. 1897, the youngest son of Rebecca and Aharon Pasvalsky. Like many other Jews, the family fled the pogroms and conscription of boys into the Russian Army and in 1912 joined eldest son, by then known as Max Walters, in Perth W.A., where Louis worked as a metal polisher.

As the “Jewish Tragedy in the War Zone” deteriorated, the November 1915 Jewish Herald reported: “a million and a half Jews … were starving. Their homes have been destroyed, their possessions have been taken away from them, they have been compelled to wander in the forests and deserts, without food and without sufficient clothes”. This likely added to the desire of Jews to fight with the AIF.

On 7 December 1915, aged 18, Louis enlisted in the 11th Battalion’s 15th Reinforcement: No. 4872 Private Louis Pasvalsky (alias Walters). “Short in stature [with] dark curly hair, thick set,” he was nicknamed ‘Charlie Chaplin’ by his pals They sailed on 1 April 1916 to Alexandria, then to France the following June. Meanwhile in Perth, Louis’ older brother, known as Isidore Walters*, enlisted.

On 21 August, Louis and his mates joined the 51st Battalion, which had just lost a third of its strength north of Pozières a week earlier. As part of the 4th Division’s 13th Brigade, on 2 September the battalion assembled in seven waves south-west of Moquet Farm, waiting for six hours in the cold of night without overcoats. At dawn the next day, they followed a creeping artillery barrage, reached the farm and, in harsh, close fighting, took its maze of cellars (see diagram). However, they were isolated, and the situation became desperate. Only a handful of Australians survived the Germans’ re-capture. The battalion had again suffered more than 300 casualties, including Pte Louis Pasvalsky, who was reported Missing in Action.

Witnesses later told the Red Cross: “Hughes, Lille, Maultby and Pasvalsky (a very bright little Russian whom we called ‘Charlie Chaplin’) were killed together at Moquet Farm on Sept. 3rd while digging in … when a shell blew them all up. / I was told by one of my pals that Pasvalsky ‘went for a ride on a shell’.”

In March 1917, and still without further advice of Louis’ fate, his nephew (Max’s son) Philip Walters* enlisted. The next month, a Court of Enquiry determined that Private Louis Pasvalsky was Killed in Action on 3 September 1916 - aged 19 and the fourteenth Australian Jew to die at Pozières-Mouquet Farm. Over 42 days, the Australians suffered 23,000 casualties, with 6,800 dead. With no known grave, his name is engraved on the 51st Bn Panel at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie.

* Pte Isidore Walters was Wounded in Action in Belgium in 1917, and Sgt Philip Walters was awarded the Military Medal for bravery at Mont St. Quentin, France, in 1918. Philip and Isidore served in the Army again in WW2, remaining in Australia. Isidore Walters Died on Service in 1943: see his separate entry. Louis and Isidore were one of three pairs of Australian Jewish brothers who Died on Service with one in WW1 and one in WW2. A total of 15 pairs of Australian Jewish brothers died in WW1 and WW2.

Louis Pasvalsky was born in Opochka, Russia c. 1897, youngest son of Rebecca and Aharon Pasvalsky (aka Poswalski). Along with many other Jews, they fled the ‘Pale of Settlement’ in Eastern Europe, escaping the pogroms and conscription of boys into the Russian Army. Aharon died and in 1912 the family joined his eldest son, by then known as Max Walters, in Perth WA, where Louis worked as a metal polisher.

Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the “Jewish Tragedy in the [Russian/Polish] War Zone” deteriorated, as reported by the Jewish Herald of 5 November 1915: “a million and a half Jews … were starving. There homes have been destroyed, their possessions have been taken away from them, they have been compelled to wander in the forests and deserts, without food and without sufficient clothes.” It is likely that such news added to the desire of Russian-born Jewish men to enlist in the Allied Forces and return to fight the German enemy – all-be-it on the Western Front rather than the Eastern Front.

On 7 December 1915, aged 18 and purportedly with his mother’s consent, Louis enlisted in the 11th Battalion’s 15th Reinforcement: No. 4872 Private Louis Pasvalsky (alias Walters). “Short in stature …[with] dark curly hair, thick set” - and just meeting the AIF’s recently relaxed height criteria of 5ft 2in (158cm) - Louis was nicknamed ‘Charlie Chaplin’ by his pals at Blackboy Hill training camp and embarked aboard HMAT A38 Ulysses from Fremantle on 1 April 1916. They arrived at Alexandria on 25 April – the first anniversary of the Anzac landings - as the AIF was doubling in size, and then sailed to Marseilles, France, the following June. Meanwhile in Perth, Louis’ older brother, known as Isidore Walters*, also decided to enlist.

At Albert on 21 August, Louis and his mates joined the main body of the 51st Battalion, which had just lost a third of its strength north of Pozières a week earlier in its first major battle. As part of the 4th Division’s 13th Brigade – “the least experienced” according C.E.W. Bean, “although led by the most forcible brigadier, T.W. Glasgow” - the battalion re-entered the line ten days later, on 1 and 2 September, relieving the 47th Bn. The men assembled in seven waves south-west of Moquet Farm, waiting for six hours in the cold of night without overcoats. At dawn the next day, when the French and British launched major attacks to the north and south, the Australian 51st Bn followed a creeping artillery barrage, reached the farm and, in harsh, close fighting, took its maze of cellars, capturing many prisoners (see diagram). However, they were isolated from the rest of the brigade and by 8:30am the situation had become desperate. The Germans re-captured their base and only a handful of Australians survived, most of whom were captured. The battalion had again suffered more than 300 casualties, including Louis Pasvalsky, who was reported Missing in Action.

Witnesses later told the Red Cross: “Hughes, Lille, Maultby and Pasvalsky (known as ‘Charlie Chaplin’) were killed together at Moquet Farm on Sept. 3rd while digging in … when a shell blew them all up. / I was told by one of my pals that Pasvalsky ‘went for a ride on a shell.’ He was a very bright little Russian whom we called ‘Charlie Chaplin’.”

The farm resisted capture until 26 September 1916, the day after a major British offensive commenced. In Perth in March 1917, and still with no further advice about Louis’ fate, his nephew (i.e. Max Walters’ son) Philip Walters* – born Pasvalsky in Russia in 1895, an instructor and previously sergeant major with the 88th Infantry of the local Citizen Force’s Rifle Volunteers - enlisted in the AIF.

In France on 23 April 1917, a Court of Enquiry determined that Private Louis Pasvalsky was Killed in Action on 3 September 1916 - aged 19. His name is engraved on the 51st Bn Panel at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, along with 200 others with no known grave of the battalion’s 311 men, who died between August and November of 1916.

C.E.W. Bean said of the windmill site at Pozières that “no place is more thickly drenched in Australian blood than that tiny and apparently insignificant pocket of land.” In 42 days the Australians suffered 23,000 casualties, including 6,800 dead - a figure similar to the total casualties for the eight-month Gallipoli campaign - and Louis Pasvalsky was the fourteenth Australian Jew to die. In total, over 100,000 Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and Indian soldiers gave their lives during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

(Pictured attached is Louis’ memorial in Perth Botanic Gardens, with his great-nephews at its dedication on 17 May 2014.)

On 4 May 1917, his brother, Private Isidore Walters was Wounded in Action with the 11th Battalion during the Third Battles of Ypres, Belgium.

Their nephew, Sergeant Philip Walters was awarded the Military Medal whilst serving with the 28th Bn in France: 'During the operations East of Mont St. Quentin, near Perrone, on 3rd September 1918, this N.C.O. was engaged with a bombing party in bombing party in bombing the enemy out of a portion of trench required to establish our line. His officer being killed early in the operation, he took charge of his party, and when it was held up by heavy machine gun fire, he decided to go forward himself, with one volunteer, to attack the position. by great courage and daring, he attacked and dispersed the enemy, thus allowing his party to establish a post at the required position. Although subjected to several attacks by the enemy, his party under his direction, beat them off and held the position until assistance arrived.'

In WW2, both Isidore and Philip Walters again served in the Army, this time remaining in Australia: Philip as a Pay Corps Sergeant and Isidore as a Sergeant Cook in the Volunteer Defence Corps, dying on service in 1943: see his separate entry. Louis and Isidore were one of three pairs of Australian Jewish brothers who Died on Service with one in WW1 and one in WW2. A total of 15 pairs of Australian Jewish brothers died in WW1 and WW2.