FOUR SPIES IN ADELAIDE...
In a previous post on this topic, we found that Nosov visited Adelaide to meet with four agents. Two of them were described as Russians and two were said to be Australian born Russians.
On the face of it, that's not a lot to go on. But just maybe we can narrow down to the identities of two of them and get a clearer understanding of the other two and where they may have come from.
The two Australian born might just be identifiable, the fact that they were agents puts them in at least, their mid-20s and, quite possibly, older. How come?
Russians in Adelaide
According to a South Australian website, between the WW1 and WW2 years, whilst a number of Russians arrived in South Australia, there were two Russian families in Adelaide:
SEE FAMILIES LIST BELOW
If this number is correct and if the two Australian born Russians were from Adelaide, then we have a chance of getting their names and then hopefully their photographs.
After the cessation of hostilities in 1945, whilst many Russians arrived in Australia, many were sent back in compliance to the Yalta conference terms negotiated by Stalin. He demanded that all Russian refugees be repatriated by force if necessary. That happened for a short period initially but once the issue was known, many Russians acquired 'other' documents and nationalities. There was a flourishing trade in forged documents at that time. By 1947, the terms of the Yalta conference had been effectively ditched and that led to an uptick in Russians settling in Australia:
It's appropriate that we also look at others that came to live and work in SA in the 47/48 period. There were a number that went directly to Woomera to work on construction and maintenance, some 75 arriving there in mid November 1948, not long before the Somerton Man turned up on the beach.
So what of the two Russian born members of this group of 4? How will we go about finding them? It would help if there were a database to work from that covered South Australia in particular. As it happens, there is one with around 5000 records, and it is being analysed as I write this post.
Don't expect an immediate result, it may take a little while to refine the information and identify thevarious Russian people as well as those that had altered Nationalities.
Let's pause here and reflect a little on where we are at the moment.
1. We have reached a conclusion that the Somerton Man was likely a double agent or a defector.
2. We have also reached the conclusion that he assassinated by Russian operatives given that the MO surrounding his death matched Russian intelligence agency methods.
3. We have two Russian agents in Adelaide with a chance that we can identify them from the database
4. We have two Australian born Russians in Adelaide with a slightly better chance of identifying them.
SA & ADELAIDE RUSSIAN FAMILY NAMES
I have included the dates of their submission of documentation. Some names do not appear to be Russian in origin:
Russians Adelaide:
Cotton, Louis - North Adelaide, SA - application for naturalization - Russian nationality 1921
Shertock, Sol - Toorak Gardens, SA - application for naturalization - Russian Jew [also failure to register as an alien] 1921
Maller, August [or Malier, Seminivitch] - Allandale, SA - application for naturalization - Russian nationality 1921
Matison [formerly Mitzenmacher], 1916 Dr Eugene Abraham - Kensington, SA - applicant for naturalization - Russian [also medical examination of Army recruits; application for change of name; application for admission to Australia of Annemaria Abraham-Collin, Willy Wolf and family, Guiseppe Donenko Nichele; application for entry to RAAF by Victor Charles Matison; report on suspicious activities]
Rosanove, Mrs Bruha - Russian - application to re-enter Australia 1921
ROSING J Russian Trade Representative 1928
HERSCOVICI Rubin - Russian Workers International Relief Functionaire 1923
Plisch, Gustav Ogust [August] Alexander - Adelaide - application for naturalization - Russian [or German] nationality 1914
Russians South Australia
Magnus, Olaf - Pata, South Australia - application for naturalization - Russian (Estonian) nationality 1920
Michelson, John Victor - Clive Hill, Mount Cooper Post Office, SA - application for naturalization - Russian subject [born Latvia]1920
Ratai, Victor - Port Pirie West, SA - application for passport - naturalised Russian 1927
Vasikoff, Gaye - Port Pirie, SA - application for naturalization - Russian 1923
Prosso, Alexander - application for naturalization - Russian [also enquiry by Bankruptcy re whereabouts of wife Ethel May Prosso] 1923
ROSING J Russian Trade Representative 1928
Pillberg, William - Port Pirie, SA - Master [mariner] - application for naturalization - Russian nationality 1921
An update, managed to find 23 Russian family names in South Australia and 4 in Adelaide within ASIO files. Will track them as far as I can and update again.
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