Armands Laula

Australian - Latvian, 1926 - 2018

BiographyArmands Laula was born in Latvia on 4 March 1926, he was drafted into the army in September 1944 during WWII when the Soviets re-occupied Latvia and retreated with the German army. In 1947 he was in the Rotenburg displaced persons camp near Hanover living with foster parents, his birth parents, whom he mentions in his diary, were either dead or sitll in Latvia. He does mention his sister Ella as living happily in Latvia. In October 1947 at the age of 21 he left Germay for Australia. On arrival in Melbourne on 7 December 1947 he was sent to the Bonegilla Migrant Camp. In late January 1948 he was sent on this first job, fruit picking, as part of his conditions of migration.

Armands supplied this information on this migration experience to Immigration Place: https://immigrationplace.com.au/story/armands-laula/

'In 1944 Latvia was occupied by Germany. In autumn 1944 when the German army was retreating from Russia through Latvia they took me with them to Germany.

My journey to Australia started in a Displaced Persons camp in Rotenburg, Germany where in 1947 Immigration officials from Australia arrived and invited us to migrate to Australia. I took the opportunity to leave the war damaged Germany and start a new life. I was selected to go on the very first migrant ship from Europe on the ship called General Stuart Heintzelman, which was ex American troop carrier. We left German Port of Bremenhafen and travelled through Gibraltar, Mediteranean, Suez Canal, stopped at Colombo in Ceylon and arrived in Fremantle on 28 November 1947. The whole trip was very pleasant. The ship was fairly new and clean, food seemed excellent especially compared with the poor quality food we used to have in Germany. On the ship there were English language classes. I did not attend them because I had some knowledge of English from my high school days. Even when we were occupied by Germany in schools we were taught English.

At that age all I seem to notice was the good things in Australia. I took up accountancy studies, became a member of Australian Society of Accountants. Worked as an accountant, later years as an accountant/company secretary until my retirement in 1991'

Armands moved into the Latvian Reitrement Village in 1996. He signed the ANMM's Limited Non-Exclusive Copyright Licence and Permission to Translate a Protected Work forms in 2003. In the same year he wrote a separate letter to the ANMM confirming he was happy with the translation and that "You can offer the translation to people who would like to read my diary in English".

Death Notice
LAULA. The Funeral Service for Mr Armands Laula will be held at the Latvian Retirement Village Chapel, 60 Fraser Cres, Wantirna South on TUESDAY (Sept. 25, 2018) at 2.00 p.m. followed by a Private Cremation In lieu of flowers, donations to the 'Music Programme-Latvian Village' would be appreciated with envelopes available at the Service.
Date listed: 22/9/2018 Herald Sun

Person TypeIndividual