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The Journey to Ilmalõpu – Jaak’s Story

This story was collected as part of a campaign in support of the Mass Flight Memorial. If you have a story to share about your family’s mass flight experience, please write to us at news@eesti.org.au

By Jaak Mardiste

We lived at 30 Kaarli Street in Pärnu in 1944. The family farm (Koidu Talu) was in Vändra, some 50 km away. With the war worsening and the Russians advancing again, the plan was to leave Eesti as both my mother and father would have been sent to Siberia as local community leaders. Mum confirmed with dad, who was at Lodi Army camp (with the Estonian Home League), that it was time to leave.

Dad had to stay behind, so mum picked up her four children Tiiu 12, Mart 8, Viiu 7, and Jaak 18 months, together with pots and urgent supplies and headed to the harbour. She had a “wagon” that dad made from motorbike wheels to carry the vital goods for her children, including a copy of Kalevipoeg, which we still have today! Not having gold or valuables, we could not pay to go to Sweden, so the only choice was to flee with retreating German vessels.

Jaak Mardiste Family, 1944 in Pärnu Estonia

We caught the last ship leaving Pärnu – a German merchant ship taking refugees to Gdansk (Danzig). At Danzig harbour we were asked where we wanted to go. Fortunately, we had the address of a woman (who wanted to marry a German) who had attended a conference held by my father in Viljandi some years earlier. It was in Luneburg, 50 km from Hamburg.

We were helped onto various trains by the German Red Cross and German Youth brigades and finally arrived in the west, a long way from the eastern front. We were looked after by many families and groups along the way until the war ended and we were in the British Zone. Safety. Eventually, after retreating through Latvia and Lithuania, my father met up with us. He too had the same address! It was May 1945.

At war’s end we had been in several refugee camps with relief supplies from UNRRA and the Red Cross keeping us healthy as local food supplies were still limited. Perdoel was the last long-term camp where my father taught farming and animal husbandry to the young, escaped soldiers, as well as local German youth.

The Fairsea

At that time, all Allies were looking for migrants from the war, but with conditions. Our choices were limited as dad was over 50 and the US and Canada only took younger men. So, our options were Venezuela or Australia! Tiiu had some nursing experience in Germany, so this was a positive for the family and helped put us on the list to Australia.

Via Ventdorf camp and finally by train to Italy and after two months in Naples,  on to the “Fair Sea” with some 2500 other refugees for Australia. We arrived on 19 August 1949.

We were in Greta camp in NSW and then shipped to Queensland to the Wacol camp.

In Australia, both my father and mother had to work for two years to “pay off” the cost of coming to Australia.  Then they were free to come and go as they pleased.

After the dreadful camp life, we managed to find a property 20 miles from Brisbane in Strathpine and a 7-mile bike ride on dirt roads to get to the bus to work in the city! The farm was ILMALÕPU (ed. “end of the world”). And a long way from the terrors and troubles of the world.

From this difficult journey, the Mardiste clan has spread and prospered with great-grandchildren and relatives all over the place.

For more detailed information about the history of the Mardiste family from 1630 to 2024, you are invited to read the Mardiste Family: Freedom, from Estonia to Strathpine, Brisbane, Queensland Australia – Published by Helen Mardiste, 2023

Jaak Mardiste Family 1950, Ilmalõpu farm in Strathpine
Jaak Mardiste Family 1968

This story was collected as part of a campaign in support of the Mass Flight Memorial – a worldwide Estonian diaspora project. AESL are seeking donations until 31 July 2024 to make this monument a reality. Please consider making your donation today. If you, or someone you know, have a story to share about the mass flight experience, please write to us at news@eesti.org.au