Soldier profiles

Name : SMITH, AUBREY CLARENCE
Service Number : VX17800
Date of Birth : 21/11/1918
Place of Birth : DEVONSHIRE, ENGLAND
Known as : DUB
Occupation on Enlistment : GARDENER
Date of Enlistment : 27/05/1940
Locality on Enlistment : CLARINDA, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : SMITH, IVY NELLIE
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 04/12/1945
Date Died : N/A
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : THAILAND, NIIHAMA (JAPAN)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : JAPAN
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0080 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6208640 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32137695 [DIGITISED], Barcode 1037697 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, C_HAMLEY_1.jpg, C_HAMLEY_2.jpg, Past article (size 888kB), AWM_REL/11885.jpg

Background : Arrived in Japan September 1944 aboard Bioki Maru.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 8.5 inches, brown eyes, fair complexion, dark hair. Marital status : single. Marks / scars : scar dorsum right foot and inner side left axilla. Full time war service : A.I.F. 27/05/1940 to 04/12/1945 which included 2018 days active service (56 days within Australia & 1646 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 08/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 09/10/1945). War badge no. 259043. Discharge certificate no. 309578.

Service record
27/05/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot.
03/06/1940 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
13/08/1941 Evacuated to 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station with Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (P.U.O.).
16/08/1941 Discharged from 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station and returned to unit.
16/08/1941 Rejoined unit from 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station.
16/09/1941 Evacuated to 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station with malaria (benign tertian).
26/09/1941 Discharged from 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station and returned to unit.
26/09/1941 Rejoined unit from 2/4 Field Ambulance Main Dressing Station.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war Java.
22/06/1943 Previously reported missing in action believed prisoner of war now reported prisoner of war interned Java camp.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
12/09/1945 Recovered from Japanese at Niihama, Japan.
26/09/1945 Marched in and transferred to hospital ship Manila, Philippines.
09/10/1945 Disembarked Australia.
12/10/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
15/10/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot.
15/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot.
19/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with hookworm.
20/11/1945 Admitted 50 Australian Convalescent Hospital Watsonia, Victoria ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
22/11/1945 Marched into General Details Depot from 50 Australian Convalescent Hospital Watsonia, Victoria.
23/11/1945 Marched out to Australian Army Military Forces Discharge Depot.
26/11/1945 Marched into Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot ex Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
04/12/1945 Discharged.