Soldier profiles

Name : SMITH, NEVILLE LORRAINE
Service Number : VX10197
Date of Birth : 15/09/1905
Place of Birth : SUNBURY, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : MOTOR MECHANIC
Date of Enlistment : 08/02/1940
Locality on Enlistment : ESSENDON, VIC
Place of Enlistment : SOUTH MELBOURNE, VIC
Next of Kin : SMITH, MARTHA
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : SERGEANT
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 : 03/12/1945
Date Died : 02/08/1986
Age at Death : 80
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : MERBEIN CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. LAWN SECTION. 258.
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
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
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 6211381 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 888kB)

Background : Husband of Martha Caroline Smith.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 10.5 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, brown hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 2 under 16 years old & 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : mole right upper abdomen. Full time war service : A.I.F. 08/02/1940 to 03/12/1945 which included 2126 days active service (42 days within Australia & 1660 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 22/10/1945). War badge no. 215699. Discharge certificate no. 311901.

Service record
08/02/1940 Taken on strength Melbourne, Victoria.
08/02/1940 Marched in 2/2 Field Workshop on enlistment Melbourne Showgrounds, Victoria.
08/02/1940 Graded Group I for pay - Fitter Motor Transport.
03/05/1940 Transferred from 2/2 Australian Field Workshop to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Caulfield, Victoria.
05/05/1940 To be acting Lance Sergeant Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
07/05/1940 Promoted to Corporal.
11/08/1940 Promoted to acting Sergeant.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
07/04/1941 Rank of Sergeant confirmed.
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
22/06/1943 Previously reported missing in action believed prisoner of war now reported prisoner of war interned Java camp.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war.
20/08/1945 Alive in Siam. Recovered from Japanese.
06/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on M.V. Highland Brigade.
21/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
21/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot, Melbourne, Victoria ex M.V. Highland Brigade.
26/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with ascaris and hookworm.
28/11/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot.
29/11/1945 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
29/11/1945 Marched in for discharge ex Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
03/12/1945 Discharged.