Soldier profiles

Name : SMITH, WILLIAM THOMAS
Service Number : VX56898
Date of Birth : 23/01/1910
Place of Birth : CHARLTON, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : STOREMAN
Date of Enlistment : 28/05/1941
Locality on Enlistment : SWAN HILL, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : SMITH, MARY
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 : 23/01/1946
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
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0081 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6123749 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial

Background : Husband of Mary Smith.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 6 feet 0 inches, blue eyes, medium complexion, dark hair. Marital status : married. Children : 1 under 16 years old, 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : scar inside right thigh. Full time war service : A.I.F. 28/05/1941 to 03/01/1946 which included 1702 days active service (94 days within Australia & 1450 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East / Java area (embarked from Australia 02/11/1941, disembarked in Australia 21/10/1945). War badge no. 276123. Discharge certificate no. 485651.

Service record
28/05/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
02/06/1941 Granted leave without pay 02/06/1941 to 08/06/1941 inclusive.
09/06/1941 Rejoined unit from leave without pay.
18/06/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria to Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
19/06/1941 Transferred from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
23/06/1941 Transferred to Pioneer Wing Engineering Training Depot Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/07/1941 Posted to 4 Reinforcements 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. L.L.) in convoy 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Middle East to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion reinforcements.
10/12/1941 Promoted to acting Corporal Pioneer Training Battalion.
21/01/1942 Marched out from Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from Pioneer Training Battalion Middle East.
21/01/1942 Reverted to Private 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
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.
13/07/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
04/11/1943 Reported prisoner of war (Java).
10/12/1943 Reported interned in Thailand prisoner of war camp and transferred to Thailand prisoner of war camp.
22/12/1943 Reported interned in Thailand prisoner of war camp.
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
06/10/1945 Embarked Singapore on M.V. Highland Brigade.
21/10/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
21/10/1945 Marched into General Details Depot ex M.V. Highland Brigade.
27/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with hookworm.
14/12/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with malaria.
15/01/1946 Discharged from 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria to General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria.
15/01/1946 Marched into General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
22/01/1946 Marched out from General Details Depot to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
22/01/1946 Marched into Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot Royal Park, Victoria ex General Details Depot.
23/01/1946 Discharged.
07/02/1946 Marched into General Details Depot, Victoria ex 2/2 Australian General Hospital.