Smith, Ronald Ernest (Able Seaman, b.1920 - 2016)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of S5337 Able Seaman Ronald Ernest Smith, HMAS Canberra, RAN Station No. 4, HMAS Nizam and HMAS Rushcutter, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australia and the Solomon Islands, 1942-2012.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of diary, documents and memoir of Able Seaman Ronald Ernest Smith. This wallet contains:
1x Diary of Able Seaman Smith, containing entries dated between 7 and 19 August 1942. This diary records Able Seaman Smith’s experiences of serving on HMAS Canberra during the Battle of Savo Island, the sinking of HMAS Canberra, and his return to Australia.
1x Document titled “RAN Station No. 4, Action Stations and Quarter Bill”, [date unknown]. This document informs ratings of their positions and duties on the occasion of an ‘action stations’ alarm.
1x Laundry List form, U.S.S. Barnett, c 1942.
1x Copy of instructions from the Admiralty to the commanding officers of HMAS Nizam, 8 May 1945. The instructions, issued by the King, inform of Germany’s surrender and require the decoration of all of His Majesty’s ships in celebration of Victory in Europe Day.
1x Leave Ticket, HMAS Rushcutter, November 1945.
2x Mess cards, [date unknown].
1x Department of Railways Returned Soldier’s Pass, 23 February 1946
1x Copy of letter from Able Seaman Smith to Mr Ronald H Donald, Berrara, New South Wales, 1 February 2002. This letter relates to Able Seaman Smith’s experiences of being posted to an anti-submarine base at Bribie Island, Queensland, between 1942 and 1944.
1x Copy of email from Able Seaman Smith to ‘Mac’ [identity unknown], 6 November 2012. This email relates to Able Seaman Smith’s experience of the sinking of HMAS Canberra and his later service.
1x Copy of Memoir of Able Seaman Smith, [date unknown]. This memoir covers the whole period of Able Seaman Smith’s service in the Royal Australian Navy between 1941 and 1946. In his memoir, Able Seaman Smith writes about his enlistment, training, the sinking of HMAS Canberra, service on Bribie Island, service on HMAS Nizam, and the end of the war.

Able Seaman Ronald Ernest Smith was a Darug man from Western Sydney, who enlisted to the Royal Australian Navy on 31 March 1941. After a short period of training, Able Seaman Smith served on HMAS Canberra in the Pacific Ocean. He was serving on HMAS Canberra during the Battle of Savo Island in September 1942, in which the ship was damaged and sunk. He survived the sinking, and returned to Australia to serve on an anti-submarine base on Bribie Island, Queensland. In November 1944, Able Seaman Smith was transferred to HMAS Nizam. With this ship, he served in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and was part of the fleet that steamed into Tokyo Bay, Japan, at the end of the war. Able Seaman Smith was transferred to HMAS Ruchcutter in December 1945, and discharged on 11 January 1946.