Studio portrait of 1386 1st Engineer Ben Heath, Small Ships Section, United States Army Services ...

Studio portrait of 1386 1st Engineer Ben Heath, Small Ships Section, United States Army Services of Supply, Southwest Pacific Area (USA SOS SWPA) of Manly, NSW. Born in Slough, England in 1887, Ben trained as an engineer's fitter at Tangye engineering firm, Birmingham, and migrated to Australia early in the 1900s. An acetylene welder prior to enlistment in the First World War, 131 Private Heath embarked with 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC) from Melbourne on HMAT Orsova on 3 March 1916. After serving in Egypt and attaining the rank of 2nd Air Mechanic, Sergeant, he was invalided back to Australia with an irritable heart, and discharged on 26 September 1916. During the Second World War Ben put his age down by seven years to enlist in the Army on 7 July 1942. N409867 Private Heath was posted to 20 Australian Garrison Battalion but was discharged on 7 September 1942. On 29 October 1942 at the age of 54, he enlisted in the Small Ships Section of USA SOS SWPA. Holding a coxswain certificate and motor boat licence, he was appointed as Chief Engineer 4D of the motor vessel USS Valkyrie (S-133). Chief Engineer Heath returned to Sydney in May 1943, and was then sent to Milne Bay in June 1943 as a Chief Engineer 1B. Twice during his service he met his son 61628 Leading Aircraftman Jeffrey (Jeff) Heath, 30 Squadron RAAF, in New Guinea, once in Port Moresby and again at Milne Bay. Chief Engineer Heath was discharged from the Small Ships Section on 2 August 1943. Around 3000 Australians enlisted in the Small Ships Division during the Second World War. They were not inducted members of the US Army, but were civilians (merchant seamen) who were attached to the Army. They were often too young or too old or physically ineligible to enlist in the regular armed forces in Australia.