Box Hill Cemetery 395 Middleborough Rd Box Hill VIC 3128
Cemetery Address
Box Hill, VIC
Demonination/Area
Church of England
Section
CE
Grave Number
1264
Grave Type
Unmarked
Notes
Photographs by Peter Sneddon
LEADING COOK REGINALD EDWARD STRICKLAND SMITH 1721 RAN.
Reg Smith was born in Warracknabeal in Victoria in July 1896. The son of Ada, he enlisted in the RAN on the 1st of June 1912 as a Boy Seaman 2nd Class. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class in May 1913 on his posting to the Light Cruiser HMAS Melbourne and then to Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class on his 17th birthday.
In April 1914 Reg posted to the Torpedo Boat Destroyer HMAS Parramatta before returning to serve in Melbourne, now as a Cook’s Mate 2nd Class in July 1914. He was advanced to the rating of Cooks Mate in March 1915. Reg would serve in Melbourne until December 1918, seeing service in the recapture of New Guinea, the West Indies and North American Station, and in the North Sea. In January 1919 he joined HMAS Cerberus and was promoted to Leading Cook in August 1919. In November 1919 he returned to Tingira for eight months before posting to the survey sloop HMAS Geranium for four months and then to HMAS Platypus. Reg discharged “Time Expired” in August 1921, however he joined the Royal Australian Fleet Reserve in 1936 serving until 1940.
On discharge Reg worked as a store hand and in 1933 he married Maud Turner in Victoria and the couple lived in Mitcham Victoria and later in Kew where Reg worked as a labourer.
Reginald Edward Strickland Smith passed away on the 3rd of October 1977. He is buried in Box Hill Cemetery Victoria CE-*-1264.
