Engine Room Artificer Class 4 Douglas William Charles Smith
RSL (Port Pirie Sub Branch) Inc.Douglas William Charles Smith was born in Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia on the 8th March 1917 to John William Alexander and Elsie Charlotte May Smith (nee Diggens).
Doug lived on Frederick Road, Ellendale, Port Pirie. He was a boilermaker and a well-liked footballer when he enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on the 28th March 1940 for 12 years engagement. He spent 6 months at HMAS Cerberus, Westernport Bay, Victoria, where he completed recruit training and the first stage of Engine Room Artificer training before being posted to HMAS Sydney [II].
On the 19th of November, the light cruiser HMAS Sydney was heading towards Fremantle when at 1555 hours a merchant vessel that identified itself as the Dutch ship ‘Straat Malakka’ was spotted. HMAS Sydney pulled up alongside the apparent Dutch ship and ordered it to show the secret call sign. Unfortunately, the ‘Straat Malakka’ was not a Dutch ship but was in fact the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran in disguise. It promptly opened fire upon the Sydney.
The two ships exchanged fire and both suffered damage. HMAS Sydney was hit by a German torpedo as well as other gunfire and the crippled, burning ship slowly sailed south, away from the Kormoran. Observers aboard the German ship reported seeing the burning Australian ship until 2200 hours that night.
At some point during the night, HMAS Sydney lost buoyancy and sank, killing all 645 sailors on board including Engine Room Artificer Class 4 Douglas Smith, service number: 24204. He was 24 years old.
Sydney's shells had crippled the Kormoran too; the German sailors abandoned ship after it was determined that below-deck fires could not be controlled and that the ship would sink. 82 German sailors were killed in the battle, the rest were captured and taken to Fremantle for interrogation.
The sinking of Sydney with all onboard caused a wave of sorrow throughout Australia; it was the largest loss of life in the history of the Royal Australian Navy, and made up over 35% of RAN naval personnel killed during the Second World War.
The Mayor of Port Pirie, Mr WH Threadgold, urged Port Pirie residents to support the HMAS Sydney Fund, an appeal made by Prime Minister Curtin to build a new Sydney.
“I know that Pirie will rise to the occasion if to perpetuate the memory of one of its own boys who lost his life.”
Port Pirie residents donated £380 7s 0p within the first three months [about $A32,000 in today's currency].
- Virtual War Memorial Australia https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/504150
