SEMLER, Clifford Girhardt
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 June 1942, Port Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Torrens (Depot) / HMAS Encounter (Shore) |
| Born: | Springton, South Australia, 11 May 1915 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Sprinton High School and University of Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Medical Practitioner |
| Died: | Adelaide, South Australia, 28 November 2005, aged 90 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Springton War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 25 Jun 1942: | Involvement HMAS Torrens (Depot) / HMAS Encounter (Shore) | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Port Adelaide | |
| 25 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant | |
| 6 Sep 1945: | Discharged | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Annette Summers
SEMLER Clifford Girhardt RANVR MB BS
1915-2005
Clifford Girhardt Semler was born on 11th May 1915, at Springton, South Australia. He was the son of Ernst Emil Semler and Emma Ottilie, nee Seeliger. He was educated at the local Springton School and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1940.
Semler enlisted from Port Adelaide and was mobilised for service by proclamation for duty on 25th June 1942 with seniority of 19th June 1941. He was a small man of only 5ft tall, his mother Emma was named as his next of kin. He was appointed to shore units, Torrens, Melville, Platypus and Cerberus until October 1943 when he was appointed to sea duty in HMAS Nizam until December 1944. HMAS Nizam was an N Class destroyer of 2,500 tons, loaded, with a crew of 226 and a top speed of 36 knots. By October 1943, Nizam was back on convoy escort duty in the Indian Ocean and rejoined the Eastern Fleet on route to the re-opened Fleet Base at Trincomalee, Ceylon. From May until November 1944 Nizam was employed on shipping protection duties in the Indian Ocean. Semler was then appointed to Leeuwin. Although his discharge was dated 6th September 1945, he was allotted sixty days special leave for refresher training in July 1946.
Semler married Verna Annie Paech of Eden Valley SA, on 19th March 1945 at St Peter’s Church, Eden Valley. She was the daughter of Alfred Herbert Paech and Dora Bertha, nee Thiele. They had a son in 1946. Semler took an appointment in the Repatriation Commission Hospital at Keswick, SA. He then went into private general practice in South Australian country areas including Snowtown. Clifford Girhardt Semler died on 28th November 2005, in Adelaide. His wife, Verna, predeceased him in 2003.
Source
Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2.
Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019.
Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD
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