BATH, Donald James
| Service Number: | PA2771 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 May 1942, Port Adelaide, SA |
| Last Rank: | Able Seaman |
| Last Unit: | Royal Australian Navy |
| Born: | Clarence Park, South Australia, 4 March 1924 |
| Home Town: | Gladstone, Northern Areas, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Unley High School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Civil Engineer |
| Died: | Natural causes , Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 6 February 2017, aged 92 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Black Forest Parkside West Methodist Church Roll of Honor WW2, Gladstone Town Hall WW2 Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 5 May 1942: | Involvement Able Seaman, PA2771, Royal Australian Navy | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 May 1942: | Enlisted Port Adelaide, SA | |
| 5 May 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, PA2771 | |
| 15 Jul 1945: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, Royal Australian Navy, Coastwatcher |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Christopher Bath
Donald James Bath was enlisted into the Royal Australian Naval Reserve as an Ordinary Seamen on May Fifth 1942 after enrolling on his 18th birthday.
He was posted to HMAS Cerberus, qualified as an Able Seamen and marked for the Officers Training Course. Concerned the war would be over before he finished the training, he requested a posting to active service and was assigned to HMAS Assault.
(From the memoirs of D.J. Bath 'With Hindsight'.)
"Almost twelve months had passed since Colin Urquhart and I had sought active service, ... In August '43 we learnt that a request had been made of "Assault" for volunteers of unspecified duty. The man-specification included an unusual range of qualifications, such as to single, fit and healthy, familiar with country life, self reliant and have foreign languages... Seven of the volunteers were selected. On September 29th, we were transferred in great haste and secrecy to HMAS "Moreton", Brisbane for duty with "Ferdinand".
('Ferdinand', was the code name for The Coastwatchers)
Bath underwent training in encoding and Morse code in Tabragalbar and on completion began service with the Coastwatchers in Milne Bay and Finschhafen. On volunteering he was then transferred to the north coast of New Britain (at that time Japanese occupied) worked as a Signaler under the command of Captain Stokie and later Captains McLean and Robinson. He was then posted to the Island of Emairu, Torokina and Bougainville until his 'free discharge' on 15 th July 1945.
(An account of his life as a Coastwatcher is available on application for viewing at the Australian War Memorial Library Canberra.)
Towards the end of his service Bath received a letter from Adelaide University in response to his application under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme. He successfully applied to his C.O. for release, commencing studies in 1946 and obtaining his degree in Civil Engineering in 1949.
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