SMITH, Eustace William
| Service Numbers: | 5457, V17133 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Royal Australian Engineers |
| Born: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 11 March 1893 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Dairy man |
| Died: | Illness, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 February 1946, aged 52 years |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale War Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria 1 P A 4 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 5457, 5th Field Company Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec 1915: | Embarked Sapper, 5457, 5th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 17 Dec 1915: | Involvement Sapper, 5457, 5th Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sapper, 5457, 5th Field Company Engineers, 3rd MD |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Corporal, V17133 | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, V17133 | |
| 22 Feb 1946: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, V17133, Royal Australian Engineers |
Help us honour Eustace William Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Kearney
From How We Served
The final resting place for; - 5457 & V17133 Corporal Eustace William Smith of Geelong & South Melbourne, Victoria who had been employed as a dairyman at the time of his enlisting for War Service on the 24th of July 1915.
Eustace was allocated to reinforcements for the 5th Field Company Engineers 1st AIF, and was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 17th of December. Following his arrival, he was officially taken on strength with his Unit on the 15th of March 1916.
Shortly after this Eustace was embarked with his Unit for France, where he disembarked on the 23rd of March 1916. From the time of his arrival, Eustace’s service in the trenches, aside a bout of bronchitis, would be continuous until he was availed a respite of Leave to England on the 12th of June 1917.
Whilst in Scotland Eustace was evacuated sick to hospital on the 22nd of June. Due to his health, followed by being taken on strength with Training Battalion establishments in England, Eustace would not return to France until he was shipped back over at the start of October 1918, where he was disembarked on his arrival on the 2nd of October.
With the War in its final weeks, Eustace remained in France on duty, and following the Armistice, he would spend a short time detached for duty with the 7th Field Ambulance, until he began his repatriation back to Australia, departing France for England on the 25th of March 1919.
From England Eustace departed for his return to Australia on the 15th of May. Having arrived back in Australia, Eustace received his official discharge from the 1st AIF on the 27th of August for his re-entry into civilian life.
With the outbreak of a second world conflict, Eustace again presented himself for duty with the Australian Military Forces, when he enlisted for full-time service on the 16th of July 1941.
Eustace was allocated to serve with the Royal Australian Engineers within Australia, and by the end of May 1943, he was taken on strength with the Maintenance Platoon of the 115th Australian General Hospital (Heidelberg).
Eustace remained on duty until the end of hostilities with this Unit, and following the conclusion of the War, and whilst awaiting his official discharge, he was evacuated for hospitalization on the 15th of September 1945.
Whilst still in service, Eustace would succumb to illness, passing on the 22nd of February 1946, at the age of 56.
Following his death, ‘Great War’ veteran Corporal Eustace Smith, who had chosen to serve Australia during a Second World War, was formally laid to rest within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.
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