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Patrick John Kelly

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Patrick John Kelly
Kelly Patrick John.jpg
Plaque in King's Park - May drive
Personal Information
Date of Birth 14 Mar 1915
Place of Birth Maylands, Western Australia
Death 1 Mar 1942
Place of Death Sunda Strait, Netherlands East Indies
Age at Enlistment 19 years, 11 months
Description 5'11" (1.80m) tall ; ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair
Religion Roman Catholic
Address Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin Mother , Mrs Margaret Kelly
Military Information
Reg Number 20681
Date of Enlistment 2 Feb 1935
Rank Stoker
Ships Served On
Ship Name HMAS Voyager
Tour Dates 6 Aug 1935 ‒ 13 Apr 1936
Ship Name HMAS Waterhen
Tour Dates 14 Apr 1936 ‒ 11 Aug 1937
Ship Name HMAS Sydney
Tour Dates 20 Sep 1938 ‒ 1 Feb 1939
Ship Name HMAS Moresby
Tour Dates 2 Feb 1939 ‒ 31 Mar 1939
Ship Name HMAS Adelaide
Tour Dates 1 Apr 1939 ‒ 1 May 1939
Ship Name HMAS Sydney
Tour Dates 20 Sep 1939 ‒ 3 Jul 1940
Ship Name HMAS Warrego
Tour Dates 22 Aug 1940 ‒ 16 Oct 1940
Ship Name HMAS Perth
Tour Dates 17 Oct 1940 ‒ 1 Mar 1942
Post War Details
Fate KIA 1 Mar 1942
Monument(s) WA State War Memorial
External Monument(s) Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom
Australian War Memorial Australian War Memorial
Medals 1939-45 Star
Pacific Star
War Medal 1939-45
Australian Service Medal 1939-45



Pre War

Enlisted on 2 Feb 1935 and was sent to HMAS Cerberus for initial training. On 6 Aug 1935 he was posted to HMAS Voyager, a V & W Class Destroyer which was based in Sydney, remaining with it until it was paid off into Reserve on 13 Apr 1936. He then transferred to her replacement HMAS Waterhen another of the V & W Class Destroyers which was recommissioned on 14 Apr 1936 and then served on the Australian station. Pat was transferred on 11 Aug 1937 to HMAS Penguin, a shore facility on Sydney Harbour and remained there until 19 Sep 1938. On 20 Sep 1938 he was posted to HMAS Sydney a Light Cruiser for the first time, leaving on 1 Feb 1939 for the HMAS Moresby a Mine-sweeping sloop. His stay on the Moresby was brief as on 1 Apr 1939 he transferred to the HMAS Adelaide, an old Town Class Cruiser for a month, and then on 2 May 1939 back to Sydney.

War Service

When war broke out, Pat was serving on HMAS Sydney, and as history would have it, was one of the lucky ones to be transferred from the Sydney on 3 Jul 1940 when he joined the HMAS Warrego a new Grimsby Class Sloop based at HMAS Penguin in Sydney. He remained on the Warrego until 16 Oct 1940 and then joined HMAS Perth a Leander Class Light Cruiser, serving with it until his death when it was sunk by a large force of Japanese ships in the Sunda Strait on 1 Mar 1942.



Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 73 Column 3


Notes

Should be on the Armadale War Memorial. Ironically, he should not have been on board as he was to have gone to officer training school, but the ship sailed before his relief arrived.


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