Patrick John Kelly
From Our Contribution
 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.
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.