Letters and Papers relating to David Francis Smith - Part 3

This Scroll commemorates
Warrant Officer 11 D. F. Smith
Australian Military Forces
held in honour as one who
served King and Country in
the world war of 1939- 1945
gave his life to save
mankind from tyranny. May
his sacrifice help to bring
the peace and freedom for
which he died.

19292
13 x 8 ½ 

51 Mc Cracken St
Essendon Vic
27 Oct 45.
My Dear Mrs Smith,
This is a difficult
letter for me to write, but I felt that
I had to let you know how sorry I am
that Dave was not spared to come
home to you. His death was a great
shock to us all, for although he had
been ill some months, he was in good
spirits and was speaking to some of the
men a few minutes before he died, and
they did not suspect that the end was
near. It appears that he lay down for
a rest and passed away peacefully a few
minutes later. He suffered no pain, but
his resistance had been lowered by lack
of proper food.
Dave was very popular with
all the men, and I have been with him
since he joined Signals in July 1940, when
I first met him in Lt  Col. Thyers office
at St Kilda Road. We were on the
Queen Mary together & right through
Malaya to Singapore & Changi then
in May 1942 we went to Burma 

2
After 4 months on the aerodrome at
Tavoy, we left for Moulmein, and from
a place 35 miles South of there we started
to build the Burma - Siam railway.
Dave worked as hard as any of his
men, who all respected him for his
good qualities as a soldier and as
man.
I arrived in Australia last
Sunday and am now on leave, and if
I can help you with any further
information I shall be happy to do so
if you write to me at the above
address
With best wishes
I remain
Yours Sincerely
J W Jacobs.
Major. 

Mrs D. F. Smith
C/o Mrs Watts
Symonds St
Queenscliff
Vic
[*87 Royal Pde
Parkville.
N2.*]

W.O.II D.F. Smith
VX25593
as from 64 Bowen St
Camberwell E 6
Vic. 29/10/45
Dear Mrs Smith.
Free at last & home again I now
have opportunity to convey to you the sympathy of
the officers & friends who were with your husband
when he died at the 55^th Camp Burma on Aug 25/43
from the effects of malnutrition & Malaria. He had
been suffering from fever for some months & had lost
much strength, gradually but persistently declining.
He had a sudden attack of a cerebral malaria &
died very quickly.
His body was laid to rest the same evening
in the Camp cemetery where over 300 were buried
ere we left there in December. Crosses were
erected & the grounds kept in remarkable order
by a band of volunteers whose work was done as
their tribute to fallen Comrades.
May the grace & comfort of our heavenly
Father be given you in richest measure
is the prayer of
Yours very sincerely
W J Fleming
Chap. 

[*87 Royal Pde
Parkville. 
N 2.*]
Mrs D.F. Smith.
King St 
Queenscliff
Vic
[**]

Chap W. J. Fleming
VX 39488 

23
46 Hawthorne Rd
Brisbane NE1.
14 Nov 45.
Dear Mrs Smith,
Please accept my very
deepest sympathies in the loss of your
husband who died in Burma on
25th Aug 45
I can well imagine how
broken-hearted you must be and
what a sad blow it has been to 
receive such painful news after
waiting so long.
Being in Queensland it is
impossible for me to do anything
personally for you but I am sure
Noel May will do all he can if
you need assistance in connection
with official matters.
Words fail to express my
thoughts but you can believe me,
when as his C.O, I am terribly sorry.
Yours sincerely
Charles Kappe
Lt. Col.