Ronald John GARRETT

Year of Birth: 1923

Place of Birth: Shepparton, Victoria, Australia

Date of Enlistment: 1 April 1941, Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

Australian Defence Force: Royal Australian Navy

Rank: Stoker

Ship: HMAS Warrnambool

Service Number: 34344

Died: 13 September 1947

Age: 24 years 

Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot B – Row A – Grave 2

“Dearly Loved And Sadly Missed By Loving Wife Babs And Son Noel”

Ronald John Garret was  born 25 January 1923 and was the eldest child of Jesse Leonard and Ivy Hazel Peace (Croft) Garrett. His father was an Able Seaman on board HMAS Perth, a prisoner of war in Burma and died in August 1943.

His enlistment form has two descriptions of him. His height was 5 feet 9⅞ inches and 5 feet 10½ inches with brown hair and fair hair, blue eyes, and fresh and fair complexion.

Ronald and his wife Rebecca had a son, Noel.He discharged from the R.A.N. in July 1945 and re-entered in January 1947. He was on the HMAS Warrnambool during bomb and mine clearances and was killed when the ship struck a mine.

Stoker Ronald John Garret was buried the same day as Able Seaman Hyland

Ronald John Garrett’s name is located at panel 1 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.

Online Resources

NAA: A6770, (GARRETT Ronald John) National Archives of Australia

Commonwealth War Graves Commission 

Australian War Memorial

Department Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Rolls

National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers

Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages

If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!

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