Richard Hamilton Smith Papers
1939-1988, undated
Manuscript Collection #1171- Creator(s)
- Smith, Richard Hamilton; Killen, Harry E., Sr.
- Physical description
- 0.64 Cubic Feet, 278 items
- Preferred Citation
- Richard Hamilton Smith Papers (#1171), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
- Repository
- ECU Manuscript Collection
- Access
- No restrictions
Scrapbook, clippings, correspondence, photographs, reports, and other materials related to the World War II career of Lt. Commander Richard Hamilton Smith aboard the USS Teak and the USS Thomas J. Gray, and especially related to the successful evacuation during 7-9 September 1945 of British, Australian and American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Kiirun, Formosa [Taiwan].
Biographical/historical information
Richard Hamilton Smith (1917-1989) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Smith served on the USS Teak (AN-35) from 1942-1943 and on the USS Thomas J. Gary from 1943-1945. He took part in a successful evacuation of American, Australian, and British prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Kiirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan).
The USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort used by the United States Navy during World War II. It was launched on August 21, 1943, and commissioned on November 27, 1943. The ship was used during the evacuation of American, Australian, and British prisoners of war in Kiirun, Formosa (now Keelung, Taiwan). The USS Thomas J. Gary was decommissioned on October 22, 1973. It was then transferred to the Tunisian government where it was renamed as the President Bourgiba. Following a major fire on April 16, 1992, the destroyer escort was scrapped.
Scope and arrangement
The collection includes materials related to the World War II career of Lt. Commander Richard Hamilton Smith aboard the USS Teak and the USS Thomas J. Gray. Included is a scrapbook (1943-1988, undated) with material relating to the World War II experiences of the USS Thomas J. Gray, including clippings, correspondence, naval orders, photocopies, photographic prints, postcards, programs, a variety of non-American currencies; a photocopy typescript of an action report (1945); clippings (1945-1973) related to the Gary; 2 photocopy typescripts of newsletters (1944) published by radiomen aboard the Gary; a photocopy transcript of correspondence (1945) related to the Prisoner of War Rescue at Kiirun, Formosa (now Taiwan); a photocopy print (1945) of a list of officers on the Gary; a photocopy typescript (1980) of the history of the Gary; and a photocopy typescript (1945) of a list of ports visited by the Gary.
Administrative information
Custodial History
September 2, 2010 (unprocessed), 278 items, 0.64 cubic feet; Papers (1939-1988, undated) pertaining to the career of Lt. Commander Richard Hamilton Smith, USNR [b. 1917- d.1989] including a scrapbook, a binder containing orders and official correspondence, photographs, reports, correspondence, muster and crew lists, and newspaper clippings pertaining chiefly to Smith's service aboard the net layer USS TEAK (AN-35), 1942-1943 and as commander of the destroyer escort USS THOMAS J. GARY (DE 326), 1943-1945, and especially to the successful evacuation during 7-9 September 1945 of British, Australian and American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Kiirun, Formosa [Taiwan]; also materials relating to the later history of the USS THOMAS J. GARY, 1945-1973, etc. See preliminary inventory attached. 2 boxes. 1 vol. and 2 items. 278 p. (ca. 0.64 cubic feet) Recd. 5/24/2010. Donor: Stephen Smith
Source of acquisition
Gift of Stephen Smith
Processing information
Encoded by Jonathan Dembo, September 02, 2010
Copyright notice
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.
Metadata Rights Declaration
Key terms
Personal Names
Smith, Richard Hamilton, 1917-1989Corporate Names
Thomas J. Gary (Destroyer : DE-326)--HistoryUnited States. Navy--Officers
Topical
Prisoners of war--AustraliaPrisoners of war--Great Britain
Prisoners of war--Japan
Prisoners of war--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American
World War, 1939-1945--Taiwan--Keelung City