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.

Key terms

Personal Names

Smith, Richard Hamilton, 1917-1989

Corporate Names

Thomas J. Gary (Destroyer : DE-326)--History
United States. Navy--Officers

Topical

Prisoners of war--Australia
Prisoners 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

Places

Keelung City (Taiwan)--History, Military

Container list