SmithR

Born: 1 January 1914 - Kankakee, Illinois

Parents: Fred & Laura Jennings

- Fred was his step-father

Siblings: 1 sister

Home:

- 611 South Seventh Avenue, Maywood, Illinois

- family moved to Maywood when he was eight from Kankakee, Illinois

Nickname: "Bus"

Education:

- Emerson School

- Proviso Township High School

- Class of 1932

Enlisted:

- 3 April 1939

- used his step-father's last name, Jennings, on his high school records

- Navy required that he use the last name that appeared on his birth certificate

- served in Navy as "Raymond Jennings Smith"

Serial Number: 380 83 44

Rank: Machinist Mate Second Class

Ships:

- U.S.S. San Francisco - 8 April 1939

- U.S.S. Pope - 31 March 1941

Engagements:

- Battle of Balikpapan, Borneo

- Battle of Badung Strait, Bali

- Battle of Lumbok Straits

- At the Battle of the Java Sea, HMS Exeter suffered torpedo damage

- U.S.S. Pope assigned as an escort for HMS Exeter to Ceylon, India - 29 February 1942

- U.S.S. Pope did not take part in battle because of problems with its freshwater system

- HMS Encounter also given this duty - 28 February 1942

- Exeter needed repairs from torpedo damage

- 1 March 1942 - three ships found themselves in the midst of a 13 ship Japanese convoy

- Both the Encounter and Exeter were sunk

- U.S.S. Pope attempted to escape

- hit by bombs from Japanese planes the Pope began to take on water

- Bus was thrown into the sea when ship was hit

- remained in water for three days until picked up by the Japanese

- crew attempted to save the Pope, but the ship was taking on water faster than they could pump it out

- crew abandoned ship as she sank

Prisoner of War:

- 2 March 1942

- Japanese Destroyer Ikazuchi picks up survivors of Pope and Encounter

- Makassar POW Camp, Celebres

Died:

- 28 April 1945

- prison hospital - Makassar, Celebes - beriberi and malaria

Buried:

- Mount Emblem Cemetery - Elmhurst, Illinois

- Section: J Lot: 541 Grave: 3

Promoted: Posthumously to Machinist Mate First Class