| Place | Middle East: Persian Gulf |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR04544 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | Extent: .5 cm; Wallet/s: 1 |
| Object type | Letter |
| Maker |
O'Reilly, Stephen Francis |
| Date made | 1941 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
| Copying Provisions | Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required. |
O’Reilly, Stephen Francis (Steward, b.1918 - d.1942)
Description
Collection relating to the Second World War service of S3597 Steward Stephen Francis O’Reilly, HMAS Yarra, Royal Australian Navy, Middle East, 1941.
Wallet 1 of 1 – Collection consists of two letters from Steward O’Reilly to his sister Molly O’Reilly, dated 14 March and 12 May 1941. In his letters, Steward O’Reilly asks questions about life at home, asks her to look after their mother, responds to family news, and writes that new ratings had joined the ship.
History / Summary
Steward O’Reilly enlisted to the Royal Australian Navy on 5 September 1939. He served in HMAS Yarra on the western coast of Australia, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. On 4 March 1942, Steward O’Reilly was killed in action when the HMAS Yarra was sunk by Japanese ships in the Indian Ocean. He is commemorated at Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon, United Kingdom.