Thomas BLACKWELL MM

BLACKWELL, Thomas

    Service Number: 1511
    Enlisted: 29 November 1915, West Maitland
    Last Rank: Private
    Last Unit: 35th Infantry Battalion
    Born: Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia, 29 December 1894
    Home Town: Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, New South Wales
    Schooling: Not yet discovered
    Occupation: Labourer
    Died: Natural causes, Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia, 21 June 1951, aged 56 years
    Cemetery: South Maitland (Kurri Kurri) Cemetery
    Presbyterian, Section 5, Lot 12.
    Memorials: Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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    World War 1 Service

    29 Nov 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion, West Maitland
    1 May 1916: Embarked Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney
    1 May 1916: Involvement Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: ''
    25 Sep 1917: Honoured Military Medal, Battle of Messines, For conspicuous gallantry and courage at Messines on the night of 28/29 July 1917 in handling his Lewis gun during an enemy attack. With the guns in his company put out of action by enemy fire he was able to get his gun back in action by dismantling these guns and using their parts. The task of getting from one gun enplacement to another under very severe fire was difficult but his work was of the highest order, and played an important part in breaking the enemy's attack.
    12 Oct 1917: Imprisoned 1st Passchendaele, Germany - repatriated to England 23 February 1918. Left leg amputated.
    12 Oct 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion, 1st Passchendaele, Shrapnel wound left leg (severe) - During the advance at Passchendaele, Private Blackwell showed great initiative and was regardless of personal danger. His platoon was held up by a machine gun and as the No 1 on his Lewis gun, on his own initiative, he worked to a flank and by firing on the enemy position allowed his platoon to advance and also capture the enemy gun and its four crew. Later the platoon was again held up by a machine gun - volunteering, he seized a rifle and worked from shell hole to shell hole until close enough to rush the gun, killing one of the enemy and capturing two others as well as the machine gun. During this action he was severely wounded in the left leg and subsequently captured. He was recommended for a Bar to his Military Medal but this was declined.
    22 Jul 1918: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion, HT Kanowna, England for invaliding to Australia (amputated left leg) - disembarking Sydney 3 September 1918
    31 Mar 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1511, 35th Infantry Battalion

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