BLACKMORE, James
| Service Number: | 553 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 February 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Company Sergeant Major |
| Last Unit: | 22nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, April 1881 |
| Home Town: | North Williamstown, Hobsons Bay, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | War related, Military Mental Asylum (Mont Park), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 January 1925 |
| Cemetery: |
Williamstown Cemetery, Williamstown, South Australia |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne | |
| 10 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Aug 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 Oct 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 29 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 27 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , GSW to face | |
| 22 Dec 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 17 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion, Gassed - slightly | |
| 3 Oct 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", GSW to right knee - awarded DCM for this action | |
| 19 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 553, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Apr 1920: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, "The Last Hundred Days", During the attack near Estrees, on 4 October, 1918, he showed great gallantry and able leadership. He led four signallers against an enemy post, and captured six prisoners. Later, when the officer of the next platoon was wounded, he assumed command, and led the assault on the final objective, when he was severely wounded.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 35, Date: 15 April 1920 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From How We Served
The final resting place for; - 553 Company Sergeant Major James Blackmore DCM of Coburg and Williamstown, Victoria who was employed as a carpenter at the time of his enlistment on the 12th of February 1915 and was allocated to the 22nd Battalion 1st AIF.
James was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 8th of May and by the 30th of August he had arrived in the trenches on Gallipoli. On the 7th of January 1916 he returned to Egypt via Mudros following the end of the Dardanelles campaign and with his Unit he was shipped to France, departing on the 19th of March.
Following his arrival, James was to remain on duty in Northern France until he received a gunshot wound to his face on the 27th of July and was evacuated for hospitalisation and following his recovery he was returned to the trenches on the 24th of September. James was elected to attend a Training School in England where he arrived on the 11th of November and remained there until he was returned to France and rejoiced his Unit in the field on the 24th of June 1917. Once back in the trenches James remained on duty until he was wounded in action for a second time, after having been gassed on the 17th of July 1918, but was deemed fit enough for further service and was back with his Battalion on the 7th of August.
After a short respite of leave in England, James returned to France and was wounded in action for the third time having sustained a gunshot wound to his right knee on the 4th of October when he led his Company’s signallers in an attack on German positions in the vicinity of Estrees, and having taken six Germans as prisoners, he then led a further assault when the officer in charge of one of his Unit’s platoons was wounded. For his bravery in the field James would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Due to the wounds he received James was again returned to England, where he was admitted into hospital on the 29th of October.
Due to these third wounds James was deemed an invalid and began his repatriation back to Australia, departing England on the second of January 1919. Having returned back to Australia, James received his official discharge from the 1st AIF on the 9th of April for his re-entry into civilian life. James experienced a breakdown following his return and was admitted into the Military Mental Asylum (Mont Park) on the 17th of November 1920 where he was diagnosed as suffering melancholia and dementia.
James was still receiving treatment for these psychological injuries when his death occurred on the 22nd of January 1925, and following his passing he was laid to rest within Williamstown Cemetery, Victoria.
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