David Valentine Jardine Blake (1887 - 1965)

Born 10 Nov 1887 in Prospect, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Mildred Mabel (Tunks) Blake — married 1913 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 6 Mar 1965 at age 77 in Harris Park, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

David Blake is Notable.

David Blake is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Major General David Blake was a senior commander in the Australian Army who served in crucial sectors during both world wars. He comanded No.3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps against 'The Red Baron's' elite squadron on the Western Front in 1918 and the Darwin area during its initial bombing in February 1942.

David Valentine Jardine Blake was born on 10th November 1887 in Prospect, west of Parramatta, New South Wales (Australia). He was the eldest child of William Blake and Ruth Heydon. ^[1] He was educated at Marist Brothers College, Parramatta.

He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Commonwealth (Permanent) Military Forces on 1st February 1911.

In 1913 in Sydney, New South Wales, David married Mildred Tunks, whose paternal great grandfather William Tunks was a Royal Marine during the American War of Independence and on the First Fleet. ^[2]

David Blake is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Commonwealth Military Force 1911-1947
No.3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps; 7th Military District; Lines of Communication, Northern Territory

On 5th January 1916 David transferred to the Australian Imperial Force, his young nation's overseas expeditionary force for the (First World) War. ^[3] He was promoted to Captain and posted to the No.1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps; embarking for Europe at Melbourne on 16th March aboard the HMAT Orsova A67. ^[4] In September 1916, on promotion to Major, David was appointed commanding officer of the newly-formed No.3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, then on the high seas enroute from Australia. In 1917 the squadron underwent further training on both the Avro 504 and BE2, ^[5] before deploying to France in late 1917; whereupon it performed a combined reconnaissance and offensive role. From early 1918, No.3 Squadron flew in a sector of the Somme Valley, facing German planes commanded by the 'Red Baron', Manfred von Richthofen. When the baron was shot down and killed behind allied lines on 21st April 1918, the disposal of his remains became Blake's responsibility. Blake became a strong proponent of the view that ground-based Australian machine-gunners had shot down the baron. Blake remained No.3 Squadron commanding officer until October 1918, returning to Australia 10th May 1919. ^[3] The Australian Flying Corps would be separated from the Australian Army in 1921 to form the Royal Australian Air Force.

He was Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry), gazetted in London in May 1918. ^[6] He was also recommended for and awarded the United States' Distinguished Service Medal in 1919. ^[7][8]

David served in a number of staff and command roles between the world wars, being promoted to Brigadier. ^[9]

After the outbreak of the Second World War, David's first significant command (on promotion to Major General) was Officer Commanding 7th Military District (the Northern Territory), based in Darwin, from September 1941. The post grew in importance when war with Japan broke out in December. He was the senior Allied officer present during the first air raids on Darwin on 19th February 1942. Later that year, as a major Allied build-up in northern Australia got underway, he was moved to the position of General Officer Commanding, Lines of Communication, Northern Territory Area. He retired from the army on his 60th birthday, 10th November 1947. ^[10]

David passed away, aged 77 years, on 6th March 1965 in Harris Park, near Parramatta and is buried in the Frenchs Forest Cemetery, New South Wales. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #19441/1887
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #8459/1913
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Major David Valentine Jardine Blake; accessed 22 May 2018
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: Captain David Valentine Jardine Blake; accessed 7 Mar 2022
5. ↑ David Valentine Jardine Blake; accessed 22 May 2018
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Mentioned in Despatches; accessed 22 May 2018
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Distinguished Service Medal (recommendation); accessed 22 May 2018
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Distinguished Service Medal; accessed 22 May 2018
9. ↑ Discovering Anzacs; accessed 22 May 2018
10. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VP7416 (NP10238) Major General David Valentine Jardine Blake; accessed 22 May 2018
11. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #18398/1965

See also

• Australian War Memorial timeline: David Valentine Jardine Blake; accessed 22 May 2018.
• Wikipedia: David Blake (general); accessed 22 May 2018.
• Grose, Peter. 1942: The Year the War Came to Australia. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, 2021. ISBN 9-781-76106-664-1.