Blair, Thomas
6535 Private Thomas Blair MM - 28th Battalion AIF
Thomas Blair was born in Shetleston Glasgow Scotland on the 5th January 1901 to Thomas Brown Blair and Rose Blair. He had an older brother called William born in 1894.
The family came to Western Australia in the late 1900's and Tom completed his schooling in Fremantle. During this time he also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.
Prior to the Great War Tom and his family were living at 128 Cantonment Street Fremantle.
On the 1st October 1916 young Thomas enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 154lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Thomas was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.86 Depot. He spent a week there being taken through the basics of infantry work and was then transferred to the 23rd reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. Tom was only with this group for a week and then fell ill, which necessitated a stay at No.8 Australian General Hospital in Fremantle.
By the time Tom returned to Blackboy Hill Camp on the 5th January 1917 he was sent to a different group, the 19th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. He spent just over three weeks training with this group in WA. On the 29th January 1917 Tom and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Miltiades. This ship then set sail for England, reaching Devonport on the 27th March 1917.
After being disembarked, Tom and his group were sent to Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Tom would spend the next six and a half months training in England. It was until the 17th October 1917 that he was sent to France.
Tom spent a few days at the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre, then was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 24th October 1917. The 28th Battalion was then holding the front line positions in Belgium near Zonnebeke and Passchendaele.
From November 1917 to March 1918 the 28th Battalion helped to hold the front line south east of Ypres between Hollebeke and Messines.
On March 21st 1918 the Germans had broken through the British front further south and the Australian divisions were sent to the Somme region to help stop this German advance.
Tom and the 28th Battalion came into contact with the Germans around Dernancourt and Ville-sur-Ancre in April 1918 and were in this region for a few weeks. They then remained around Morlancourt through May and June 1918, taking part in the capture of that village.
Fred and his unit were now sent to Villers-Bretonneux and in July 1918 the 28th Battalion successfully captured Monument Wood. A large advance was due to commence on August 8th 1918.
Tom served with his unit through the next few months, and participated in the August 8th attack from Villers-Bretonneux which smashed through the German lines. The 28th Battalion participated in several actions over the next few weeks, most notably at Peronne and Mont St Quentin. The 28th Battalion was in action until October 4th 1918 when they fought at Montbrehain. It was in this last action that Tom was awarded the Military Medal. The official recommendation reads;
During the attack on the Beaurevoir Line, east of peronne, on 3rd October 1918, at great personal risk, Lance Corporal Best and Private Blair crawled forward, carrying a reel of telephone wire over 300 yards of ground swept by enemy artillery and machine gun fire, and succeeded in establishing communication between battalion headquarters and an isolated company. Notwithstanding the continuous fire, they persistently patrolled the line, repaired all breaks and maintained communication throughout the whole day. Their bravery and devotion to duty were most conspicuous.
After this action the 28th Battalion were withdrawn from the front line for a well deserved rest. On the 9th October 1918 Tom fell ill with bronchitis and was sent to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville. He would still be a patient here when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
On the 20th November 1918 Tom was sent to a Convalescent depot camp where he would remain till the end of the year. Tom would rejoin the 28th battalion near Charleroi in Belgium on the 3rd January 1919.
He had only been back with them for a week when he was given a two week furlough to the UK, however it appears that Tom was able to extend his leave as he did not report back to the 28th Battalion until the 15th February 1919.
A day after rejoining the 28th battalion he was given guard duty at HQ but left his post without permission. As a punishment he was given 28 days of Field Punishment No.2. He completed this punishment and then remained with the 28th Battalion until, the unit disbanded in May 1919.
Tom was then attached to the YMCA for a few weeks in France, then returning to England on the 27th May 1919. He then was sent to No.2 Group Camp at Sutton Veny. He would remain here, while awaiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 18th July 1919 Tom boarded the transport ship Takada, and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 29th August 1919.
Tom was discharged from the AIF on the 6th October 1919.
On the 6th July 1926 in Perth Thomas married Stella Joan Lukey and they would have a daughter called Maureen born in 1930.
In the 1930's the family were living at Labouchre Road South Perth and Tom was working as a Commercial Traveller.
Tom enlisted again during World War Two. On the 21st August 1940 he was accepted for service with the Australian Army. He was given the service number W26153 and also the rank of Lieutenant and Signals Officer. He would serve in the 5th Garrison Battalion till 1943 and then employment and labour companies through to his discharge in 1945. Tom's service was within Australia.
Tom Died at Hollywood Hospital on the 10th January 1954 aged 53. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.