Macalister Adair Blain
From Our Contribution
 Internet | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 24 Nov 1894 |
| Place of Birth | Inverell, New South Wales |
| Death | 24 Apr 1983 |
| Place of Death | New South Wales |
| Age at Enlistment | 21 years, 9 months |
| Description | |
| Occupation | Chainman |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Address | NOK Maidenwell Post Office, Queensland |
| Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs Katurah Anne Blain |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number |
2126 NX56669 |
| Date of Enlistment | 13 Feb 1916 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit/Formation | 51st Battalion, 4th Reinforcement, transferred to 32nd Battalion / 13th Brigade, 4th Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 9 Aug 1916 ‒ 25 Sep 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A28 Miltiades |
| Date of Return | 6 Oct 1919 ‒ 16 Nov 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | HMNZT Pakeha |
| Fate | Returned to Australia |
| Monument |
Kelmscott War Memorial (West panel) Perth Modern School Honour Roll |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal 1939-45 Star Pacific Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45 |
Pre War
It is possible that he was living in Kelmscott while attending Perth Technical College. Address while attending Perth Modern School in 1911 was 115 Hay street, West Perth, and at the time of his enlistment he gave his address as c/o Post Office Wickepin.
Pre WW I Service - worked as a chainman/surveyors assistant. 1912-1915. Probably studying too as he sat for the Adelaide University Examinations at the end of 1912. (Note: As UWA wasn't yet established, Adelaide University conducted the equivalent of the 'Leaving' examination, in Perth).[1]
WW1 War Service
WW1 records are filed with his WW2 records (NX56669) so no detail is yet available of his WW 1 war service.
389th Casualty List has Blain listed as ill.[2] Macalister is reported as returning on the "SS Pakeha".[3]
Post WW1
Returning from Europe, Blain worked as a surveyor in Northern Queensland before moving to the Northern Territory in 1929 to become the Darwin area surveyor. Blain's work took him throughout northern Australia, giving him the opportunity to gain a high profile, which he used at the 1934 Federal election, standing as an independent for the Division of Northern Territory.
WW2 War Service
After changing his year of birth to 1897,[4] Blain enrolled in the army during World War II and served as a Sergeant [NX56669] in the 2/12 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers (8th Division) and was sent to Malaya.[5]
Captured by the Japanese following the fall of Singapore in 1942, Blain was a Prisoner of War, first in Singapore and later Borneo, until his release in September 1945.[6]
Blain remains the only serving member of the House of Representatives to have been a Prisoner of War.[7][8]. Blain returned to Australia, and upon re-entering the House, wearing his uniform, was the subject of a standing ovation from his fellow members.[9] He was then ordered to return to hospital where he spent the next two months recovering before returning to parliament.[10]
While serving as a POW, Blain had been re-elected unopposed to his Northern Territory seat at the 1943 election,[11] and elected again in 1946 before losing his seat at the 1949 election.
Notes
Enlisted in 1916 as Macalister Adair Blain but is better known as Adair Macalister Blain. He was to explain that he discovered he had been christened as Adair Macalister Blain so reverted to his correct name. Perhaps he was tired of being called 'Mac'.[12]
- ↑ Roger Stubbs email 27 Apr 2019
- ↑ "THE ROLL OF HONOUR. 389TH CASUALTY LIST.". Western Mail. XXXIII, (1,688). Western Australia. 3 May 1918. p. 35. Retrieved 25 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "COMING HOME". The Daily News. XXXVIII, (13,940). Western Australia. 7 November 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 25 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Carment, D., Maynard, R. et al. (1990) Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography Vol. 1, Northern Territory University Press: Casuarina.
- ↑ World War II Nominal Roll, Accessed 2 April 2017.
- ↑ Lumb, M., Bennett, S. et al. (2007) Commonwealth Members of Parliament who have served in war, Research Brief, Australian Government Department of Parliamentary Services. 26 March 2007, no. 10, 2006–07
- ↑ Carment, D., Maynard, R. et al. (1990) Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography Vol. 1, Northern Territory University Press: Casuarina.
- ↑ "Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files - Macalister Adair Blain". Australian War Memorial. 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ Lumb, M., Bennett, S. et al. (2007) Commonwealth Members of Parliament who have served in war, Research Brief, Australian Government Department of Parliamentary Services. 26 March 2007, no. 10, 2006–07
- ↑ Kemp, R. & Stanton, M. (2004) Speaking for Australia: Parliamentary Speeches that Shaped Our Nation, Allen & Unwin: Sydney. ISBN 1-74114-430-2.
- ↑ 4. Lumb, M., Bennett, S. et al. (2007) Commonwealth Members of Parliament who have served in war, Research Brief, Australian Government Department of Parliamentary Services. 26 March 2007, no. 10, 2006–07
- ↑ Roger Stubbs email dated 27 Apr 2019