Soldier profiles

Name : BLAKE, WALTER
Service Number : VX61042
Date of Birth : 16/07/1921
Place of Birth : RENMARK, SA
Known as : WALLY, BLACK WALLY
Occupation on Enlistment : TILE SETTER
Date of Enlistment : 05/08/1941
Locality on Enlistment : SURREY HILLS, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : BLAKE, JAMES JOSEPH
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions : GARRISON DUTY (SYRIA), LLEWILIANG? (JAVA)
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 16/01/1946
Date Died : 07/11/1998
Age at Death : 77
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : LILYDALE LAWN CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. [LLC] NS-NORTH SOUTH LAWN.
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : TAMARKAN (THAILAND)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : THAILAND
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0009 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6133704 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, Past article (size 225kB), Submitted story

Background : Son of James Joseph Blake, of Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia. At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 6 feet 1/2 inches, brown eyes, dark complexion, dark hair. Marital status : married. Marks / scars : right hip. Full time war service : A.I.F. 05/08/1941 to 16/01/1946 which included 1624 days active service (60 days within Australia & 1477 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East & Java areas, embarked from Australia 02/11/1941 , disembarked in Australia 17/11/1945. War badge no. 290434. Discharge certificate no. 483518. Died in November 1998.

Service record.
05/08/1941 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
08/08/1941 Granted leave without pay 08/08/1941 to 11/08/1941.
12/08/1941 Rejoined unit.
20/08/1941 Transferred to Engineer Training Depot from Recruit Reception Depot.
09/10/1941 Promoted to acting Corporal.
27/10/1941 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion as reinforcements.
02/11/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. L.L.) Convoy 13.
24/11/1941 Disembarked Port Tewfik, Suez.
25/11/1941 Transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion.
25/11/1941 Reverted to Private.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from Pioneer Training Battalion.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East H.M.T. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action & transferred to X list.
14/07/1942 Reported missing believed prisoner of war.
04/11/1943 Reported interned in prisoner of war camp (Thailand).
15/08/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
29/10/1945 Embarked Singapore hospital ship S.S. Karoa.
16/11/1945 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
28/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with malaria.
15/01/1946 Marched out to Discharge Depot, Victoria.
16/01/1946 Discharged at Royal Park, Victoria.