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| |name= Francis Masson (Frank) Bladin | |name= Francis Masson (Frank) Bladin | ||
| |birth_date= 26 August 1898 | |birth_date= 26 August 1898 | ||
| |death_date= {{death date and age |
|death_date= {{death date and age|1978|2|2|1898|8|26|df=yes}} | ||
| |birth_place= ], Victoria | |birth_place= ], Victoria | ||
| |death_place= ] | |death_place= ] | ||
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| |laterwork= ]<br />] National Treasurer}} | |laterwork= ]<br />] National Treasurer}} | ||
| ] '''Francis Masson''' ('''Frank''') '''Bladin''', ], ] (26 |
] '''Francis Masson''' ('''Frank''') '''Bladin''', ], ] (26 August 1898 – 2 February 1978) was a senior commander in the ] (RAAF). Born in rural ], he graduated from the ], in 1920. Bladin transferred from the ] to the Air Force in 1923, and learned to fly at ], Victoria. He held training appointments before taking command of ] in 1934. Quiet but authoritative, he was nicknamed "Dad" in tribute to the concern he displayed for the welfare of his personnel.<ref name="Stephens pp. 145-146">Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 145–146</ref> | ||
| Ranked ] at the outbreak of World War II, by September 1941 Bladin had been raised to temporary ]. He became ] North-Western Area in March 1942, following the first ] on ], Northern Territory. Personally leading ]s against enemy territory, he earned the United States ] for gallantry. In July 1943, Bladin was posted to ] in Europe, where he was ]. He was appointed a ] the same year. | Ranked ] at the outbreak of World War II, by September 1941 Bladin had been raised to temporary ]. He became ] North-Western Area in March 1942, following the first ] on ], Northern Territory. Personally leading ]s against enemy territory, he earned the United States ] for gallantry. In July 1943, Bladin was posted to ] in Europe, where he was ]. He was appointed a ] the same year. | ||
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| ==Early career== | ==Early career== | ||
| Frank Bladin was born on 26 |
Frank Bladin was born on 26 August 1898 in ], Victoria, the youngest son of engineer Frederick Bladin and his wife Ellen.<ref name="ADB">Ritchie, ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', pp. 192–193</ref><ref name="SMH">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16428315 |title=Bladin–Magennis |newspaper=] |location=Sydney |date=21 December 1927 |accessdate=30 August 2011 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Educated to junior public level at ], he sought to join the ] during World War I. However, his parents refused their permission, and he instead entered the ], in 1917.<ref name="High Fliers">Stephens; Isaacs, ''High Fliers'', pp. 54–57</ref><ref name="Dennis">Dennis et al, ''Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', p. 259</ref> Graduating in 1920, Bladin served for the next two years in the ], including sixteen months ] to the ] in Britain.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="AVM"> at ]. Retrieved 30 August 2011.</ref> He transferred to the recently established ] as a ] in January 1923.<ref name="High Fliers"/><ref name="Dennis"/> Undergoing pilot training at ], Victoria, he was one of five former Army ]s on the inaugural RAAF flying course—all of whom had left their original service at least partly because of poor career prospects in the post-war military. One of Bladin's other classmates on the course was a 1919 graduate of the ], Sub-Lieutenant ].<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', p. 192</ref> During 1925–26, Bladin was in charge of running Citizens Air Force (reserve) pilots' courses at ], Point Cook.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', p. 234</ref> Having been promoted to ], he married Patricia Magennis at ], New South Wales, on 20 December 1927; the couple had a son and two daughters.<ref name="SMH"/><ref>Alexander, ''Who's Who in Australia 1955'', p. 97</ref> | ||
| {{stack|]}} | {{stack|]}} | ||
| Bladin was posted to Britain in 1929 to attend ], and wrote an article on Empire air defence in 1931 for ''Royal Air Force Quarterly'', one of the few published pieces of work on air power produced by RAAF officers in the pre-war years.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', p. 445</ref> Promoted to ], he took over as ] of ] from Squadron Leader ] in April 1934.<ref name="Units">RAAF Historical Section, ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 2–5</ref> Bladin found that the unit, flying ]s and ] out of ] in Victoria, "had not operated under field conditions away from its brick hangars and concrete tarmac since its inception some eight years previous". He proceeded to change this, deploying the squadron 300 miles away to ] in rural ], where he "borrowed a portion of a sheep station from a friend so that the pilots could carry out their bombing practice" over a two-week period commencing in late November 1935.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', pp. 190–191</ref> After completing his tenure with No. 1 Squadron in December,<ref name="Units"/> Bladin was appointed ] Cadet Squadron at No. 1 Flying Training School. He modelled the training course on that of Duntroon, foreshadowing instruction at the Air Force's own cadet institute, RAAF College,<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', pp. 95, 200–201</ref> which would be established in 1947.<ref>Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 186–188</ref> On 12 |
Bladin was posted to Britain in 1929 to attend ], and wrote an article on Empire air defence in 1931 for ''Royal Air Force Quarterly'', one of the few published pieces of work on air power produced by RAAF officers in the pre-war years.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', p. 445</ref> Promoted to ], he took over as ] of ] from Squadron Leader ] in April 1934.<ref name="Units">RAAF Historical Section, ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 2–5</ref> Bladin found that the unit, flying ]s and ] out of ] in Victoria, "had not operated under field conditions away from its brick hangars and concrete tarmac since its inception some eight years previous". He proceeded to change this, deploying the squadron 300 miles away to ] in rural ], where he "borrowed a portion of a sheep station from a friend so that the pilots could carry out their bombing practice" over a two-week period commencing in late November 1935.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', pp. 190–191</ref> After completing his tenure with No. 1 Squadron in December,<ref name="Units"/> Bladin was appointed ] Cadet Squadron at No. 1 Flying Training School. He modelled the training course on that of Duntroon, foreshadowing instruction at the Air Force's own cadet institute, RAAF College,<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''The Third Brother'', pp. 95, 200–201</ref> which would be established in 1947.<ref>Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 186–188</ref> On 12 March 1937, he was promoted to ].<ref name="ADB"/> | ||
| ==World War II== | ==World War II== | ||
| ] (left) and Major Generals ], ] and ] in Melbourne, December 1941|alt=Five men in light-coloured military uniforms]] | ] (left) and Major Generals ], ] and ] in Melbourne, December 1941|alt=Five men in light-coloured military uniforms]] | ||
| Bladin's first posting following the outbreak of World War II was as Director of Operations and Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in March 1940. Promoted to ] in June, he became ] Southern Area in August 1941 and was raised to acting ] the following month.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="High Fliers"/> By 1 |
Bladin's first posting following the outbreak of World War II was as Director of Operations and Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in March 1940. Promoted to ] in June, he became ] Southern Area in August 1941 and was raised to acting ] the following month.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="High Fliers"/> By 1 January 1942, Bladin was serving as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), charged with readying air bases and putting into effect plans for the ].<ref name="Gillison p. 298">Gillison, </ref><ref name="RAAF in SWPA">Stephens, ''The RAAF in the Southwest Pacific Area'', pp. 29–31</ref> He took over as Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area (AOC NWA) on 25 March that year.<ref name="Gillison pp. 554-559">Gillison, </ref> Based in ], his role was to conduct the air defence of ], the ], and north ].<ref name="Stephens pp. 145-146"/> He also had to restore morale following the ] on 19 February and deal with the threat of imminent invasion, tasks complicated by the poor state of local communications, transport and early warning systems.<ref name="Stephens pp. 145-146"/><ref name="Gillison pp. 554-559"/> Initiating combat training for all RAAF ground crew, Bladin proceeded to construct secondary airfields so that he could disperse his forces. He became, in the words of Air Force historian Dr Alan Stephens, "the RAAF's outstanding area commander of the war", and earned distinction as the first Australian decorated by the United States in the ] when he was awarded the ] for gallantry.<ref name="Stephens pp. 145-146"/> The cited action took place in June when Bladin personally led a raid by ] ] on ] in the ]. As well as destroying enemy machines on the ground and damaging infrastructure, the Allied bombers managed to evade an attack by nine Japanese fighters during their return to base.<ref name="ADB"/> Bladin's award was recommended in September, and promulgated in the ''Australian Gazette'' on 23 November 1944.<ref> at ]. Retrieved 24 April 2009.</ref><ref> at ]. Retrieved 24 April 2009.</ref> | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| By December 1942, Bladin's strength in NWA consisted of seven RAAF squadrons operating mainly ] and ] fighters, ] light bombers, and ] dive bombers. These were soon augmented by one squadron each of Dutch East Indies ] medium bombers and USAAF ] heavy bombers.<ref name="Gillison pp. 649-651">Gillison, </ref> As Japanese air raids continued into 1943, Bladin placed his bombers inland, and his fighters close to the coast where they could intercept the raiders.<ref>Odgers, </ref> Appointed a ] on 1 |
By December 1942, Bladin's strength in NWA consisted of seven RAAF squadrons operating mainly ] and ] fighters, ] light bombers, and ] dive bombers. These were soon augmented by one squadron each of Dutch East Indies ] medium bombers and USAAF ] heavy bombers.<ref name="Gillison pp. 649-651">Gillison, </ref> As Japanese air raids continued into 1943, Bladin placed his bombers inland, and his fighters close to the coast where they could intercept the raiders.<ref>Odgers, </ref> Appointed a ] on 1 January 1943,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=35841|supp=yes|startpage=13|date=1 January 1943|accessdate= 24 April 2009}}</ref> he stepped up offensive strikes against island bases and shipping in the ] and ]s as the Allies took the fight to the Japanese.<ref name="Stephens pp. 145-146"/> He often employed his own judgement in the selection of targets, as detailed directives from superior headquarters were not always forthcoming.<ref name="RAAF in SWPA"/> On 27 February, acting on intercepted radio transmissions, he launched a pre-emptive raid on Penfui airfield near ], which destroyed or damaged twenty-two enemy bombers that had been destined to make a major raid on Darwin. To help protect northern Australia from ongoing air attack, three squadrons of ] fighters were transferred from the United Kingdom in late 1942, becoming operational in March 1943 as ].<ref name="Gillison pp. 649-651"/> A ] on 2 May resulted in eight Spitfires crashing and several others making forced landings, for the destruction of one Japanese bomber and five fighters. An adverse communiqué concerning the action was issued from General ]'s headquarters and was picked up by Australian newspapers, which reported the Spitfires' "heavy losses" and caused resentment in NWA. Bladin complained to his superior, Air Vice Marshal ], that the "alarmist tendency of the press and radio references was having a bad effect on the combat pilots". He also ordered an immediate Beaufighter strike led by Wing Commander ] against Penfui airfield, on the assumption that this was where the Japanese raiders were based; four enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground.<ref name="Odgers pp. 46-50">Odgers, </ref> | ||
| On 17 |
On 17 June, under the command of Group Captain ], No. 1 Fighter Wing recorded NWA's most successful interception to date, claiming fourteen Japanese raiders destroyed and ten damaged, for the loss of two Spitfires.<ref name="Odgers pp. 59-60">Odgers, </ref> The ], consisting of four squadrons of Liberators, came under Bladin's control the same month, enhancing NWA's strategic strike capability.<ref name="Odgers p. 61">Odgers, </ref> When Bladin handed over North-Western Area to Air Vice Marshal ] in July 1943, the latter reported that his new command was "well organised, keen and in good shape".<ref name="Odgers p. 104">Odgers, </ref> Posted to England as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of ], Bladin was closely involved in training aircrew and planning airborne operations for ], the Allied invasion of France.<ref name="Herington pp. 14-15">Herington, </ref> He flew a mission on D-Day, 6 June 1944, to deliver glider-borne troops to ], and was ] two days later.<ref name="High Fliers"/><ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=36544|supp=yes|startpage=2642|date=8 June 1944|accessdate= 24 April 2009}}</ref> Completing his RAF service on the staff of the ] in France, Bladin returned to Australia to become ] in October 1944.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="High Fliers"/> On two occasions in June 1945, he was considered for the position of AOC ], the Air Force's main operational formation in the South West Pacific. Bladin would have replaced Air Vice Marshal Bostock, who was facing disciplinary action for refusing to comply with directives from the Air Board, the RAAF's controlling body, but in the end the Australian government made no change to command arrangements.<ref>Helson, ''Ten Years at the Top'', pp. 154–159</ref> | ||
| ==Post-war career== | ==Post-war career== | ||
| ] | ], May 1947.|alt=Man in dark military uniform with peaked cap inspecting troops at a parade]] | ||
| The RAF had planned to deploy an airborne formation, No. 238 (Airborne Assault) Group, to the Pacific theatre and requested Bladin be released from his duties as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff to assume its command, but this was cancelled with the end of hostilities in August 1945. His next posting was to ], Japan, in January 1946, as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant General ], commander of the ] (BCOF). Northcott reportedly chose Bladin not only for his operational command and staff experience in the RAAF and the RAF during World War II, but for his pedigree as a Duntroon graduate rather than having a background that was confined to the Air Force alone.<ref name="Stephens pp. 212-213">Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 212–213</ref> Promoted acting ] on 1 |
The RAF had planned to deploy an airborne formation, No. 238 (Airborne Assault) Group, to the Pacific theatre and requested Bladin be released from his duties as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff to assume its command, but this was cancelled with the end of hostilities in August 1945. His next posting was to ], Japan, in January 1946, as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant General ], commander of the ] (BCOF). Northcott reportedly chose Bladin not only for his operational command and staff experience in the RAAF and the RAF during World War II, but for his pedigree as a Duntroon graduate rather than having a background that was confined to the Air Force alone.<ref name="Stephens pp. 212-213">Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 212–213</ref> Promoted acting ] on 1 March 1946, he handed over to another Duntroon graduate, Air Vice Marshal ], in June 1947.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="Stephens pp. 212-213"/> After returning to Australia, Bladin was to figure prominently, along with such figures as McCauley, Air Vice Marshal Joe Hewitt and Air Commodore (later Air Chief Marshal Sir) ], in reshaping the post-war Air Force.<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', p. 5</ref> In June 1947, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area, which would evolve over the years into Home Command, Operational Command and, finally, ].<ref name="Going Solo">Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 69–70</ref> His acting rank of air vice marshal was made substantive on 1 October 1948.<ref name="ADB"/><ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 24–25</ref> As AOC Eastern Area, Bladin was instrumental in organising acquisition of a new site for his then-headquarters at ] on Sydney's ], namely the former Lapstone Hotel at ] in the ]. Subsequently known as Headquarters Operational Command, later ], the site was purchased in mid-1949, and became operational at the end of the year. In addition to its commanding view of the surrounding countryside, the property was within five kilometres of the ] and thirty kilometres of ], and incorporated a disused railway tunnel that offered "complete protection from ] attack".<ref name="Going Solo"/> | ||
| ] during a visit to Korea, 1951.|alt=Man in flying helmet putting on a harness in the cockpit of a military aircraft]] | ] during a visit to Korea, 1951.|alt=Man in flying helmet putting on a harness in the cockpit of a military aircraft]] | ||
| Bladin became Air Member for Personnel (AMP) on 24 |
Bladin became Air Member for Personnel (AMP) on 24 November 1948; this position gave him a seat on the Air Board, which consisted of the RAAF's most senior officers and was chaired by the ]. He succeeded Joe Hewitt, and worked to consolidate the innovations in Air Force education and training that the latter had initiated.<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 76, 118, 500</ref><ref>Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 185</ref> RAAF Staff College was opened in June 1949 at Point Cook, providing an advanced defence course aimed at squadron leaders and wing commanders; various international facilities were also utilised to further officers' education.<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 142–144</ref> In October, Bladin became involved in the push for a Junior Equipment and Administrative Training Scheme to offer apprenticeships to clerical and supply staff, which was established two years later.<ref>Coulthard-Clark, ''From the Ground Up'', pp. 91–95</ref> He was appointed a ] in the ] announced in June 1950.<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=34396|supp=yes|startpage=3088|date=8 June 1950|accessdate= 24 April 2009}}</ref> In 1951, inspired by a similar initiative in state education, he sponsored a move to have RAAF education officers augment their ] with formal ].<ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', p. 120</ref> Over the following year, in response to increased demands for aircrew to meet Australia's commitments to the ] and the ], pilot training was broken out from a single all-encompassing course at No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS) in Point Cook, Victoria, into separate courses at the newly formed ] at ], Queensland, ] at ], New South Wales, and No. 1 Applied Flying Training School (re-formed from No. 1 FTS) at Point Cook.<ref>Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 199</ref> | ||
| ==Later life== | ==Later life== | ||
| Bladin retired from the Air Force on 15 |
Bladin retired from the Air Force on 15 October 1953, and was succeeded as AMP by Air Vice Marshal ].<ref> at . Retrieved 22 April 2009.</ref><ref>Stephens, ''Going Solo'', p. 500</ref> Shortly after leaving the Air Force, Bladin donated an eponymous trophy for the service's best-performing ] unit in bombing and aerial gunnery competition.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2902051 |title=Air Weapons Contest at Canberra |newspaper=] |location=Canberra |date=4 December 1953 |accessdate=30 August 2011 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He ran a ], which he ], at Yass, just north of the ]. Between 1951 and 1954, and again from 1956 to 1969, he also served as treasurer of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia, which became the ] in 1965. In the early 1960s he helped raise funds for building the ] Memorial Chapel of St Paul at his old college, Duntroon. Bladin died in Melbourne on 2 February 1978, survived by his three children. His wife, who was involved in the support of veterans' families and other community work, had died earlier. Accorded an Air Force funeral at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in ], Frank Bladin was buried at ], Victoria.<ref name="ADB"/> | ||
| ==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
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| *{{cite book|last=Dennis| first=Peter|last2=Grey|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Morris|first3=Ewan|last4=Prior|first4=Robin| year=2008| origyear=1995| title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History| location=South Melbourne| publisher=]|isbn=0-19-551784-9}} | *{{cite book|last=Dennis| first=Peter|last2=Grey|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Morris|first3=Ewan|last4=Prior|first4=Robin| year=2008| origyear=1995| title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History| location=South Melbourne| publisher=]|isbn=0-19-551784-9}} | ||
| *{{cite book|editor-last=Ritchie|editor-first=John|last=Dalkin| first=R.N.| year=1993| title=]: Volume 13| chapter=Bladin, Francis Masson| chapter-url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130227b.htm| location=Melbourne | publisher=]|isbn=0-522-84512-6}} | *{{cite book|editor-last=Ritchie|editor-first=John|last=Dalkin| first=R.N.| year=1993| title=]: Volume 13| chapter=Bladin, Francis Masson| chapter-url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130227b.htm| location=Melbourne | publisher=]|isbn=0-522-84512-6}} | ||
| *{{cite book|last=Gillison | first=Douglas |year=1962| title=Australia in the War of |
*{{cite book|last=Gillison | first=Douglas |year=1962| title=Australia in the War of 1939-1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942 | location=Canberra| publisher=]|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67912|isbn=|oclc=2000369}} | ||
| *{{cite journal | author = Helson, Peter | title = Ten Years at the Top | location=Sydney| publisher = ] | year = 2006 | url = http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/38729|oclc=225531223}} | *{{cite journal | author = Helson, Peter | title = Ten Years at the Top | location=Sydney| publisher = ] | year = 2006 | url = http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/38729|oclc=225531223}} | ||
| *{{cite book|last=Herington | first=John |year=1963| title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe 1944–1945 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67915 | isbn= |oclc=3633419}} | *{{cite book|last=Herington | first=John |year=1963| title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe 1944–1945 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67915 | isbn= |oclc=3633419}} | ||
| Line 127: | Line 127: | ||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION =Royal Australian Air Force senior commander | |SHORT DESCRIPTION =Royal Australian Air Force senior commander | ||
| |DATE OF BIRTH =26 August 1898 | |DATE OF BIRTH =26 August 1898 | ||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH =Korumburra, Victoria | |PLACE OF BIRTH =], Victoria | ||
| |DATE OF DEATH =2 February 1978 | |DATE OF DEATH =2 February 1978 | ||
| |PLACE OF DEATH =Melbourne | |PLACE OF DEATH =], Victoria | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Bladin, Frank}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Bladin, Frank}} | ||
Revision as of 04:21, 4 September 2014
| Francis Masson (Frank) Bladin | |
|---|---|
 Air Commodore Frank Bladin, 1943 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Dad" |
| Born | 26 August 1898 Korumburra, Victoria |
| Died | 2 February 1978(1978-02-02) (aged 79) Melbourne |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1920–53 |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Unit |
|
| Commands |
|
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
| Other work | Grazier RSL National Treasurer |
Air Vice Marshal Francis Masson (Frank) Bladin, CB, CBE (26 August 1898 – 2 February 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in rural Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1920. Bladin transferred from the Army to the Air Force in 1923, and learned to fly at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. He held training appointments before taking command of No. 1 Squadron in 1934. Quiet but authoritative, he was nicknamed "Dad" in tribute to the concern he displayed for the welfare of his personnel.
Ranked wing commander at the outbreak of World War II, by September 1941 Bladin had been raised to temporary air commodore. He became Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area in March 1942, following the first Japanese air raids on Darwin, Northern Territory. Personally leading sorties against enemy territory, he earned the United States Silver Star for gallantry. In July 1943, Bladin was posted to No. 38 Group RAF in Europe, where he was mentioned in despatches. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire the same year.
Promoted acting air vice marshal in 1946, Bladin was among the coterie of senior officers who helped reshape the post-war RAAF. His roles in the late 1940s and early 1950s included Chief of Staff of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan, Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area (later RAAF Air Command), and Air Member for Personnel. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1950, he retired to his country property in 1953. He was active for many years in veterans' affairs before his death in 1978 at the age of seventy-nine.
Early career
Frank Bladin was born on 26 August 1898 in Korumburra, Victoria, the youngest son of engineer Frederick Bladin and his wife Ellen. Educated to junior public level at Melbourne High School, he sought to join the Australian Imperial Force during World War I. However, his parents refused their permission, and he instead entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1917. Graduating in 1920, Bladin served for the next two years in the Australian Army, including sixteen months seconded to the Royal Field Artillery in Britain. He transferred to the recently established Royal Australian Air Force as a flying officer in January 1923. Undergoing pilot training at Point Cook, Victoria, he was one of five former Army lieutenants on the inaugural RAAF flying course—all of whom had left their original service at least partly because of poor career prospects in the post-war military. One of Bladin's other classmates on the course was a 1919 graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College, Sub-Lieutenant Joe Hewitt. During 1925–26, Bladin was in charge of running Citizens Air Force (reserve) pilots' courses at No. 1 Flying Training School, Point Cook. Having been promoted to flight lieutenant, he married Patricia Magennis at Yass, New South Wales, on 20 December 1927; the couple had a son and two daughters.
Bladin was posted to Britain in 1929 to attend RAF Staff College, Andover, and wrote an article on Empire air defence in 1931 for Royal Air Force Quarterly, one of the few published pieces of work on air power produced by RAAF officers in the pre-war years. Promoted to squadron leader, he took over as Commanding Officer of No. 1 Squadron from Squadron Leader Frank Lukis in April 1934. Bladin found that the unit, flying Westland Wapitis and Hawker Demons out of RAAF Station Laverton in Victoria, "had not operated under field conditions away from its brick hangars and concrete tarmac since its inception some eight years previous". He proceeded to change this, deploying the squadron 300 miles away to Cootamundra in rural New South Wales, where he "borrowed a portion of a sheep station from a friend so that the pilots could carry out their bombing practice" over a two-week period commencing in late November 1935. After completing his tenure with No. 1 Squadron in December, Bladin was appointed Officer Commanding Cadet Squadron at No. 1 Flying Training School. He modelled the training course on that of Duntroon, foreshadowing instruction at the Air Force's own cadet institute, RAAF College, which would be established in 1947. On 12 March 1937, he was promoted to wing commander.
World War II
Bladin's first posting following the outbreak of World War II was as Director of Operations and Intelligence at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in March 1940. Promoted to group captain in June, he became Air Officer Commanding Southern Area in August 1941 and was raised to acting air commodore the following month. By 1 January 1942, Bladin was serving as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), charged with readying air bases and putting into effect plans for the Empire Air Training Scheme. He took over as Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area (AOC NWA) on 25 March that year. Based in Darwin, his role was to conduct the air defence of Torres Strait, the Northern Territory, and north Western Australia. He also had to restore morale following the bombing of Darwin on 19 February and deal with the threat of imminent invasion, tasks complicated by the poor state of local communications, transport and early warning systems. Initiating combat training for all RAAF ground crew, Bladin proceeded to construct secondary airfields so that he could disperse his forces. He became, in the words of Air Force historian Dr Alan Stephens, "the RAAF's outstanding area commander of the war", and earned distinction as the first Australian decorated by the United States in the Pacific theatre of operations when he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry. The cited action took place in June when Bladin personally led a raid by USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses on Celebes in the Dutch East Indies. As well as destroying enemy machines on the ground and damaging infrastructure, the Allied bombers managed to evade an attack by nine Japanese fighters during their return to base. Bladin's award was recommended in September, and promulgated in the Australian Gazette on 23 November 1944.
By December 1942, Bladin's strength in NWA consisted of seven RAAF squadrons operating mainly Bristol Beaufighter and P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, Lockheed Hudson light bombers, and A-31 Vengeance dive bombers. These were soon augmented by one squadron each of Dutch East Indies B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and USAAF B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. As Japanese air raids continued into 1943, Bladin placed his bombers inland, and his fighters close to the coast where they could intercept the raiders. Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1943, he stepped up offensive strikes against island bases and shipping in the Timor and Arafura Seas as the Allies took the fight to the Japanese. He often employed his own judgement in the selection of targets, as detailed directives from superior headquarters were not always forthcoming. On 27 February, acting on intercepted radio transmissions, he launched a pre-emptive raid on Penfui airfield near Koepang, which destroyed or damaged twenty-two enemy bombers that had been destined to make a major raid on Darwin. To help protect northern Australia from ongoing air attack, three squadrons of Spitfire fighters were transferred from the United Kingdom in late 1942, becoming operational in March 1943 as No. 1 Fighter Wing. A major engagement over Darwin on 2 May resulted in eight Spitfires crashing and several others making forced landings, for the destruction of one Japanese bomber and five fighters. An adverse communiqué concerning the action was issued from General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters and was picked up by Australian newspapers, which reported the Spitfires' "heavy losses" and caused resentment in NWA. Bladin complained to his superior, Air Vice Marshal Bill Bostock, that the "alarmist tendency of the press and radio references was having a bad effect on the combat pilots". He also ordered an immediate Beaufighter strike led by Wing Commander Charles Read against Penfui airfield, on the assumption that this was where the Japanese raiders were based; four enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground.
On 17 June, under the command of Group Captain Clive Caldwell, No. 1 Fighter Wing recorded NWA's most successful interception to date, claiming fourteen Japanese raiders destroyed and ten damaged, for the loss of two Spitfires. The 380th Bombardment Group USAAF, consisting of four squadrons of Liberators, came under Bladin's control the same month, enhancing NWA's strategic strike capability. When Bladin handed over North-Western Area to Air Vice Marshal Adrian Cole in July 1943, the latter reported that his new command was "well organised, keen and in good shape". Posted to England as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 38 Group RAF, Bladin was closely involved in training aircrew and planning airborne operations for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France. He flew a mission on D-Day, 6 June 1944, to deliver glider-borne troops to Normandy, and was mentioned in despatches two days later. Completing his RAF service on the staff of the Second Tactical Air Force in France, Bladin returned to Australia to become Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in October 1944. On two occasions in June 1945, he was considered for the position of AOC RAAF Command, the Air Force's main operational formation in the South West Pacific. Bladin would have replaced Air Vice Marshal Bostock, who was facing disciplinary action for refusing to comply with directives from the Air Board, the RAAF's controlling body, but in the end the Australian government made no change to command arrangements.
Post-war career
The RAF had planned to deploy an airborne formation, No. 238 (Airborne Assault) Group, to the Pacific theatre and requested Bladin be released from his duties as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff to assume its command, but this was cancelled with the end of hostilities in August 1945. His next posting was to Kure, Japan, in January 1946, as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant General John Northcott, commander of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF). Northcott reportedly chose Bladin not only for his operational command and staff experience in the RAAF and the RAF during World War II, but for his pedigree as a Duntroon graduate rather than having a background that was confined to the Air Force alone. Promoted acting air vice marshal on 1 March 1946, he handed over to another Duntroon graduate, Air Vice Marshal John McCauley, in June 1947. After returning to Australia, Bladin was to figure prominently, along with such figures as McCauley, Air Vice Marshal Joe Hewitt and Air Commodore (later Air Chief Marshal Sir) Frederick Scherger, in reshaping the post-war Air Force. In June 1947, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area, which would evolve over the years into Home Command, Operational Command and, finally, Air Command. His acting rank of air vice marshal was made substantive on 1 October 1948. As AOC Eastern Area, Bladin was instrumental in organising acquisition of a new site for his then-headquarters at Bradfield Park on Sydney's North Shore, namely the former Lapstone Hotel at Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains. Subsequently known as Headquarters Operational Command, later Headquarters Air Command, the site was purchased in mid-1949, and became operational at the end of the year. In addition to its commanding view of the surrounding countryside, the property was within five kilometres of the City of Penrith and thirty kilometres of RAAF Base Richmond, and incorporated a disused railway tunnel that offered "complete protection from Atom Bomb attack".
Bladin became Air Member for Personnel (AMP) on 24 November 1948; this position gave him a seat on the Air Board, which consisted of the RAAF's most senior officers and was chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff. He succeeded Joe Hewitt, and worked to consolidate the innovations in Air Force education and training that the latter had initiated. RAAF Staff College was opened in June 1949 at Point Cook, providing an advanced defence course aimed at squadron leaders and wing commanders; various international facilities were also utilised to further officers' education. In October, Bladin became involved in the push for a Junior Equipment and Administrative Training Scheme to offer apprenticeships to clerical and supply staff, which was established two years later. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the King's Birthday Honours announced in June 1950. In 1951, inspired by a similar initiative in state education, he sponsored a move to have RAAF education officers augment their degree qualifications with formal teaching credentials. Over the following year, in response to increased demands for aircrew to meet Australia's commitments to the Malayan Emergency and the Korean War, pilot training was broken out from a single all-encompassing course at No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS) in Point Cook, Victoria, into separate courses at the newly formed No. 1 Initial Flying Training School at Archerfield, Queensland, No. 1 Basic Flying Training School at Uranquinty, New South Wales, and No. 1 Applied Flying Training School (re-formed from No. 1 FTS) at Point Cook.
Later life
Bladin retired from the Air Force on 15 October 1953, and was succeeded as AMP by Air Vice Marshal Val Hancock. Shortly after leaving the Air Force, Bladin donated an eponymous trophy for the service's best-performing Avro Lincoln unit in bombing and aerial gunnery competition. He ran a grazing property, which he named Adastra, at Yass, just north of the Australian Capital Territory. Between 1951 and 1954, and again from 1956 to 1969, he also served as treasurer of the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia, which became the Returned Services League in 1965. In the early 1960s he helped raise funds for building the Anzac Memorial Chapel of St Paul at his old college, Duntroon. Bladin died in Melbourne on 2 February 1978, survived by his three children. His wife, who was involved in the support of veterans' families and other community work, had died earlier. Accorded an Air Force funeral at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Deepdene, Frank Bladin was buried at Springvale, Victoria.
Notes
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 145–146
- ^ Ritchie, Australian Dictionary of Biography, pp. 192–193
- ^ "Bladin–Magennis". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 21 December 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^ Stephens; Isaacs, High Fliers, pp. 54–57
- ^ Dennis et al, Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, p. 259
- Air Vice-Marshals (A–K) at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 192
- Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 234
- Alexander, Who's Who in Australia 1955, p. 97
- Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 445
- ^ RAAF Historical Section, Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 2–5
- Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 190–191
- Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 95, 200–201
- Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 186–188
- Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 298
- ^ Stephens, The RAAF in the Southwest Pacific Area, pp. 29–31
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 554–559
- Recommendation: US Silver Star at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- Awarded: US Silver Star at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 649–651
- Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 43
- "No. 35841". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 1 January 1943. - Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 46–50
- Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 59–60
- Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 61
- Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 104
- Herington, Air Power Over Europe, pp. 14–15
- "No. 36544". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 8 June 1944. - Helson, Ten Years at the Top, pp. 154–159
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 212–213
- Stephens, Going Solo, p. 5
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 69–70
- Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 24–25
- Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 76, 118, 500
- Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 185
- Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 142–144
- Coulthard-Clark, From the Ground Up, pp. 91–95
- "No. 34396". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 8 June 1950. - Stephens, Going Solo, p. 120
- Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 199
- Bladin, Francis Masson at World War 2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- Stephens, Going Solo, p. 500
- "Air Weapons Contest at Canberra". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 4 December 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
References
- Alexander, Joseph A., ed. (1955). Who's Who in Australia 1955. Melbourne: Colorgravure. OCLC 221681426.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1997). From the Ground Up: The Training of RAAF Technical Ground Staff, 1948–1993. Canberra: RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26509-7.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-442307-1.
- Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (2008) . The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-551784-9.
- Dalkin, R.N. (1993). "Bladin, Francis Masson". In Ritchie, John (ed.). Australian Dictionary of Biography: Volume 13. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0-522-84512-6.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Australia in the War of 1939-1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 2000369.
- Helson, Peter (2006). "Ten Years at the Top". Sydney: University of New South Wales. OCLC 225531223.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Herington, John (1963). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe 1944–1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 3633419.
- Odgers, George (1968) . Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume II – Air War Against Japan 1943–1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 246580191.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 3: Bomber Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42792-2.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
- Stephens, Alan (ed.) (1993). The RAAF in the Southwest Pacific Area 1942–1945. Canberra: RAAF Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-19827-6.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help) - Stephens, Alan (2006) . The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
- Stephens, Alan; Isaacs, Jeff (1996). High Fliers: Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-45682-5.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byAir Commodore D.E.L. Wilson | Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area 1942–1943 |
Succeeded byAir Vice Marshal Adrian Cole |
| Preceded byAir Commodore John McCauley | Deputy Chief of the Air Staff 1944–1946 |
Succeeded byAir Commodore John McCauley |
| Preceded byAir Commodore Leon Lachal | Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area 1947–1948 |
Succeeded byAir Vice Marshal John McCauley |
| Preceded byAir Vice Marshal Joe Hewitt | Air Member for Personnel 1948–1953 |
Succeeded byAir Vice Marshal Valston Hancock |
Categories:
- 1898 births
- 1978 deaths
- Australian Army officers
- Australian aviators
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- People from Victoria (Australia)
- Recipients of the Silver Star
- Royal Australian Air Force air marshals
- Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
- Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates
- Operation Overlord people