Outdoor portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Lyle Aubrey Blackman, B Company, 8th Battalion from Ballarat, ...

Outdoor portrait of Lieutenant (Lt) Lyle Aubrey Blackman, B Company, 8th Battalion from Ballarat, Victoria writing in front of his tent. A 24 year old accountant prior to being appointed a Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) on 24 August 1914, he embarked for overseas with D Company from Melbourne on 19 October 1914 aboard HMAT Benalla (A24). After a stopover in Albany, Western Australia, he arrived in Egypt on 2 December 1914. Following further training in Egypt, the battalion took part in the Gallipoli landings on 25 April as part of the second wave. 2nd Lt Blackman was taken ill at Gallipoli in June 1915 and evacuated to Egypt for medical treatment. He returned to Gallipoli and was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 July but was again taken ill in October and evacuated to Lemnos. Lt Blackman arrived in England on 7 April 1916 and passed a musketry and Lewis gun course as a 1st Class instructor. He also married Vida Vickers in England on 15 February 1917. After proceeding to France in April 1917, he returned to England a month later for duties with a training battalion. In December 1917, he was back in France and was wounded in action on 28 March 1918. Following evacuation to England for medical treatment, he returned to France in May. He was wounded again on 9 August but returned to duty that same day only to be wounded in action again the next day. This time he was again evacuated to England where he was promoted to Captain (Capt) on 27 August 1918. He was awarded a Military Cross (MC) for conspicuous gallantry and determination during the attack north of Rosieres on 9 August 1918. Capt Blackman returned to Australia with his wife and one child arriving on 28 June 1919. This image is from the collection of brothers Lt Alan Crawford Couve and 2nd Lt Henry Thomas Ladson Couve from Dandenong, Victoria. They photographed members of their unit in Egypt prior to serving at Gallipoli where they both died.