The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX71591) Private Gordon William Blair, 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Jennifer Surtees, the story for this day was on (NX71591) Private Gordon William Blair, 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

NX71591 Private Gordon William Blair, 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion
KIA 27 January 1942

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Gordon William Blair.

Gordon Blair was born in the Sydney suburb of Kensington on 21 September 1917, the son of William and Ivy Blair.
He attended Ashfield Public School, and went on to work at Bathurst Experiment Farm and Glen Innes Experiment farm – which had been established to educate students and local farmers in agriculture. He then returned to Sydney, where he worked as a storeman and packer.

Blair enlisted in Militia, joining the 30th Battalion in January 1938, but in 1939 he went jackerooing. In November of that year, he enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force, briefly joining the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion, before being discharged in March 1940 on compassionate grounds, as his father and grandfather had just passed away.

On 20 March 1941, he again enlisted. After a period spent at a training depot at Goulburn, on 29 July he embarked from Sydney, bound for overseas service. After first landing at Singapore, he continued to Johore, where he joined his new unit, the 2/18th Battalion.

In August the 2/18th was transported to Jemaluang, and the following month sent north to Mersing on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, which was considered a likely place for a Japanese landing. Here Blair and his comrades were set to work digging defensive positions and constructing wire obstacles, along with undertaking patrols and anti-aircraft, anti-gas and mortar training.

After Blair returned from a period of leave in Singapore, the battalion was placed on a war footing as tensions in the region escalated. In December, the Japanese invasion of Malaya began. As the fighting raged elsewhere, the 2/18th remained unengaged around Mersing
Japanese advances along the peninsula to the west led to concerns about the coastal defences being outflanked and cut off, so in mid-January, the battalion was ordered to withdraw south to Jemaluang. After landing around Mersing, the Japanese began to advance south in large numbers. Finally, on 26 January the 2/18th Battalion, supported by two batteries of artillery from the 2/10th Field Regiment, was tasked with establishing an ambush near the Nithsdale Estate and the rubber plantation at Joo Lye.
As the 2/20th Battalion conducted what looked like a general withdrawal, the 2/18th Battalion remained concealed on either side of the road.

The plan was for D and B companies to trap the advancing Japanese troops in a pincer movement, allowing the artillery of the 2/10th Field Company to pound them. But the Japanese were travelling faster than had been predicted, and arrived at night rather than in the morning. At least a battalion of Japanese troops went past D Company and dug entrenched positions in front of B Company during the night.

When daylight came on 27 January, rather than mopping up, as had been the plan, D and B companies had to run a gauntlet of machine-gun fire, mortar bombs and grenade attacks to make their way out.

While the ambush successfully slowed the Japanese advance – allowing more soldiers to withdraw to Singapore – the price that was paid was high.

By the time the remaining men of D and B companies arrived, there were only enough men left to form one platoon. Over 90 men were killed, wounded or missing. Among their number was Private Gordon Blair. Listed as missing on 27 January 1942, eventually his status was changed to “missing believed killed in action” and finally, “killed in action”.

He was 24 years old, one of ten men whose remains were initially identified from more than 93 found in the area. Today, his remains lie buried in Kranji War Cemetery, under the words chosen by his grieving family: “A loved son and brother and a gallant soldier sadly missed”.
His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Gordon William Blair, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Historian, Military History Section