Blundell, Thomas Clarence (Clyde) (1895–1963)

Thomas’ occupation and marital status on enlistment was detailed as a sawmill hand, who was single.

• Date of Birth – 16 June 1895¹NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Birth – 20602 /1895 Blundell, Thomas C.  Parents Joseph and Martha, Registered in Bemboka. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• Parents – Joseph Blundell and Martha Poole.
• Enlisted – 10 September 1915, Melbourne, Victoria. Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 7 March 1916²University of NSW AIF project https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=25582. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• Regimental Number – 4735³National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. NAA: B2455, Blundell Thomas Clarence, Item ID – 3094108. Accessed 10 May 2024.
• Aged at embarkation – 20⁴Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1736676. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• Military service – 7th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement, Rank – Private⁵Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/296269. Accessed 14 May 2024. Thomas (Clyde) served on the Western Front and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
• Returned to Australia 20 May 1919
• Died – 9 March 1963⁶VIC Birth Death and Marriages, https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/ Death 4719 / 1963 Heidelberg, Australia, Thomas Clarence Blundell. Parents Joseph Blundell and Martha Poole. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• Buried – Footscray General Cemetery, Footscray, Maribyrnong City, Victoria.⁷Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207904158/thomas-clarence-blundell. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Thomas was the third son of Joseph Blundell (1862-1940) and Martha Poole (1865-1905). Joseph married Martha Poole in 1885 in Bega, and they had six children—Henry; Ethel; Herbert (Bert); Thomas Clarence (Clyde); Mary Ann and Cecil. Joseph next married Emily Francis Pleming (1883-1966) in 1911. The 1912 electoral roll details Joseph as a winchman at Staghorn Flat, near Yackandandah, Victoria.

In December 1916 the Yackandandah Times⁸Yackandandah Times (Vic : 1890-1931), Thursday 21 December 1916, p 2. reported from ‘Staghorn Flat.  Two of Mr [Joseph] Blundell’s sons and two of Mrs [Emily] Blundell’s brothers are in the A.I. F.‘

Thomas Clarence (Clyde)’s older brother Sapper Bert Blundell (1892-1958) Service number 2466, also served in WWI.

Thomas (Clyde) married Doris Britt (1892-1971) in 1927 in Victoria, and they had a daughter Joan. The 1943 electoral roll details Thomas with his occupation given as a striker.

A death notice was published in The Age (Melbourne) on 8 March 1963, advising the death of Thomas Clarence Blundell on 7 March 1963, at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, late of Spotswood.⁹Ryerson Index, https://ryersonindex.org/. Accessed 2 May 2024.

References

• 1
  NSW Birth Death and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/ Birth – 20602 /1895 Blundell, Thomas C.  Parents Joseph and Martha, Registered in Bemboka. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 2
  University of NSW AIF project https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=25582. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 3
  National Archives of Australia. https://www.naa.gov.au/. NAA: B2455, Blundell Thomas Clarence, Item ID – 3094108. Accessed 10 May 2024.
• 4
  Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1736676. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 5
  Virtual War Memorial Australia, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/296269. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 6
  VIC Birth Death and Marriages, https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/ Death 4719 / 1963 Heidelberg, Australia, Thomas Clarence Blundell. Parents Joseph Blundell and Martha Poole. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 7
  Find a Grave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207904158/thomas-clarence-blundell. Accessed 14 May 2024.
• 8
  Yackandandah Times (Vic : 1890-1931), Thursday 21 December 1916, p 2.
• 9
  Ryerson Index, https://ryersonindex.org/. Accessed 2 May 2024.