2nd Lieutenant Valentine BLAKE
Canterbury Infantry Battalion NZEF
By Ian Curtis
2nd Lieutenant Valentine Blake
The last New Zealand officer killed at Gallipoli
(Source: anzacs.org)
Valentine Blake was born at Windsor, New South Wales on 7 October 1887, the son of Vincent Blake and Kathleen (née Hunter). Soon after his birth the family moved to New Zealand where Vincent worked as draughtsman for the Commissioner of Crown Lands in Gisborne. Valentine was a foundation student at Sacred Heart College in Auckland, 1903-1904. Originally located at Richmond Road in Ponsonby, Auckland, Sacred Heart College was officially opened on Sunday 21 June 1903 as a day and boarding school. As the first school owned by the Marist Brothers in New Zealand, the College grew quickly and boarding facilities soon became stretched. Consequently, land was acquired in Glendowie in Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs, to build a new school. The re-sited Sacred Heart College was opened on 5 June 1955 with a roll of 250 students.i
Valentine represented Sacred Heart College in the 1st X1 Cricket and 1st XV Rugby teamsii. He was an outstanding cricketer and it is believed that if he had concentrated on cricket, he would have represented New Zealand. In addition to his sporting prowess, he was the top student in science.
On leaving secondary school after passing the Junior and Senior Civil Service and Matriculation examinations, Valentine studied at Victoria College, Wellington. After finishing his education, he was in charge of the Wellington Astronomical Observatory.iii He became a licensed surveyor under the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors and Board of Examination Act, and was employed by the New Zealand government.
Valentine joined D Battery New Zealand Field Artillery and served for 4½ years before he left the battery to take up duties as a staff surveyor. He later joined the 5th (Wellington) Regiment. He undertook his first appointment to commissioned rank in February 1915, and passed the exams successfully.
Valentine enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 15 March 1915 as a sergeant. He gave his address as Windsor Hotel, Wellington. Next of kin was his father, Vincent Blake, who worked as a draftsman in the Land Transfer Survey office, Gisborne. Valentine stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.79m), weighed 10 stone 10 pounds (64.13kg), fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His stated religion was Roman Catholic. Regimental number 6/2832.
Valentine undertook his pre-embarkation training at Trentham Camp, Upper Hutt and was appointed to 6th Reinforcements, B (Canterbury) Company. He quickly showed his leadership potential and was recommended for a commission by Colonel Robert Ward Tateiv commanding officer Wellington Military District, on 28 June 1915. Colonel Tate wrote a glowing reference which included a note on Valentine’s expert knowledge of map reading and topography. Valentine was appointed 2nd Lieutenant on 31 July 1915 thus filling a vacancy.
On 14 August 1915, the 6th Reinforcements departed New Zealand aboard HMNZT 27 Willochra and arrived in Egypt on 19 September. 1915. During the voyage, many officers and men provided articles and produced two editions of a magazine published at sea on 28 August and 11 September.
When Valentine and the other members of the 6th Reinforcements arrived at Mudros, they were taken on strength of the battalion on 30 September 1915. The battalion had been withdrawn from Gallipoli for rest and training. During this time the strength of the battalion began to mount with the arrival of the 6th and 7th Reinforcements providing an additional four officers and 254 other ranks. By the end of October, the battalion strength had reached 21 officers and 604 other ranks. This number included men who had returned from hospital and those from a detail which had been left at Anzac Cove when the battalion was relieved.
It had been intended that the brigade would return to Gallipoli at the end of October, but due to unfavourable weather it could not embark on HMT Osmanieh until 7am, 8 November. The battalion arrived on Gallipoli at 6:30pm and bivouacked for the night in a gully off Chaliak Dere, below Durrant’s Post. The following day, the battalion commenced taking over from the 27th Battalion AIF, who were holding the Upper Cheshire Ridge trench.v
The inactivity of the enemy during the month of November allowed the battalion to work on developing deeper shelters and trenches, necessary because of the possibility that the enemy might bring up heavier artillery. However, on 22 and 28 November, the Turks sent out small parties to undertake recognisance to establish whether the trenches were being held in strength. Late in the month the weather broke with heavy rainfall and snow which made progress in the trenches difficult.
Unbeknown to troops on the Peninsula, planning for the withdrawal from Gallipoli was underway. The Canterbury Battalion continued to develop their trenches and to run out wire in front of some of the trenches. On 9 December 1915, 2nd Lieutenant Valentine Blake became the last member of the battalion to be killed at Gallipoli.
‘On 9 December our artillery carried out a bombardment of the Pinnacle. The Turks naturally retaliated, and at dusk one of our new officers, Lieutenant Blake was killed by a sudden volley.’ vi
He was buried originally in the Apex Burial Ground on 9 December. His body was exhumed after the war and re-buried in Embarkation Pier Cemetery.
Later in the month, the battalion withdrew, the rear party joining the remainder of the battalion at a camp near Mudros on the afternoon of 20 December. Most of the battalion spent Christmas there.
On 18 December 1915, the Dominion newspaper reported, “Lieutenant Blake, Canterbury Battalion, reported killed in action, was a son of Mr V Blake, of the Gisborne Land and Survey Office. Lieutenant Blake was a surveyor, and was engaged in survey work in the Auckland Province when he enlisted. He left New Zealand with the 6th Reinforcements, receiving a commission just prior to the departure of the troops.”
The Headstone of 2nd Lieutenant Valentine Blake in the Embarkation Pier Cemetery, which states:
Believed to be buried in this Cemetery
6/2832 Second Lieut V Blake
NZ Canterbury Regiment
9 December 1915 Age 28
Their glory shall not be blotted out
(Source; New Zealand War Grave Project)
After the war, Valentine’s parchment Commission, Memorial Plaque and Scroll were mailed to his father c/- Lands and Survey Department, Napier. In memory of Valentine, who was a founding pupil at Sacred Heart College, the Year 11 Science Prize was given each year in his honour. In 2015, a number of the students made a pilgrimage to his grave at Embarkation Pier Cemetery.
2nd Lieutenant Valentine Blake is remembered on the Sacred Heart College Roll of Honour, Victoria University College Roll of Honour, Auckland War Memorial Museum World War I Hall of Memories and the Australian War Memorial on the Commemoration Roll.
Auckland War Memorial, World War I Hall of Honours
(Source: aucklandmuseum.com)
1914-15 Star (unnamed original medal), British War Medal and Victory Medal
Gallipoli Medallion
Valentine Blake’s personal whistle. His initials are engraved in gold on the reverse side and a horseshoe is engraved in gold on the obverse side.
Kit Bag
Pocket Knife
2nd Lieutenant Valentine Blake’s 1914-15 Star (unnamed original), British War Medal, Victory Medal and Gallipoli Medallion, whistle, kit bag and pocket knife – are all proudly on display at the Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum.
Lest we Forget
Endnotes
i Sacredheart.school.nz
ii Two of the school’s students were Sean Fitzpatrick New Zealand All Blacks captain and Greg Davis Australian Wallabies Captain.
iii Trademe.co.nz
iv Colonel Robert Ward Tate CMG, CBE, VD was the Adjutant General for New Zealand in World War 1 and the first Civil Administrator of Samoa from 28 January 1919 to 16 March 1923
v The History of the Canterbury Regiment, page 72
vi Malthus page 143
References
Nzetc.victoria.ac.nz – The History of the Canterbury Regiment NZEF 1914 – 1919
nzhistory.govt.nz
ancestry.com
nzwargraves.org,nz
Malthus C, Anzac – a Retrospect
Dominion newspaper 18 December 1915, page 5
NZ Medals Ltd – Medal Mounting & Restoration, Face Book page
The Magazine of the 6th Reinforcements, New Zealand Expedition Force, published at sea, 28 August and 11 September 1915
Archives New Zealand, AABK 18805 W5520 0015519 Valentine Blake
ANZAC Biographies
On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection on display at the Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.