Major Sidney Alfred Blackman TD Royal Engineers & Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Man Sidney Alfred Blackman (Sid) was born during the third quarter of 1900 at St Mary’s Royal Engineers Barracks in Brompton, Chatham, Kent. Son of Arthur Henry, a Company Sergeant Major in the RE and Charlotte. He had three sisters, Agnes born in 1898, Hilda 1899 and Marjorie 1901 and two other siblings who sadly died very young.
Little detail is known about Sid’s early life, but by 1911 census the family were living at Shelford, 81 High Street, Shoeburyness, Essex and he was shown at school, whilst his father was now a Timekeeper working for the War Department.
Sid enlisted into the Royal Engineers with service number 1853669 possibly towards the end of World War I but saw no service overseas. He served in the Army for over 18 years and was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (Military) George V as a Corporal in about 1935, and later, possibly upon retirement from the Army, the Meritorious Service Medal as a Sergeant, for "good, faithful, valuable and meritorious service, with conduct judged to be irreproachable throughout". He married Florence May Goodwin in Medway during the last quarter of 1927.
On 8th July 1939 aged 38, Sid was Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant (Quarter Master) in the Royal Engineers Territorial Army (TA) with a new service number of 93026, and transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as Lieutenant (Ordnance Executive Officer 3rd Class) on 23rd March 1940 retaining his seniority.
He served ‘at home’ during World War II was promoted to War Substantive Captain on 1st November 1942 and awarded the Defence and War Medal 1939-45.
Little detail is known about Sid’s early life, but by 1911 census the family were living at Shelford, 81 High Street, Shoeburyness, Essex and he was shown at school, whilst his father was now a Timekeeper working for the War Department.
Sid enlisted into the Royal Engineers with service number 1853669 possibly towards the end of World War I but saw no service overseas. He served in the Army for over 18 years and was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (Military) George V as a Corporal in about 1935, and later, possibly upon retirement from the Army, the Meritorious Service Medal as a Sergeant, for "good, faithful, valuable and meritorious service, with conduct judged to be irreproachable throughout". He married Florence May Goodwin in Medway during the last quarter of 1927.
On 8th July 1939 aged 38, Sid was Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant (Quarter Master) in the Royal Engineers Territorial Army (TA) with a new service number of 93026, and transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as Lieutenant (Ordnance Executive Officer 3rd Class) on 23rd March 1940 retaining his seniority.
He served ‘at home’ during World War II was promoted to War Substantive Captain on 1st November 1942 and awarded the Defence and War Medal 1939-45.
On 7th November 1946 Sid transferred from the TA back into the Regular Army with a Short Service Commission retaining his rank of Captain and with seniority backdated to 1942. He was posted to the Anti Aircraft Command and attended the first course for Officers of the Regular Cadre for the Territorial Army at the RAOC Training Centre, Tidworth.
Sid saw service with the RAOC in Malaya during the early part of the Malayan Emergency and was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Malaya’.
In 1949 he was posted to the Corps Ordnance Depot in Ceylon during the gradual evolution from Colonial to Dominion status in the country and worked in the disposals Group; living in the married quarters with his family. He was promoted to Major on 16th July 1949 and presented with the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’ in April 1950 in recognition of his seven years service in the TA (1939-46), his war service having counted as double.
In 1950 he was posted to 9 Base Ammunition Depot, Middle East Land forces 15, in the Suez Canal Zone looking into civilian life regulations and in charge of cash, he was also a member of the unit’s football team. He returned to the UK and was posted to Camp Ammunition Depot Bramley, 28th Battalion, his last posting before being placed into the Regular Army Reserve of Officers on 7th November 1953, and a year later 7th November 1954 aged 54 he ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers and retired.
Little detail is known about his later life but Sid lived with Florence at 22 Summit Drive, Woodford Green, Essex and died on 11th April 1960 aged just 59. He left £196. 11s. 11d to Florence.
Sid saw service with the RAOC in Malaya during the early part of the Malayan Emergency and was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Malaya’.
In 1949 he was posted to the Corps Ordnance Depot in Ceylon during the gradual evolution from Colonial to Dominion status in the country and worked in the disposals Group; living in the married quarters with his family. He was promoted to Major on 16th July 1949 and presented with the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’ in April 1950 in recognition of his seven years service in the TA (1939-46), his war service having counted as double.
In 1950 he was posted to 9 Base Ammunition Depot, Middle East Land forces 15, in the Suez Canal Zone looking into civilian life regulations and in charge of cash, he was also a member of the unit’s football team. He returned to the UK and was posted to Camp Ammunition Depot Bramley, 28th Battalion, his last posting before being placed into the Regular Army Reserve of Officers on 7th November 1953, and a year later 7th November 1954 aged 54 he ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers and retired.
Little detail is known about his later life but Sid lived with Florence at 22 Summit Drive, Woodford Green, Essex and died on 11th April 1960 aged just 59. He left £196. 11s. 11d to Florence.
The Story The interesting and unusual group of medals awarded to Sidney Alfred Blackman were acquired via a private sale in March 2014.
They were of interest due to the unusual combination of medals, and of course double long service. What is particularly noteworthy about this group are the fact that Sydney Blackman had a long and distinguished career in the regular Army between the two world wars, being awarded bot the Long Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal and rising to the rank of Sergeant.
He then enlisted into the Territorial Army at the outbreak of World War II serving during the conflict for seven years and being awarded the Efficiency Decoration, war service counting double. He then re-enlisted into the Regular Army as a Captain and served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps seeing more action in Malaya as a Captain and aged in his late forties. An interesting long service group for on who died so young!
A brief biography has been built up from London Gazette entries, Ancesty.com and from his will.
Interestingly the acquisition of the medals came about because of this web site.
In May 2022, seven years after their acquisition, contact was made via this web site by Sid’s granddaughter Miranda Kemp, who very kindly sent two superb photographs of Sid, putting a face to this ‘man behind his medals’. A fantastic piece of icing on this particular cake
They were of interest due to the unusual combination of medals, and of course double long service. What is particularly noteworthy about this group are the fact that Sydney Blackman had a long and distinguished career in the regular Army between the two world wars, being awarded bot the Long Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal and rising to the rank of Sergeant.
He then enlisted into the Territorial Army at the outbreak of World War II serving during the conflict for seven years and being awarded the Efficiency Decoration, war service counting double. He then re-enlisted into the Regular Army as a Captain and served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps seeing more action in Malaya as a Captain and aged in his late forties. An interesting long service group for on who died so young!
A brief biography has been built up from London Gazette entries, Ancesty.com and from his will.
Interestingly the acquisition of the medals came about because of this web site.
In May 2022, seven years after their acquisition, contact was made via this web site by Sid’s granddaughter Miranda Kemp, who very kindly sent two superb photographs of Sid, putting a face to this ‘man behind his medals’. A fantastic piece of icing on this particular cake
Medal Details:
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- General Service Medal: CAPT S.A.BLACKMAN. R.E.
- Long Service & Good Conduct Medal: CPL. 1853669 S.A.BLACKMAN. R.E.
- Meritorious Service Medal: SGT. 1853669 S.A.BLACKMAN. R.E.
- Efficiency Decoration: 1950
This page last updated 16 May 22
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