Thomas Blamey

Sir Thomas Blamey
General Sir Thomas Blamey
Birth name	Thomas Albert Blamey
Born	(1884-01-24)24 January 1884 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Died	27 May 1951(1951-05-27) (aged 67) Heidelberg, Victoria
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1906–46 1950
Rank	Field Marshal
Service number	VX1 (2nd AIF)
Commands held	Allied Land Forces, South West Pacific Area (1942–45) Australian Military Forces (1942–45) I Corps (1940–41) 6th Division (1939–40) 3rd Division (1931–37) 10th Brigade (1926–31)
Battles/wars	First World War Gallipoli Campaign Battle of Pozières Battle of Hamel Battle of Amiens Battle of St. Quentin Canal Second World War Battle of Greece Battle of Crete Syria–Lebanon campaign Kokoda Track campaign Battle of Milne Bay Salamaua–Lae campaign Finisterre Range campaign Bougainville campaign New Britain campaign Borneo campaign
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Bachelor Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John Mentioned in Despatches (8) Efficiency Decoration Croix de guerre (France) Distinguished Service Cross (United States) War Cross (Greece) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands) (more, see below)
Other work	Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police (1925–36)

Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED (24 January 1884 – 27 May 1951) was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to attain the rank of field marshal.

Blamey joined the Australian Army as a regular soldier in 1906, and attended the Staff College at Quetta. During the First World War he participated in the landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, and served as a staff officer in the Gallipoli Campaign, where he was mentioned in despatches for a daring raid behind enemy lines. He later served on the Western Front, where he distinguished himself in the planning for the Battle of Pozières. He rose to the rank of brigadier general, and served as chief of staff of the Australian Corps under Lieutenant General Sir John Monash, who credited him as a factor in the Corps' success in the Battle of Hamel, the Battle of Amiens and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line.