David Blake

 David Blake (Service No 6217) was born in Keiraville, near Wollongong,  NS.W.

David enlisted at Wollongong when he was 26 years old and working as a coal miner.  David was  married to Mary Anne and they had at least one child, Colin, and lived in William Street, Keiraville.

David embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A14 Euripides on 9 September 1916.  The troops arrived in Plymouth, England on 26 October.  After some training in England, David was despatched to France, arriving on 16 January 1917.  On 27 January 1917 he was taken on strength by the 13th Battalion. 

On 4 February 1917, while fighting with the 13th Battalion, David was killed during battle.  There are no further details on David's papers relating to his death.

A war pension was paid to David's son, Colin, after the war.

David is commemorated at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France. 

An article about David's death appeared in the Illawarra Mercury, 2 March 1917:

TRAGIC OCCURRENCE Mother Dies on Hearing of Sons Death.

Our Keiraville correspondent writes - Keiraville continues to be shrouded in gloom. On Wednesday night the Rev W.E.Weymouth conveyed to Mrs David Blake the sad news that her husband had been killed in action in France on the 4th of Feburary. It is only natural that the young wife should be stunned by the news, but it proved too much for the poor old mother of the deceased soldier, and she passed away half an hour after the said intelligence was conveyed to her.  It is only six months since Private Blake left Sydney, and he must only just have gone into the firing line. He was a splendid young man, and was married to the daughter of Segt J Souter, who's also been wounded in France.  He was a member of the old Keira Brass Band and of the Glen Lodge of Druids. Prior to enlisting he was employed as a miner at the Mount Keira Colliery. We extend our sympathy to the relatives that have been called upon to bear a double bereavement