Thomas Blamey - Early Military Career

Early Military Career

With the creation of the Cadet Instructional Staff of the Australian Military Forces, Blamey saw a new opportunity. He sat the exam and came third in Australia, but failed to secure an appointment as there were no vacancies in Western Australia. After correspondence with the military authorities he persuaded the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, Major Julius Bruche, that he should be given the option of taking up an appointment for one of the vacancies in another state. He was appointed to a position in Victoria with the rank of lieutenant, commencing duty in November 1906 with responsibility for school cadets in Victoria.

In Melbourne, Blamey met Minnie Millard, the daughter of a Toorak stockbroker who was involved in the Methodist Church there. They were married at her home on 8 September 1909. His first child was born on 29 June 1910, and named Charles Middleton after a friend of Blamey's who had died in a shooting accident; but the boy was always called Dolf by his family. A second child, a boy named Thomas, was born four years later.

Blamey was promoted to captain on 1 December 1910 and became brigade major of the 12th Brigade Area. Blamey next set his sights on attending the British Staff College. There were two staff colleges, at Camberley in England and Quetta in India, and from 1908 one position was set aside for the Australian Army at each every year. No Australian officers managed to pass the demanding entrance examinations, although this requirement was waived to allow them to attend. In 1911, Blamey became the first Australian officer to pass the entrance test for examination. He commenced his studies at Quetta in 1912, accompanied by Minnie and Dolf. He performed very well, completing the course in December 1913.

The usual practice was for Australian staff college graduates to follow their training with a posting to a British Army or British Indian Army headquarters. He was initially attached to the 4th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps at Rawalpindi, and then on the staff of the Kohat Brigade on the North West Frontier. Finally, he was assigned to the General Staff at Army Headquarters at Shimal. In May 1914, Blamey was sent to Britain for more training, while his family returned home to Australia. He left India and visited Turkey (including the Dardanelles), Belgium, and the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian War en route. He spent a brief time on attachment to the 4th Dragoon Guards at Tidworth before taking up duties on the staff of the Wessex Division, at that time entering its annual camp. On 1 July 1914, he was promoted to major.