Arthur Blackburn - Second World War

Second World War

In 1939, Blackburn was promoted Lieutenant Colonel and took command of a motorized cavalry regiment, the 18th Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment. He ceased legal practice in 1940. He was appointed to command the 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Battalion, which fought under his command in Syria against the Vichy French in 1941. Blackburn, as the senior Allied officer present, accepted the surrender of Damascus on 21 June, and after the campaign was a member of the Allied Control Commission for Syria.

In February 1942, Blackburn landed with a small Australian force in Java. There he was promoted to brigadier and appointed to command 'Black Force', to assist the Dutch against the rapid Japanese advance.

After three weeks' vigorous but fruitless resistance, and in spite of Blackburn's reluctance, the Allied forces surrendered on 9 March 1942. Blackburn was the senior officer of the Black Force prisoner group, which included 300 Australian seamen from HMAS Perth. He remained a prisoner of war until September 1945 when he was liberated in Mukden, Manchuria, weak but not broken in health. In 1946 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his distinguished service in Java. He received his discharge in 1946.