View source for Gavin Stirling Blackwood

{{infobox soldier ww2
| image           =[[File:Blackwood_Gavin_Stirling.jpg|300px]]
| caption         = Ancestry.com
| image2          = [[File:Blackwood wedding.jpg]]
| caption2        = Wedding day Ancestry.com
| dateofbirth	  = 15 Mar 1920
| placeofbirth	  = Kelmscott, Western Australia
| death	          = 18 Apr 1970
| placeofdeath	  = Heidelberg, Victoria
| enlistmentage	  = 19 years, 5 months
| description	  = 5'3½" (1.61m) fair complexion, blue eyes, and auburn hair
| height          = 5'3½" (1.61m)
| weight          = 
| complexion      = fair
| eyes            = blue
| hair            = auburn
| descriptionnote = 
| occupation	  = 
| religion	  = Presbyterian
| address	  = 2 Central avenue, Maylands, Western Australia
| relation	  = Father
| nextofkin       = Mr William Blackwood
| regnumber	  = PM8527
| enlistmentdate  = 4 Sep 1939
| rank	          = Petty Officer (Signals)
| unit     	  = HMAS Kanimbla
| 1stembarkationdatefrom= 14 Dec 1939
| 1stembarkationdateto= 30 Jun 1942
| 1sttransportembarked= HMAS Manoora
| 2ndembarkationdatefrom= 26 Jan 1943
| 2ndembarkationdateto= Oct 1945
| 2ndtransportembarked= HMAS Kanimbla
| fate1	          = Returned to Australia
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| medal1	  = 1939-45 Star
| medal2          = Pacific Star
| medal3          = War Medal 1939-45
| medal4          = Australian Service Medal 1939-45
}}


==War Service==
On 4 Sep 1939 enlisted and was sent to HMAS Cerberus V (the Naval Reserve Depot at Fremantle) to undertake basic training as an Ordinary Seaman. On 14 Dec 1939 he was posted to the [[HMAS Manoora]] an Armed Merchant Cruiser sent initially to patrol north Queensland waters. Following exercises in the Coral sea she sailed for Macassar in late March 1940 to prevent German ships caught in East Indies ports from breaking out and making a run for Germany. With the German invasion of Norway she also took control of a Norwegian tanker and escorted her to Darwin and then to Sydney along with three other impounded ships. 


With Italy's entry into the war she was tasked with capturing the Italian liner ''Romolo''. Although she located the ship, the Italians set fire to the ship and she was left to rescue the crew and passengers. On her return to Australia she rescued the crew of the US vessel ''Admiral Wiley''.  During his service on the ''Manoora'' he was re-rated as an Able Seaman and then as a Sig Asst. On 30 Jun 1942 Gavin's service aboard ''Manoora'' came to an end while it was undergoing a refit in Townsville and he was posted to his home port HMAS Leeuwin.


On 26 Jan 1943 Gavin joined the crew of the [[HMAS Kanimbla]] an Armed Merchant Cruiser, that in April 1943 was  converted to a Landing Ship Infantry for use in the coming landing on Pacific islands,  Apart from one week in June 1943 when he was seconded to ''HMAS Westralia'', he remained a part of the Kanimbla's crew until October 1945 during which time he was rated as Stores Petty officer (Typist) and acted as Chief petty Officer for a time. During that time the ''Kanimbla'' participated in landings at Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea, Morotai, Leyte Gulf, Torokina, Luzon Island, Brunei, and Balikpapan.

Hostilities over, the ''Kanimbla'' was used to repatriate Australian troops and return Dutch civilians to the East Indies. Gavin's records in pencil are difficult to follow at this point but it appears that he left the ''Kanimbla''  in Oct 1945 and as he had changed his home port from Fremantle to Port Melbourne was based there until is discharge on 20 Jun 1946.

==Post War==
During 1946 married Jane Ellen Bailey (1925 - 1999) in Victoria. On 15 Mar 1950 a daughter Jane Ellen Caldwell (1950 - 2018) was born, followed by three more children.

Electoral Roll entries: 1949 Springvale road, Springvale, Victoria, clerk; 1954 "Groves", Blythe road Mount Dandenong, agent 
===Notes===
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===External Links===

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwood , Gavin Stirling}}

[[Category:RAN ww2]]
[[Category:Born Australia ww2]]
[[Category:Born WA ww2]]
[[Category:HMAS Manoora]]
[[Category:HMAS Kanimbla]]
[[Category:Presbyterian ww2]]
[[Category:Returned to Australia]]
[[Category:Armadale-Kelmscott ww2]]