Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

07/06/1916

Place of Enlistment

Melbourne, Victoria

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

14/09/1886

Place of Birth

Weetangera (Weetangerra) ACT

Address (at enlistment)

Uriarra ACT

School(s) Attended

Weetangera (Weetangerra) School

Occupation

Driver

Next of Kin

Son of John and Phoebe Anna Blundell, Condor House, Uriarra ACT (later Tumut NSW)

Burial Place

Tumut Cemetery, Tumut NSW

Service Number

6221

Final Rank

Private

Final Unit

7 Battalion AIF

Died from the effects of mustard gas on 4 March 1920 at Tumut NSW, aged 33 years 7 months.

AWM Roll of Honour Memorial Panel 49, Canberra ACT
Weetangera Honor Roll, St. John's Schoolhouse Museum, Reid
Large stone tablet on outside of northern wall of St. John's Church, Reid ACT
Belconnen Area Enlistments WW1, Ellen Clark Park, Smith Street, Weetangera
World War 1 Memorial, corner of Lowe St and Farrer Place, Queanbeyan NSW
Queanbeyan RSL Wall of Remembrance, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW
Memorial plaque in porch of Christ Church, Queanbeyan NSW

Howard Blundell was born in 1886 at Weetangera where he also went to school, though he was living at Uriarra at the time he enlisted in Melbourne in April 1916. He was farewelled at a function at 'Brookvale', Uriarra in August 1916 where he received a wristlet watch and two pairs of "warm knitted socks" from Mrs. George Webb of 'Fairlight'. He left for England shortly after and joined the 7th Battalion at the Western Front near Flers in January 1917.

During the next year his unit fought at the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May, the Battle of Menin Road in September and at Broodseinde ridge in October. After the German offensive in March 1918 the 7th Battalion served in the defence of Hazebrouck. During August 1918 the Allies launched an attack and Blundell's unit fought at Lihons and on the advance to the Hindenburg Line. After being welcomed back to Uriarra in November 1919, Blundell joined his family at Tumut. He died on 4 March 1920 from the effects of mustard gas poisoning and is buried in the Tumut General Cemetery.

Description - height 5 feet 10¾ inches, weight 135 pounds, chest 34-36 inches, blue eyes, brown hair, Church of England.

First World War Nominal Roll
First World War Unit Embarkation Rolls
AWM Roll of Honour Database
AWM Roll of Honour Circular
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Leon R. Smith, 'Memories of Hall', Canberra, Roebuck Society, 1975 (p.50)
Rex Cross, 'Bygone Queanbeyan', 1980
Margaret Clough, 'Spilt Milk: A history of the Weetangera School 1875-2004', 2004
Queanbeyan Age - 25 August 1916, 11 November 1919, 26 March 1920
Portrait of Howard Blundell, Canberra & District Historical Society - image donated by Michael Hall
National Library of Australia : Country Women's Association of NSW (Canberra Branch) History, 1959 (manuscript call no. NLA MS 734)