BALMAIN, Robert Percy
| Service Numbers: | 1536, W242974 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 July 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Australian Army Provost Corps (WW2) |
| Born: | Beremboke, Victoria, 16 January 1893 |
| Home Town: | Mildura, Mildura Shire, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mechanical Engineer |
| Memorials: | Mildura Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1536, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1536, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 10 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1536, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Ascanius, Melbourne | |
| 24 Jan 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Trooper, 1536, 8th Light Horse Regiment |
World War 2 Service
| 10 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Private, W242974, Subiaco, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, W242974 | |
| 19 May 1940: | Discharged Private, W242974, Australian Army Provost Corps (WW2) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Bernard Terry
Robert Percy Balmain, son to Herbert Balmain of 8th street Mildura.
Enlisted 15 July 1915, 8th Light Horse Regiment 12th Reinforcement.
Brother to 2564 Pte. Ivor Balmain (/explore/people/59155) from 7th Battalion Reg No:2564 who was Killed in action 11 Dec 1916 at Villers-Bretteneux.
Both brothers also related to Major Percy Charles Herbert Black (/explore/people/313513), Killed in Action on 11 Apr 1917 at Bullecourt.
Robert Percy Balmain after discharge travelled quite a bit suffering from his illness that was responsible for his discharge.
He met and married Irene May Byrne in 1920, and together they had 3 children, the first born male was Ivor Balmain in memory of his brother.
VX140757 Pte. Ivor Clarence Balmain (/explore/people/799625) also served in the Australian Army during WW2.
Two other children Mavis Bliss nee Balmain & Nola Terry Nee Balmain.
My Grandfather Robert Percy Balmain was usually just known as Percy and was a Private in WW1 and a Sargent in WW2. Due to his illness he was again discharged from the Army after only 1 year of service in WW2. He suffered badly from Asthma and his worst illness was "Service" related but contracted while in the Middle East.
Post WW2 he was successfully treated for the disease and was always off looking for Gold in WA as did Percy Black and I guess most of the boys back then as they did everything together. My mother told me he also got a job putting power poles & lines in and he was rarely ever at home, consequently mum has little memory of him. He never came home and his final resting place remains unknown, which is sad and makes it difficult to pay adequate tribute to my early family that helped to create this great country of ours.