Major Stephen Henry Brunton Blakie was the second in command of the 4th Parachute Battalion in Italy in 1943. After the Battalion commander Lt Col JA Dene went missing on a forward reconnaissance in September, Blaikie was briefly made the CO of the battalion until "Vic" Coxen arrived.
Major Blaikie advanced from a 2nd Lieutenant to a full Lieutenant on 12 July 1939 whilst in the 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion of the Royal Scots. He then joined the 4th Parachute Battalion as a Lieutenant on the 7th January 1942. He promptly completed his parachute jump training on course 8 from 10 to 25 February. This was a course noted for its difficulty owing to weather. After the disappearance of Lt Col Dene, Blaikie would have been granted a temporary rank of seniority. He officially became a Captain on joining the RAMC on 29 April 1952, also receiving the honorary rank of Major. This was backdated to 1 September 1948 to include the time he had spent in the TA. He retired on 31 March 1967, retaining his honorary rank.
Latest Comments
There are currently no comments for this content.
Add Comment
In order to add comments you must be registered with ParaData.
If you are currently a ParaData member please login.
If you are not currently a ParaData member but wish to get involved please register.