Frank Bladin (26 August 1898 – 2 February 1978) was a senior
commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in rural
Victoria, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in
1920 and transferred to the RAAF in 1923. He took command of No. 1
Squadron in 1934. Ranked wing commander at the outbreak of World
War II, by September 1941 Bladin was promoted to acting air commodore.
He became Air Officer Commanding (AOC) North-Western Area in
March 1942, and earned the US Silver Star. In 1943, he was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire and posted to No. 38 Group
RAF in Europe. Promoted acting air vice-marshal in 1946, Bladin was
among the senior officers who helped shape the post-war RAAF, serving as
Chief of Staff of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan,
AOC Eastern Area, and Air Member for Personnel. Appointed a Companion of
the Order of the Bath in 1950, he retired from the RAAF in 1953. He was
also active in veterans' affairs.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Bladin>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
French Revolution: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of
the Citizen, defining a set of individual and collective rights of the
people, was approved by the National Constituent Assembly.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen>
1940:
The 1940 New England hurricane formed over the Atlantic Ocean;
it would go on to cause widespread damage despite never making landfall
in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_New_England_hurricane>
1968:
The Beatles released "Hey Jude", which became the then-longest
single to top the UK charts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Jude>
1980:
A bomb was planted at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline,
Nevada, which the FBI later described as the most complex improvised
explosive device ever created.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey%27s_Resort_Hotel_bombing>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
gazehound:
Synonym of sighthound (“a hound that primarily hunts by sight and speed,
instead of by scent and endurance”)
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gazehound>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Most true points are fine points. There never was a dispute
between mortals where both sides hadn't a bit of right.
--John Buchan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Buchan>