Obituary W Bro Victor Blackman PAGStB

Victor was born in Upper Poppleton, West Riding of Yorkshire on 22^nd August 1917 where his expectant mother had been sent to avoid the Zeppelin raids on London.  She together with her husband, also Vic Blackman, lived in Hammersmith prior to their evacuation whilst Vic Senior was serving at Manston Aerodrome, Kent with the Royal Naval Air Service, later the Fleet Air Arm.  Soon after the end of the 1^st World War and on discharge from Naval service the family moved to Milton, Portsmouth.

Victor was educated at Portsmouth Southern Grammar School and joined the Royal Navy as an Artificer Apprentice in 1933 and graduated as an Engine Room Artificer in 1937.  He served in many of His Majesty’s ships during the 2^nd World War surviving the North Atlantic convoy duties for two years and then Arctic convoys to Russia for a further year before being sent to the Far East where he witnessed, and photographed, the aftermath of the Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

He married Vera in April 1947 and continued to live in Milton moving two years later to the house in Warren Avenue, Milton in which they lived until Vera passed away just three months before Vic.   They had been married for 62 years.

He had various outside interests including the Fisguard Association where he had carried out his engineering training and the HMS Morecambe Bay Reunion Association a frigate in which he had served in the Far East after the war.   He was a driving force in the Royal Naval Engineers Benevolent Society for many years.  Unfortunately he was not able to witness the result of all his work for this society as the Memorial to R.N. Engineers for which he had worked tirelessly for many years was completed and dedicated at the National Arboretum, Lichfield the week he passed away.

Masonic Career

Vic was initiated into United Services Lodge No 1428 in 1942 receiving his 3^rd degree on 19^th January 1944 (66 years ago!).  He was advanced into Portsmouth No 17 TI Mark Lodge on 1^st April 1947 followed two weeks later by elevation into the attached RAM Lodge No 17.  Not only did Vic serve all his lodges with distinction he additionally achieved Provincial rank in the Craft, Royal Arch and Royal Ark Mariner and Grand Rank in the Mark Degree.   The latter was awarded for his long and distinguished service as Provincial Tyler having been appointed in April 1987 until April 2006, a total of 19 years.

Vic was a dedicated supporter of the Mark Degree in every respect and rarely missed a Provincial visit.  Even when Vera was in a wheelchair they both enthusiastically supported the long weekends away including Paris, Rheims, Chester, Canterbury and many many others.

Sadly in May 2008 Victor was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which he found particularly frustrating and difficult to cope with.  When Vera passed away in August 2009 a yawning gap was left in Vic’s life and in his 93^rd year and three months after Vera had departed he passed to the Grand Lodge above.

R.I.P.