Stewart Blacker
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Latham Valentine Stewart Blacker OBE
(1887–1964) was a British Army
officer and inventor of weapons.
He invented the Blacker Bombard
, laid the basis of the PIAT
- both based on the spigot mortar - and the Ayre Petard. The Hedgehog
anti-submarine spigot-mortar was developed from the Blacker Bombard.
A descendent of Valentine Blacker
(1778–1823), he was born in Cheshire to Major Latham Blacker of the Indian Army
. He was educated at Cheltenham College
and Bedford School
, before going to the Royal Military College
at Sandhurst. After passing out from the college in 1907, he was commissioned into the Indian Army himself.
He served in Afghanistan
, Turkestan
, and Russia, earning several mentions in dispatches. He served with the 69th Punjabis
, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, and 57th Wilde's Rifles.
He had learned to fly in 1911, receiving Certificate No. 121 from the Royal Aero Club
. At the start of the First World War he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps
. He was shot down and wounded in 1915, 1916 and 1917. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1921 for his service in Persia.
After the war he set himself up as a private developer of weapons funding his own research. He served on the Imperial General Staff between 1924 and 1928. After retiring from the Indian Army as a Major
in 1932, he was commissioned into the 58th (Home Counties) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery
(Territorial Army).
In 1933 he was with the Houston-funded expedition to fly over Mount Everest
writing a book First over Everest.
At the start of the Second World War he was a Lieutenant-Colonel. He took his weapons to his contacts at the War Office and was introduced to Major Millis Jefferis
who engaged him and sent him to Coates Castle at Coates, West Sussex
from where his Blacker Bombard, a Spigot Mortar was developed. It was adopted briefly by the British army before it was redeployed for use with the Home Guard.
Later one of his experimental guns based on the same principle was developed further by Jefferis and entered service as the PIAT
for which he received £25,000.
Blacker retired from the TA in October 1942.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1887–1964) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and inventor of weapons.
He invented the Blacker Bombard
Blacker Bombard
The Blacker Bombard, also known as the 29mm Spigot Mortar, was an infantry anti-tank weapon devised by Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart Blacker in the early years of the Second World War.-Development:...
, laid the basis of the PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
- both based on the spigot mortar - and the Ayre Petard. The Hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
anti-submarine spigot-mortar was developed from the Blacker Bombard.
Valentine Blacker
Valentine Blacker CB , was a lieutenant colonel in the Honourable East India Company and later Surveyor General of India....
(1778–1823), he was born in Cheshire to Major Latham Blacker of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. He was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
, before going to the Royal Military College
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
at Sandhurst. After passing out from the college in 1907, he was commissioned into the Indian Army himself.
He served in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
, and Russia, earning several mentions in dispatches. He served with the 69th Punjabis
69th Punjabis
The 69th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1759, when they were raised as the 10th Battalion Coast Sepoys....
, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, and 57th Wilde's Rifles.
He had learned to fly in 1911, receiving Certificate No. 121 from the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
. At the start of the First World War he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. He was shot down and wounded in 1915, 1916 and 1917. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1921 for his service in Persia.
After the war he set himself up as a private developer of weapons funding his own research. He served on the Imperial General Staff between 1924 and 1928. After retiring from the Indian Army as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1932, he was commissioned into the 58th (Home Counties) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
(Territorial Army).
In 1933 he was with the Houston-funded expedition to fly over Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
writing a book First over Everest.
At the start of the Second World War he was a Lieutenant-Colonel. He took his weapons to his contacts at the War Office and was introduced to Major Millis Jefferis
Millis Jefferis
Major-General Sir Millis Rowland Jefferis KBE MC was, during the Second World War, the founder of a special unit of the British Ministry of Supply which developed unusual weapons.-Early career:...
who engaged him and sent him to Coates Castle at Coates, West Sussex
Coates, West Sussex
Coates is a downland village in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. Coates lies one mile southwest from Fittleworth and four miles south-east-by-south from Petworth...
from where his Blacker Bombard, a Spigot Mortar was developed. It was adopted briefly by the British army before it was redeployed for use with the Home Guard.
Later one of his experimental guns based on the same principle was developed further by Jefferis and entered service as the PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
for which he received £25,000.
Blacker retired from the TA in October 1942.