TAIT, Sir James Blair (1890-1983)James Blair, World War I pilot, barrister and company director played a leading role in a variety of Commonwealth legal cases, inquiries and commissions and was instrumental in furthering the interests of the Victorian Bar Association. Born on 15 October 1890 at Geelong, James Blair Tait was the second son of John Tait and Margaret Agnes nee Thomson.
James was educated as a day student at Geelong College, enrolling in 1900. His entry address was Newtown. There is no departure date listed in the enrolment records though he appears in the Annual Reports of 1901, 1903 and 1904 suggesting that he left in 1904. Afterwards, he studied at The University of Melbourne, where he graduated LLB.
James Blair Tait is recorded in the Annual Reports with the following awards:
1901, 2nd, History, Lower 4th Class
1901, 2nd, Latin,Lower 4th Class
1903, Dux, Middle 4th Class
1903, 2nd, English, Middle 4th Class
1903, 2nd, History, Middle 4th Class
1903, 1st, French, Middle 4th Class
1903, 1st, Scripture, Middle 4th Class
1904, 1st, Latin, Upper 4th Form
1904, 1st, Euclid, Upper 4th Form
1904, 1st, Algebra, Upper 4th Form
1904, 2nd, French, 5th Form
1904, 1st, Scripture, Upper 4th Form
1904, Co-equal Dux, Upper 4th Form
1904, 2nd, English, Upper 4th Form
During World War I, he enlisted (No. 1789) in the Australian Flying Corps as a 2nd Air Mechanic on 5 January 1917. He embarked with the March 1917 Reinforcenlents on
HMAT A74 Marathon on 10 May 1917. Promoted 2nd Lieutenant on 28 June 1918, he underwent training as a pilot in England and was posted to 3 Squadron in August in France, where he remained until the Armistice. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 28 September.
F M Cutlack reported Tait's activity on the Hindenburg Line in the 'Official History':
'Lieutenants K A Roberts (of Bendigo) and H A Sturgeon (of Sydney), between 1.20 and 4.10 pm, located and called down fire on five active hostile batteries and several small columns of transport, and had an indecisive engagement with a two-seater over Estrees.
Shortly after 4 pm another contact machine - Lieutenants C E Frazer (of Kew) and D Ellis (Old Geelong Collegian, of Bannockburn) -reported the right front of the attack well out at Joncomt (the 5th Australian Division had pushed through in this region) and the battle-front swinging to face north and north-east. At 4.45, just as the rain began, Lieutenants J B Tait and A G Barrett (of Armadale) observed a strong German counter-attack deploying south of Joncomt towards Nauroy, and four Halberstadts accompanying it at 2,000 feet. They signalled the news back to the artillery and, with three SE5 scouts, dived and drove off the Halberstadts, and then proceeded to fire into the advancing enemy column. The counter-attack was beaten off.' He was with 71 Squadron in Belgium until March 1919. He returned to Australia embarking on 6 May 1919, and was demobilised on 16 July 1919.
After the war he practised as a Barrister. He died on 4 July 1983 at Mont Park. Melbourne.
His brother, John Thomson Tait (1888-1962), and son, James Howard Blair Tait (1927-1974), were also educated at Geelong College.
His cousin,
Alan Taylor Tait MC (1891-1969), also an Old Collegian, taught at Geelong College.
Sources: J. D. Merralls, 'Tait, Sir James Blair (1890–1983)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tait-sir-james-blair-14882/text26072, published first in hardcopy 2012, accessed online 2 Oct 2016; ‘Geelong Collegians at the Great War’ compiled by James Affleck. p 326 (citing The University of Melbourne: 'Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants' (1926); F M Cutlack, 'The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol. VllI The Australian Flying Corps'; The Pegasus; National Archives.