Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book5. He _m._ at Wootton Bassett, 11 April, 1903, Mildred Ellen, dau. of William Sainsbury, of Wootton Bassett, and had a son and two daus.: Stuart, _b._ 19 Jan. 1912; Zita Mary Asenatte, _b._ 2 May, 1907; and Mildred Christina, _b._ 22 May, 1909. [Illustration: =Christopher Blanchett.=] =BLAND, CHARLES ERNEST WILLIAM, D.S.O.=, Capt., 3rd, attd. 2nd, Battn. King's Own Scottish Borderers, _s._ of Horatio Bland, of Stretton House, near Alfreton, co. Derby, Capt. (ret.) King's Own Scottish Borderers, by his wife, Fanny Louisa (Stretton House, Alfreton, Derbyshire), dau. of William Henry Duff; _b._ New Wandsworth, co. Surrey, 21 Aug. 1881; educ. Marlborough and Sandhurst; joined the Scottish Borderers, 20 Jan. 1900, served in the Boer War, and was present at the actions at Vet River and Zand River, those near Johannesburg and Pretoria, and at Zillikats Nek (Queen's medal with three clasps and King's medal with two clasps); became Capt. 9 March, 1908, and retired 26 Oct. 1910, being gazetted to the 3rd (Reserve) battn. of his regt. On the outbreak of war he rejoined, was attached to the 2nd battn. with which he went to the Front, was twice mentioned in despatches by F.M. Sir John French, and awarded the D.S.O. 18 Feb. 1915, and was killed in the action around Ypres, 23 April, 1915. He is believed to have been buried near Pilkem. Major D'Ewes Coke wrote: "The actual event which gained him the D.S.O. was when we were holding trenches in front of Ypres in Nov. His trench was several times attacked by Prussian infantry, as well as being subjected to very heavy fire from minewerfers and artillery, but he stuck to it and defended his trench with great bravery." He _m._ at the Parish Church, Maynooth, co. Kildare, Ireland, 22 Oct. 1910, Isabella, dau. of William Browne-Lecky, of Ecclesville, co. Tyrone, and had a dau.--Patricia, _b._ 24 April, the day after her father was killed. Capt. Bland was well known in the hunting field, and was frequently out with the Cottesmore and Belvoir packs. [Illustration: =Charles E. W. Bland.=] =BLAND, PERCY=, Junior Sick Berth Reserve Attendant, M. 8633, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =BLANDFORD, GEORGE JOHN=, Chief Armourer, No. Ch. 340800, R.N., _s._ of Martin Blandford, Leading Stoker on the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert; _b._ Ewer Common, Gosport, 18 Sept. 1876; educ. Alverstoke School; was for many years at the Chatham Gunnery School; joined the Cressy on the outbreak of war, and was lost with that ship 22 Sept. 1914; _unm._ He had the Good Conduct medal. =BLANDFORD, HENRY=, Private, No. 2253, 8th Battn. Middlesex Regt. (T.F.); served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; died of wounds, 9 Sept. 1915. =BLANDFORD, THOMAS HENRY=, Private, No. 9247, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Thomas Henry Blandford, of 19a Skelbrook Street, Earlsfield, S.W.; _b._ co. Surrey; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action at Boiseron, 8 Sept. 1914; _unm._ =BLANFORD, CHARLES EDWARD=, Major, R.G.A., 30th Indian Mountain Battery, 3rd _s._ of Thomas Blanford, of 4, The Grove, Highgate, N., by his wife, Amy, dau. of Frederick Simpson; _b._ Kensington, W., 16 March, 1874; educ. Highgate School and Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (Sept. 1891-93); gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.A., 1 Jan. 1894, promoted Lieut. 1 Jan. 1897, Capt. 9 April 1900, and Major--Oct. 1914; joined at Portsmouth, and after nine months there and at Gordon Hill, Isle of Wight, went out to India in Oct. 1894, and was attached to a heavy battery at Ferozepore. He served in India for 21 years with the exception of the period of the South African War, when he was given ordnance work at Kimberley (Queen's medal with clasp) and for a short time (six weeks) at Spike Island, Ireland, before going to Kimberley; died of wounds received the same day, 11 July, 1915, near Nasiriyeh in the Persian Gulf, while commanding a section of the battery on rafts. His commanding officer wrote: "He has been such a tower of strength to me that I cannot say it often enough. Always ready for work and never complaining. He has had several hard tasks and carried them through most successfully.... The State has indeed lost a gallant and invaluable officer whose continual watchword was Duty." A comrade wrote: "It is an irreparable loss to us, and his place will not be easy to fill; he was always ready to do anything, but what I have always admired most about him has been his pluck, courage and indifference to danger." He _m._ at Eastbourne, 24 Sept. 1912, Vida May (28, Milnthorpe Road, Eastbourne), dau. of Albert Henry Trenchard, of Eastbourne, and had a son, Edward Oliver Trenchard, _b._ Thandiani, near Abbottabad, N.W.F.P., India, 4 Sept. 1913. [Illustration: =Charles E. Blanford.=] =BLANK, WILLIAM JOHN HENRY=, E.R.A., 1st Class, 268654, H.M.S. Monmouth; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914; _m._ =BLANSHARD, PHILIP ARTHUR=, Private, No. 11466, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, 4th _s._ of Henry Brand Blanshard, of 4, Finsbury Grove, Fountain Road, Hull, by his wife, Alice, dau. of the late George Hurdman of Hull, hairdresser; _b._ Hull, 18 Sept. 1894; educ. Park Road Board School there; was in the employ of the Hull Corporation (Sanitary Dept.), enlisted 4 Sept. 1914; left England for the Front, 21 Jan. 1915 and died in the 1st Field Hospital, at 3.30 p.m. 2 Feb. following, of shell wounds received in action at Cuinchy near La Bassée. He was buried in Bethune Town Cemetery. [Illustration: =Philip Arthur Blanshard.=] =BLATCHFORD, ALBERT=, Acting Leading Stoker, (Dev.), K. 10989, _s._ of Joseph Blatchford, of 2, Weslet Terrace, Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot; lost in action when H.M.S. Goliath, was sunk at the Dardanelles, 13 May, 1915. =BLATCHFORD, ALBERT GEORGE=, Shipwright, 1 Ch. 170876, H.M.S. Formidable; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the English Channel, 1 Jan., 1915; _m._ =BLATHERWICK, HENRY THOMPSON=, Boy, 1st Class, J. 26731 (Ports.), H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914. =BLATHWAYT, GERALD WYNTER=, Capt., Royal Field Artillery, yr. _s._ of Arthur Pennington Blathwayt, member of the London Stock Exchange, and of Northwood Grange, R.S.O., Middlesex, by his wife, Mary Constantia, dau. of the late John Thorp, of Maldon, Essex; _b._ Belvedere, Kent, 30 June 1879; educ. Aldenham School, Herts; gazetted 2nd Lieut. from the Kent Artillery Militia, to the Royal Artillery, 22 Dec. 1898, promoted Lieut. 16 Feb. 1901, and Capt. 18 July, 1906. He served in the South African War and received the Queen's medal with three clasps. From 1906 to 1909 he served as Brigade Adjutant, and from 1910 to Jan. 1914 was Garrison Adjutant, Eastern Command. At the outbreak of war Capt. Blathwayt went with his Battery to France and was in the retreat from Mons to the Marne. He was killed at the Battle of the Aisne, near Verneuill, 14 Sept. 1914, and was buried in the garden of the Chateau there. Major Barker, commanding |