Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookthe battery, in communicating his death wrote: "In him the Army has lost a gallant officer and myself and his other companions in the Brigade a beloved comrade and friend." While at Woolwich he took an active part in the Garrison cricket and was Hon. Sec. of the club. He was recently elected a member of the "Band of Brothers," and was member of the Junior United Service Club. He _m._ at St. Stephen's, Gloucester Road, London, 26 Oct 1911, Margaret Aline (20, The Court Yard, Eltham), younger dau. of the late Charles Pickersgill-Cunliffe, of Cobb Court, Cootham, Sussex, and had two daughters, Madeleine Margaret, _b._ 12 July, 1912, and Elizabeth, _b._ 16 Feb. 1914. [Illustration: =Gerald Wynter Blathwayt.=] =BLEASE, HARVEY=, Capt., 15th (Service) Battn. The King's Liverpool Regt., elder _s._ of Walter Blease, F.C.A., of Messrs. Blease & Sons, Chartered Accountants, by his wife, Mary, dau. of the late James Harvey, of Salford; _b._ Liverpool, 29 Aug. 1882; educ. Parkfield School, Liverpool, and Sedbergh, Yorks, and afterwards entered his father's firm and took great interest in the educational schemes of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. After the declaration of war he applied for a commission and was gazetted Lieut. to the 15th Battn. of the King's Liverpools, 12 Nov. 1914, and promoted Capt. 15 Jan. 1915. He went out with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, and was there attached to the 7th Lancashire Fusiliers. He was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 7 Aug. 1915. Capt. Blease enjoyed a reputation as a batsman while at Sedbergh and later took part in the Old Boys' annual tours. For fourteen years he was identified with the Sefton Park Club, during eleven of which he was captain, and for whom he gave many brilliant displays in Lancashire and Cheshire cricket. He was also an excellent cross-country runner. He _m._ at Liverpool, 15 Sept. 1910, Dorothy Stanley (Rostherne, Blundellsands, near Liverpool), 2nd dau. of the late Stanley Blease, of Liverpool, and had two children, Helen Margaret, _b._ 12 July, 1911; and Barbara Mary, _b._ 28 June, 1914. [Illustration: =Harvey Blease.=] =BLEES, JOHN=, Private, No. 712, Princess Patricia's Canadian L.I., Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of the late John Peter Blees, of Jabalpur, India, by his wife, Mary Ann (24, Sandileigh Avenue, Withington, Manchester), dau. of James Bowden; _b._ Jabulpur, Central India, 25 Feb. 1889; educ. Dulwich College; went to Canada in 1900 and settled at Edmonton; on the outbreak of war volunteered and joined Princess Patricia's L.I.; came over with the first contingent in Oct. 1914; crossed to France in Feb. and died 11 May, 1915, of wounds received in action near Ypres on the 8th; _unm._ One of his officers wrote: "He was wounded in the engagement on 8 May, in which engagement all the officers were either killed or wounded. The regt. endured an extremely heavy bombardment. How severe it was and how gallantly our boys stuck to their trenches and held back the Germans can only be told in the future, when military consideration will not restrict correspondence, suffice it to say that this regt. held out so gallantly and against such odds that Sir John French came down to personally thank the regt. for what they did that day. On that day every man was a hero, but some were conspicuous even here. Your son was helping the wounded out and binding their wounds when he was struck, a shrapnel caught him in the abdomen, but even with this desperate wound he was game and was carried out still cheery and encouraging the boys to stick it." He was buried in the regimental burial ground at Hazebrouck. [Illustration: =John Blees.=] =BLIGH, ERIC=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd Battn., attached 2nd Battn., the East Lancashire Regt., _s._ of William Bligh, of Caterham Valley, co. Surrey, by his wife, Lilian Josephine, dau. of William Lafone, of Monte Video; _b._ Caterham Valley, 30 Dec. 1894; educ. The Dene, Caterham, Sherborne School, where he was a member of the junior O.T.C. with the rank of Lance-Corpl. and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was a private in the senior O.T.C. Medical. After the declaration of war he applied for a commission and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd Battn. of the East Lancashires, 15 Aug. 1914. He joined the 2nd Battn. at the Front, 7 March, 1915, served through the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and was killed in action opposite Fromelles, 9 May, 1915, in the assault on Aubers Ridge. His commanding officer, Major Maclear, wrote: "Your son was shot by a German machine gun whilst leading his platoon in an assault on the German trenches opposite Fromelles on Sunday, 9 May, death being instantaneous. Your son was only with us a short time, but we were all very fond of him, and you have the consolation of knowing that he could not have died a nobler death." He was promoted Lieut. after his death to rank as from 13 Feb. 1915, and was buried on the road from Sailly to Fromelles. [Illustration: =Eric Bligh.=] =BLIGHT, CHARLES=, Corpl., No. 3/5971, 1st Battn. Somerset L.I., _s._ of the late Charles Blight; _b._ London; and was killed in action, 19 Dec. 1914. Prior to the war he was employed as a Collier at the Cambrian Pits, Clydach Vale. He _m._ in Bath (--), and had two sons: Charles and Stanley. =BLISS, CHARLES=, Major, 2nd Battn. 1st (King George's Own) Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army, 2nd surviving _s._ of Sir Henry (William) Bliss, of The Abbey, Abingdon, K.C.I.E., J.P., late Indian Civil Service, by his 1st wife, Mary, dau. of Edmund Rendle; _b._ at Dindigul, Madras Presidency, 31 Dec. 1871; educ. Clifton, Heidleberg and Sandhurst; and obtained his first commission in the North Staffordshire Regt., 5 June, 1891; transferred two years later to the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regt.), of which he was promoted Lieut. 4 July, 1896. In the Dec. following he joined the Indian Staff Corps, becoming Capt. 10 July, 1901. After a period with the 43rd (later the 8th) Gurkha Rifles and the Assam Military Police, he was appointed double-company commander of the 1st Gurkha Rifles, 5 Dec. 1908, and obtained his Majority 5 Dec. 1909. In 1903-4 he saw service in Tibet, being present in the action at Niani, and during the operations at and around Gyantse, and in the march on Lhassa, being slightly wounded. His services were mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 13 Dec. 1904], and he received the medal with clasp. Major Bliss commanded various punitive expeditions in the Nagar Hills, on the North-West Frontier, between 1907 and 1911, and from 1911 to 1913 was in command of escorts on several political, survey and exploration missions on the North-West Frontier. He had the Abor, Indian Police and Durbar medals, and in 1914 was made a C.I.E. On the outbreak of the European War he came to Europe with his regt., and died at Lille, 22 Dec. 1914, of wounds received in action at Festubert on the 20th. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 5 April [London Gazette, 22 June] |