Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book, 1915, for gallant and distinguished conduct in the field. Major Bliss _m._ at St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, 11 April, 1901, Mabel Emmeline, eldest dau. of Col. Thomas M. Maxwell, late Sherwood Foresters, and had a dau., Lorna, _b._ 31 Aug. 1905. =BLISSETT, WILLIAM HENRY=, Private, No. 18317, 3rd Battn., 1st Infantry Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of Edward Blissett, of Bath, Butler, by his wife, Elizabeth (9, Coleman Street, Brighton), dau. of Samuel Wills, of Liss, Hants; _b._ Paddington, 16 Dec. 1885; educ. Gordon Memorial Schools, Diss Board School and Priory Road School, Hastings, and was then apprenticed as a carpenter to Mr. Harvey, King's Road, St. Leonards. In 1907 he went to Canada, and after a year in Ontario, settled in Alberta, where on the outbreak of war he enlisted. He came over with the 1st Contingent, in Oct. 1914, and after training at Salisbury and Shorncliffe, went to the Front in May and was killed in action in the trenches, 8 Nov. 1915, by a bullet. He was buried in Wulverghem Cemetery; _unm._ =BLOFELD, D'ARCY FRANK=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Life Guards, only _s._ of Frank Blofeld, of Dunster Lodge, Alcombe, West Somerset, by his wife, Leslie Blanche, only dau. of Major Thomas Perkins, R.H.A., H.A.C., of Doverhay Place, Porlock, Somerset; _b._ Dunster Lodge, afsd. 21 April, 1890; educ. St. Michael's (Mr. Hawtrey), Westgate-on-Sea, and Eton (Mr. E. L. Churchill's House, 1903-8), where he won the Junior Pulling in his last year. He served three years with the Eton College Volunteers, but ill health prevented his going on to Sandhurst, and he spent several years in the Argentine, where he became interested in the breeding and schooling of polo ponies. He was living at Staverton, near Cheltenham, when war broke out, and immediately joined the Gloucestershire Yeomanry. On 9 Sept. he was gazetted to the 3rd Reserve Regt. of Cavalry, and took up his duties at Canterbury. He was posted to the Household Cavalry on 24 Oct. and joined his regt., the 2nd Life Guards, at Windsor. On 7 Nov. he went to Flanders, and served with his regt. in the trenches, and just before Christmas he came home on seventy-two hours' leave. His second experience of the trenches was early in Feb., after which he obtained a week's leave, but was recalled in four days, and from then until his death, near Ypres, on 12 May, he was at the Front. He and four other officers were killed instantaneously by an explosive shell. He had won the liking of his brother officers, and the confidence of his men. Mr. Blofeld was fond of all sport, he was a finished horseman and a most promising polo player. He was a member of the Cheltenham and West Somerset Polo Clubs, his handicap being 5 goals Hurlingham, 1914. He hunted with the Devon and Somerset Staghounds and the West Somerset Fox Hounds since early boyhood, and during the time he was at Staberton, with the Cotswold Hunt. He was greatly beloved by all who knew him and was a fine example of how quickly a good sportsman can become a good soldier. His Col. wrote: "As a horsemaster he was invaluable to me, and the fact that he had been chosen for the duty in which he met his death, proves that his Squadron leader relied on him." [Illustration: =D'Arcy Frank Blofeld.=] =BLOMFIELD, CHARLES GEORGE MASSIE=, Major, 1st Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt., elder _s._ of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Massie Blomfield, K.C.M.G., for twenty-eight years in charge of the Port of Alexandria and afterwards Director-General of all Egyptian Ports, etc., by his wife, Rosamund Selina, 2nd dau. of the late Right Rev. Charles Graves, D.D., Lord Bishop of Limerick, and nephew of Alfred Perceval Graves, author of "Father O'Flynn," and the "Irish Ballad," etc., and of Charles Larcom Graves, Assistant Editor of the "Spectator," and a member of the Inner Round Table of "Punch"; _b._ London, 19 June, 1878, brought up at Port House, Alexandria, Egypt, until nine years of age; educ. Stubbington House School, Farnham, Cheltenham College and Sandhurst; received his commission as 2nd Lieut. in the Warwicks, 6 April, 1898, and was gazetted Lieut. 28 Dec. following, Capt. 16 Nov. 1901, and Major 19 Dec. 1914. He joined his regt. at Chatham and was sent to Malta, and in the following year (1899) to South Africa, and served through that campaign, 1900-2. He was employed with the Mounted Infantry, took part in the operations in Cape Colony, South of the Orange River (1900), in the Orange Free State, April to Nov. 1900, and in the Transvaal, 30 Nov. 1900, to 31 May, 1902, and received the Queen's medal with three clasps, and the King's medal with two clasps. On the close of the campaign he took over drafts to India to the 2nd Battn. at Bangalore. He then joined his parents at Assuan for the opening of the Great Dam, and was afterwards stationed in Ireland, where he continued his polo and hunting. He had meanwhile qualified as an interpreter of foreign languages and from May, 1905, to June, 1906, was attached to the Egyptian Army, and spent about a year in the Soudan, then rejoining his regt. at Aldershot. He became adjutant of the 4th (Special Reserve) Battn. of his regt. 31 Jan. 1912, a post he held for 3½ years, and after the declaration of war, did excellent work in preparing drafts for the front. He was posted to the 1st Battn., and joined the Expeditionary Force in France, 5 May, 1915, and fell, mortally wounded by a bullet through the head, 9 June, at 5 p.m. Gen. Landon, Royal Warwick Regt., wrote: "The regt. has sustained a loss indeed, which it will be hard to get over, and one it can ill afford. He was a most valuable officer and I know everyone loved him"; and Col. Poole, Commanding 1st Battn.: "His loss to me as one of my Coy. Commanders is irreparable. I had the highest opinion of him as a soldier, and he was worth anything in these hard times. We all mourn his loss." He was on the staff of the "Army and Navy Gazette" and his humorous little work "The Young Officer's Guide to Knowledge" cheered many a man in the hum-drum life of the trenches. A good violinist, he raised the band of the Special Reserve at Warwick. Major Blomfield _m._ at St. Paul's, Wimbledon Common, 5 Oct. 1907, Hirell, elder dau. of the late James Clarence, of Castle Towers, Wimbledon Common, and had issue, Charles Clarence Massie, _b._ Aug. 1908 (_d._ in infancy), and Richard Beverley Massie, _b._ 25 June, 1913. [Illustration: =Charles G. M. Blomfield.=] =BLOOM, JOSEPH HENRY=, Private, R.M.L.I. (Ports.), 6876, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =BLOOMFIELD, SIDNEY HERBERT=, A.B., J. 8083, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914. =BLOUNT, JAMES WILLIAM=, C.E.R.A., 2nd Class, 269403, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =BLOXAM, JOSEPH=, Private, No. 1732, 5th Battn. Australian Imperial Force, 4th _s._ of Thomas Bloxam, of Outram Stre |