Pte 51648 Joseph Blanchard

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Heilly Station Cem, Mericourt
  Panel Ref: III.B.39

Joseph Blanchard was born at Everton on the 25th March 1886 and was baptised on the 2nd April at St.Michael’s R.C. Church, Everton. He was the son of Henry Blanchard and Ellen (nee Norris) who were married in 1872. His parents were both born in Sefton Parish, his father at Ince Blundell.    

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 41 Wordsworth Street, Bootle. His father, Henry, is aged 39, and a dock porter b.Sephton(sic), mother Ellen aged 40 b.Sephton(sic), John 17 b.Sephton(sic), children born Liverpool, Henry 12 a scholar, Mary 10 a scholar, Edward 8 a scholar, Ernest 6 a scholar, Joseph 5 a scholar, Richard 2 and Alice 1.   

His mother died aged 47 in 1898.  

The 1901 Census shows the family still living at 41 Wordsworth Street, Bootle, his father, Henry, is aged 49, a general labourer b.Ince Blundell, is now a widower with children Ernest 17 a grocers assistant, Joseph 15 a grocers assistant, and Richard 12.   

His father re-married in 1902 at Holy Family R.C. Church, Ince Blundell to Alice Blundell.    

By the time of the 1911 Census the family at living at 45 Chestnut Grove, Bootle – Brothers Edward aged 28 a removal contractor, Ernest 26 a grocers assistant, Joseph 24 a grocers assistant, and Richard Blanchard 22 a greengrocers assistant, all living with their married sister Mary and husband Robert Quigley and their two daughters. (Mary Blanchard married Robert Quigley in 1904).  

His father Henry 59, and step-mother Alice 56, were living alone in Hightown, Ince Blundell.  

Joseph enlisted in Bootle as Rifleman 4906 joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked aboard the SS Invicta from Folkestone-Boulogne on 14th July 1916. He reached the 24th Infantry Base Depot on 15th July 1916, then proceeded to the 11th Entrenching Battalion on 02nd August 1916, then proceeded to  the 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 05th August 1916 and was posted to the 17th Bn on 05th September 1916,

Joseph was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 51648 when he died of wounds on the 12th October 1916 aged 30. 

He now rests at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt, France.

The 36th Casualty Clearing Station was at Heilly from April 1916. It was joined in May by the 38th, and in July by the 2/2nd London, but these hospitals had all moved on by early June 1917. The cemetery was begun in May 1916 and was used by the three medical units until April 1917. From March to May 1918, it was used by Australian units, and in the early autumn for further hospital burials when the 20th Casualty Clearing Station was there briefly in August and September 1918. The last burial was made in May 1919. There are now 2,890 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. Only 12 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 21 casualties whose graves in the cemetery could not be exactly located. The cemetery also contains 83 German graves. The burials in this cemetery were carried out under extreme pressure and many of the graves are either too close together to be marked individually, or they contain multiple burials. Some headstones carry as many as three sets of casualty details, and in these cases, regimental badges have had to be omitted. Instead, these badges, 117 in all, have been carved on a cloister wall on the north side of the cemetery. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His death was also reported in the Bootle Times on the 01st December 1916 in a report which concerned his brother Richard:

Private R. Blanchard, of the Shropshire Light Infantry, son of Mr. H. Blanchard, cartage contractor, Hemer-terrace, Bootle, has been three times wounded, and is now in hospital suffering from shell-shock. He was formerly in the employ of Messrs. Coggins and Griffith, stevedores and master porters. His brother. Rifleman J.. Blanchard, K.L.R., who has died of wounds received in action, was formerly manager of one of Messrs. J. Irwin and Sons' branches. He was well-known and very popular at St.John’s, Fountains-road, and was captain of the cycling club.

Joseph is also remembered on the following Memorials:

St James R.C. Church, Bootle

St John the Evangelist R.C. Church, Kirkdale.

His father died, aged 71, on the 30^th July 1923.

Grateful thanks are extended to Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of Joseph's service with the 6th Rifles.  

We currently have no further information on Joseph Blanchard, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.