Pte 49494 James Blanchard

James Balnchard was born on the 31st August 1896 named after his elder brother James who died, aged 3 months old, in September 1895. He was born at 36 Stanley Road, Bootle as one of seven children of Liverpool born master butcher, William Robert Blanchard and his Liverpool born wife Mary (nee Bailey).

 

On the 1901 Census, the family are still at 36 Stanley Road, Bootle with his parents. William Robert Blanchard is aged 34 and a master butcher, his mother, Mary, is aged 35. John is aged 12, Mary is aged 9, James is aged 4, Alice is aged 7 months and they employ a servant, Maggie Laverty aged 17.  

 

On 1911 Census his family have moved to 56 Lawrence Road, Wavertree. His father, William Robert Blanchard is aged 44, and is still a master butcher, his mother, Mary, is aged 45. They advised that they have been married for 23 years and have had seven children, six of whom have survived. All six surviving children are declared in the household; John is aged 22, Mary Catherine is aged 19, James is aged 14 and at school, Alice is aged 10 and also at school, George is aged 9 and also at school, Joseph is aged 11 months. They employ a servant Mary Loughlin, aged 15. 

 

In 1915, James enlisted into the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 49494 James Blanchard.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He went overseas in 1916 with the 20th King's to France, therby earning his two medals, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. 

 

He was subsequently transferred to 17th Battalion (Pals) of The King's Liverpool Regiment while seving and was promoted to Lance Corporal. 

 

In Spring 1918, James  was transferred to the 4th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. 

 

On 23 September 1918 he was killed in action, aged 22, with the 4th Battalion K.L.R. 

 

An obituary was posted in the Liverpool Echo on 12 October 1918 with his photograph, now shown on this site:

 

 

Lance-Corporal James Blanchard K.L.R. the beloved third son of William and Mary Blanchard, 56 Lawrence-rd., was killed in action on September 25. He was educated at the Catholic Institute, Hope-st., and assisted on the altar at St. Hugh's Earle -Road, for many years. Of a cheerful disposition, he will be greatly missed by his many friends. He was 22 and had seen three years of service.    

 

He now rests at Villers Hill British Cemetery, France.

Villers-Guislain was occupied by Commonwealth forces from April 1917 until the German counter attacks (in the Battle of Cambrai) at the end of November 1917. It was lost on 30 November and retained by the Germans on 1 December in spite of the fierce attacks of the Guards Division and tanks. The village was finally abandoned by the Germans on 30 September 1918, after heavy fighting.

Villers Hill British Cemetery was begun (as the Middlesex Cemetery, Gloucester Road) by the 33rd Division Burial Officer on 3 October 1918, and used until the middle of October. The original cemetery (now Plot I) contained 100 graves, of which 50 belonged to the 1st Middlesex and 35 to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Plot II and VII were added after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields. 

 

 

The great majority of the graves in this cemetery are those of officers and men who died in April 1917, November-December 1917, March 1918 and September 1918.

The cemetery now contains 732 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 350 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to seven casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate casualties buried in Gonnelieu Communal Cemetery and Honnecourt German Cemetery whose grave could not be found. The cemetery also contains 13 German burials.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

He was also commemorated and named on the Blanchard family headstone in Ford Catholic Cemetery, Liverpool 

 

His father received £8:3s of his soldiers effects pay arrears and a War Gratuity of £13.

 

His father, died on the 29 July 1921 which is why the CWGC entry only states that James was the son of his mother, Mary.