Ian Nicholl Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 Hi, I'm trying to find out any information about a soldier who sent my great grandma a postcard. I've used military records successfully before but don't know where to begin with this as I can't even decipher the soldiers surname properly! I found this postcard in my late grandfather's documents, on the front is an embroidered Happy Christmas message, but on the rear is a simple message, i've attached a photo here. Basically, all I can decipher is: "To my dear Cousin Ethel" "From Capt..." "19/12/16" My guess is that the surname is "Blanchard", no idea what the squiggle before Blanchard is though, and then I don't understand anything else that is written except the "55th". If anyone has any idea what those letters might mean i'd be massively obliged. Hopefully someone can give me something I can start digging with. Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 (edited) Apologies... you've ascertained that already. Edited 29 January , 2019 by Trav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil 2242 Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 (edited) From Capt W H Blanchard?, Army Veterinary Corps Veterinary officer in command, 55th ???, BEF Edited 29 January , 2019 by Neil 2242 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 January , 2019 Admin Share Posted 29 January , 2019 AVC -Army Ventinerary Corps V.O I/C -Veterinary Officer In Command 55th (unsure ) BEF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 (edited) He was the Veterinary Officer with 55 Heavy Artillery Group in the British Expeditionary Force Probably this one whose record is at the National Archives :William Hutchinson Blanchard http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1081147 Max Edited 29 January , 2019 by MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 By Dec 1916 55 Heavy Artillery Group was entitled 55 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery. They were Army Troops within Fifth Army. There is a war diary WO 95/545/1 covering the period. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 (edited) Interesting. The Captain William Hutchinson Blanchard Army Veterinary Corps whose record is above, has a medal card which indicates he died on 8 October 1917. It gives his nok his widow Mrs WH Blanchard Fuller Avenue Toronto. There is a CWGC entry for Captain William Hutchison Blanchard (note slight different spelling in the middle) Canadian Army Veterinary Corps died of sickness 8 October 1917 husband of Kathleen Blanchard Concord Avenue Toronto, parents in Hull UK There is a record in the Canadian Archives for William H Blanchard in the group "Imperial gratuities" Canadian residents who served in the British Imperial Forces were entitled to a gratuity for service overseas during the First World War. The amount was contingent on rank, length and place of service. These case files contain forms and correspondence. They indicate name, regimental number, unit, beneficiary name and address, and establish proof of service in an Imperial unit. They also indicate with which unit the individual served, such as a British regiment, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, but contain few details about their activities during the war. Most of the documents relate to the payment of the gratuity. These files contain, on average, between 20 and 50 pages. Note that the number indicated in the regimental number field in the database reference, is not actually the service person's regimental number. It is a file number relating to the gratuity. Usually the regimental number can be found within the gratuity file. Records relating to the service of members of the British Forces are in the custody of the National Archives in England Whatever, it does look as if this is the same man?? Max Edited 29 January , 2019 by MaxD Ca explanation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Nicholl Posted 29 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2019 To everyone who has replied, wow just wow, I would have never got this information on my own. I think you've found the soldier, as all of my family have always lived near Hull in the UK for generations, so the link that his parents were from Hull, makes sense he might have sent a postcard to my Great Grandma. A couple of further questions, if I may, I might be asking a dim question so I apologise in advance, but if as it appears this guy died of sickness in Canada, were troops invalided back to their home country, ie Canadians to Canada, Australians to Australia? It seems such a long way to transport an injured soldier, were they not just sent back to hospitals in England? And secondly, and again this is just me asking your collective advice, did they record troops invalided away from their units? I've been to Kew before and looked at records for a different soldier and was surprised at the amount of everyday information about the unit as a whole, so do you think it likely if I Captain was removed from his unit, was that kind of information recorded? I know i'm asking a lot I just wondered if you thought I might find any information. Again many thanks, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 His Commonwealth War Graves entry is here: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/425791/blanchard,-william-hutchison/ as you see it gives parents info which hopefully you can connect to the family. His record at the National Archives would tell the story. If he had died in France/Flanders he would have been buried there. He was perhaps invalided back to Canada from a UK hospital to be invalided out of the service hence being buried there, he was 56 when he died. As a captain, he is likely to appear in a war diary somewhere. However, on the Christmas card he was attached to 55 HAG (Brigade). His medal card says attached Royal Field Artillery which implies he had moved on from the heavies who were Royal Garrison Artillery so again, only his record will tell for sure. I would recommend another visit to Kew to copy his records. It can be an expensive business having an officer's record copied. You may find him mentioned in the 55 Brigade diary I cited. You could gamble £3.50 and look at the war diary of the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services (up the chain a bit from him) in Fifth Army WO 95/536/2 which he was in with 55 HAG to see if he is mentioned. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil 2242 Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 2 or 3 newspaper articles attached here that will be of interest. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/425791 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 29 January , 2019 Share Posted 29 January , 2019 Splendid find ! Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Nicholl Posted 29 January , 2019 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2019 Oh my this is just amazing, so much info to research from the back of a little postcard. Thank you all so much, now i've just got to figure out how he is related to my Mother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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