Mar 24, 1896
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Born in Bathurst, New
Brunswick to George and Elizabeth (nee Lagacé) Blanchard
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Aug 3, 1915
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Attested into the 55th Battalion CEF
in Sussex, New Brunswick
Ø Number 445345
Ø Next of kin given as George Blanchard, father,
Bathurst, New Brunswick
Ø Previous occupation given as Labourer
Ø No previous military experience given
Ø Religion given as Church of England
Ø Posted to “B” Company
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Aug 11, 1915
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Proceeded to Valcartier,
Quebec to join 55th Battalion and begin his training
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Sep 21, 1915
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Sentenced to 7 days detention
for an unrecorded offence
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Oct 30, 1915
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Embarked the SS Corsican in
Montreal, Quebec
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Nov 9, 1915
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Disembarked in Devonport,
England and the battalion proceeded to the Bramshott camp
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Apr 7, 1916
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Transferred to the Brigade
Signals Base at the 39th Battalion in East Sandling
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Jun 28, 1916
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Sentenced to 4 days CB
(Confined to Barracks) for being absent from afternoon parade June 26, 1916
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Aug 10, 1916
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Transferred to the 21st
Battalion
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Aug 12, 1916
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Arrived at the CBD (Canadian
Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France and Taken On Strength of the
21st Battalion
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Aug 29, 1916
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After leaving the base depot,
he joined the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion in the Halifax
Camp near Brandhoek, Belgium
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Sep 17, 1916
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After leaving the entrenching
battalion, Private Blanchard joined the 21st Battalion involved in
fierce fighting at the sunken road east of Pozieres, France
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Dec 18, 1916
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Attached to the 4th
Field Company, Canadian Engineers for duty
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Jan 17, 1917
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Rejoined the 21st
Battalion in Calonne, France from duty with the engineers
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Feb 15, 1917
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While in the front line east
of Mont St. Eloi, France, the battalion came under a barrage of enemy trench
mortars and Private Blanchard received a shrapnel wound to his back. An entry in his file states he had to walk
2 miles to the aid station before being evacuated to the No. 6 CFA (Canadian
Field Ambulance) for first aid. He was
then transported to the No. 30 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station). Surgery was performed here to remove shrapnel
from his back and side.
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Feb 26, 1917
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Transferred via the No. 24 AT
(Ambulance Train) and admitted to the No. 2 Canadian General Hospital in Le
Treport, France
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Apr 13, 1917
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Invalided to England aboard
the Hospital Ship Grantully Castle
On arrival in England, he was
admitted to the 1st Scottish General Hospital in Aberdeen,
Scotland
Transferred to the EORD
(Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital
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May 27, 1917
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Transferred to the Canadian
Convalescent Hospital in Bearwood Park, Wokingham
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Jul 21, 1917
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Invalided to Canada aboard the
Hospital Ship Letitia
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Aug 2, 1917
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Disembarked in Halifax, Nova
Scotia and admitted to Military Convalescent Hospital in Halifax
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Aug 3, 1917
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Medical exam notes
Ø Man walks with a
limp
Ø If he walks any
distance, his legs become painful
Ø The Sacro Iliac on
left side was damaged by the shrapnel wound
Ø Has difficulty
stooping
Ø His disability is
determined to be 25%
Ø Convalescent Home
treatment is recommended
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Oct 1, 1917
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Transferred to the Saint John,
New Brunswick Armouries for treatment as an Out Patient of the Saint John
Rehabilitation Centre
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Jan 11, 1918
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Admitted to the Saint John
Rehabilitation Centre for treatment of his back wound
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Jan 16, 1918
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Discharged from hospital to
receive treatment as an Out Patient
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Feb 12, 1918
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Married to 16 year old Emelda
(Mildred) Boucher in Bathurst, New Brunswick
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Feb 15, 1918
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Discharged from the CEF in
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Ø Rank on discharge
Private
Ø Entitled to War
Service Badge Class “A”
Ø Proposed residence
on discharge East Bathurst, New Brunswick
Following the end of the war,
the British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at South Bathurst,
New Brunswick
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Dec 1, 1919
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Attested into the CMPC
(Canadian Military Police Corps) in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Ø Number 2780011
Ø Next of kin given
as John Blanchard, father, Bathurst, New Brunswick
Ø Posted to the
Special Guard
Promoted to the rank of Lance
Corporal
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Mar 15, 1920
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Discharged from the Canadian
Military Police Corps in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Following his discharge,
Edward Blanchard moved to Michigan, USA.
At the outbreak of WW2, he separated from his wife and returned to
Canada
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Jul 31, 1940
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Attested into the Canadian
Active Service Force, 2nd Depot Company, Veterans Home Guard in
Cochrane, Ontario
Ø Number B/14220
Ø Next of kin given
as Elizabeth Blanchard, mother, Kapuskasing, Ontario
o He stated he was
married, but the address of his wife is unknown
Ø Previous occupation
given as Truck Driver
o His last employer
was given as H.S. Moore, a plastering contractor in Wyandotte, Michigan, USA
Ø Previous military
experience given as 55th Battalion, 39th Battalion, and
21st Battalion CEF
Ø Religion given as
Roman Catholic
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Aug 1, 1940
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Transferred to No. 2 “F” Company
in North Bay, Ontario
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Aug 15, 1940
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Attached to No. 2 Depot
Company in Espanola, Ontario
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Jan 11, 1941
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Granted 14 days leave
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Mar 3, 1941
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Attached to No. 2 Depot
Company in Gravenhurst, Ontario
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Apr 30, 1941
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Admitted to the Christie Street,
Orthopedic Hospital in Toronto, Ontario
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May 15, 1941
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Discharged from the Canadian
Field Force in Haileybury, Ontario by reason of being Medically Unfit
Ø Rank on discharge
Private
Ø Entitled to War
Medal 1939-45
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Apr 24, 1943
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Ernest Blanchard died of
Pulmonary Tuberculosis while a patient of the St. Mary’s on the Lake
Sanitorium, Haileybury, Ontario. His
death was a result of his active service.
He was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Haileybury, Ontario with
military honours.
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