Francis J. Blanchfield
History
Francis James Blanchfield (also known as Frank) was born on 2 Mar 1896 in Stawell son of Richard and Catherine (nee McKinley) Blanchfield. Richard Blanchfield was a policeman working in Melbourne, Stawell and Ballarat.
BIRTH: Birth registration records name as Francis Patrick.[1]
EDUCATION: Frank was a student at the Stawell State School No. 502 as at Jan. 1905, he was about 9 years old. He attended Christian Brothers College, Ballarat.
MILITARY: Frank served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War One. He enlisted on 7 April 1915 in Ballarat at the age of 19. His service number is 1008 a private with the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion. He trained at Alexandria in Egypt and served at Gallipoli, Lone Pine, Turkey, France and Belgium. He fought for two and half years before being severely injured with a gun shot wound to his scalp. He was in and out of hospitals in England and Ireland for a year before being sent home and was discharged as "medically unfit" on 24 March 1919.[2]
His Attestation Paper indicates he was a member of the Squadron 19th Light Horse, Ballarat.
WAR TIMELINE FOR FRANCIS J. BLANCHFIELD.
Personal details from army records and Battles listed below are according to information about the 24th Battalion located on the Australian War Memorial website http://www.awm.gov.au. :
07/5/1915 Francis enlisted
08/5/1915 Francis embarked from Australia on board the H.M.A.T. Euripides
July-Aug.1915 Training in Egypt.
30/8/1915 Francis proceeded to join Gallipoli Peninsula
04/9/1915 The battalion landed at Gallipoli. Spent 16 weeks in the Lone Pine trenches.
10/1/1916 Francis disembarked Alexandria, Egypt.
22/1/1916 Francis was at Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt.
26/3/1916 Francis disembarked Marsielles, France.
15/5/1916 Francis' father Richard Blanchfield died of Thrombus or Haemorrhage of the Brain, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. (not recorded in Army documents)
21/7/1916- The battalion fought at the Battle of Pozieres, France.
08/8/1916- The battalion fought at Mouquet Farm, France.
03/5/1917- The battalion fought at the Second Battle of Bullecourt, France.
31/7/1917- The battalion fought at the Third Battle of Ypres, Belgium.
4/10/1917- The battalion fought at the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium
5/10/1917- Francis was wounded in head by shell fragment and was evacuated to No.2 Canadian General Hospital, Le Treport, France.
18/10/1917 Francis was transferred from France to England.
23/10/1917 Francis was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Moneyhull section, Birmingham, England. Wound graded as severe gunshot wound to scalp.Was operated on to remove fragment.
5/11/1917 Discharged and transferred to Weymouth Depot.
12/1/1918 Admitted to Cottage Hospital, Cushendall, Ireland. Suffering with old wound to head.
20/4/1918 Transferred to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England. Old wound.
26/4/1918 Discharged
11/11/1918 Armistice was declared.
11/12/1918 Francis left England (incapacitated) for return to Australia per Hospital transport 'Saxon'
30/1/1919 Reached Melbourne.
24/3/1919 Discharged as 'Medically unfit'
Francis participated in the following major battles:
Lone Pine, Gallipoli
Battle of Pozieres, France
Mouquet Farm, France
Second Battle of Bullecourt, France
Third Battle of Ypres, Belgium
Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium
View Frank listed on the embarkation roll: https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1976193/ Accessed 14 March 2015
Details of Frank's army records are available online - National Archives of Australia - http://www.awm.gov.au http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3090929&isAv=N Accessed 14 March 2015
Digital view: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3090929 Accessed 14 March 2015
(Another Blanchfield descendant Franks' second cousin Horace Grove Eastman No. 6941 is also a member of the 24th Battalion)
PHYSICAL-DESCRIPTION: On Army Enlistment Papers as at 7 April 1915 it states personal description of
Frank as follows: 19 years old; Height - 5ft 7 1/2 inch.; Eyes - grey; Hair - brown; Distinctive marks: none; chest measurements - 33/36 inches; Complexion - fresh.
OCCUPATION: After 1918 Frank became a self employed Taxi Driver. Later worked at the Railways Workshop.
EVENT: The Argus (Tues. 2 June 1936 pg.12) mentions the following in the Ballarat and District section: Heading was 'Illegal use of motor-cars' ".....Arnold Delima, aged 18 yrs, saddler, of Magpie St, who was convicted at the city court on Monday on a charge of having illegally used a motor-car, the property of Francis Blanchfield, hire-car driver, of Webster Street. .....It was alleged that Delima on March 10 had gone driving with two other persons......"
INTERESTS: Frank played football for the Redan Football Club. He was a member of the premiership team in 1921 defeating North City. Frank's photo was in the Courier Sept. 24 1977 page 35, it talks about Frank being a member of the Redan Football club team.
MARRIAGE: Frank 29 years old married Eileen Mary Harrison daughter of James Alfred Harrison (1868-1934) and Anastasia Walsh in 1925 in Melbourne. Frank and Eileen had three children - June, Richard and Margaret.
RESIDED: Frank and Eileen resided at 123 Grant Street, Ballarat in 1925. About 1927 they moved to 22 Webster Street, Ballarat (this house was 'pulled down' in the 1990's and replaced by two units). A photograph and details of this house is found in 'Ballarat - A Guide to Buildings and Areas 1851-1940' page 19.
Frank died on 24 May 1978 in Nazareth House, Ballarat. He was buried on 26 May 1978 in Ballarat New Cemetery buried with his wife Eileen. Lawn, Sec F, Loc 17R32. Frank was 82 years old.
Legacy
World War One service recognised on the Ballarat Avenue of Honour.
Tree number 465 was planted in honour of Frank in the Ballarat Avenue of Honour presented by the Ballarat City Council, Planted by Councillor J. Troup (situated past Ring Road and before Dyson Drive on left hand side). This tree, an English Ash, was planted on the first section of the avenue on 04 June 1917, the King's Birthday . [3]
Family
Francis J. Blanchfield married Eileen Harrison
See also
Cyril Wingrave, bother-in-law of Francis J. Blanchfield.
Thomas Cousins, bother-in-law of Francis J. Blanchfield.
Leonard J. M. Harrison, bother-in-law of Francis J. Blanchfield.
James Alfred Harrison (1868-1934), Frank's father-in-law.
Thomas H. Battie. Friend of Frank. Their regimental numbers were consecutive.
Notes
References
Further Reading
ANZAC Day Services Programme, Ballarat, 25 April 2015. (The Ballarat Courier supplement)
External links
24th Australian Infantry Battalion - Australian War Memorial
--Beth Kicinski 13:35, 17 June 2013 (EST) --Gaida Stevens 18:45, 20 March 2015 (AEDT) --Gaida Stevens 16:19, 18 April 2015 (AEST)