Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Son of William Henry and Margaret (Timlin) Blanchard and brother of H. Percy Blanchard.

"With one or two exceptions, Lieutenant Blanchard was present at all the engagements in which the Contingent took part and had the reputation of being one of the coolest and most intrepid of the officers. Whenever volunteers were asked for any extraordinary duty he was always one of the first to offer himself.

Excerpt of Memorial Service in Memory of The Late Lieutenant Blanchard.
Lt. Blanchard was a native of Windsor, Nova Scotia where his father was a well-to-do merchant, and where his bother practices law. He was also a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, the latter course being taken to equip him for the profession which he followed up to his time of his going to the front. He was single. Lt. Blanchard joined the Fifth Regiment as a gunner in 1887, the year he arrived in Victoria, British Columbia. Previous to that time he had served for two years in the Ontario Field Battery From the position of gunner he gradually rose in the non-commissioned ranks until in 1894, he became company sergeant-major. On January 31st, 1894, he took a commission as lieutenant, and on the 20 of July of the following became Captain of No 2 company. On December 8th, 1896, he was appointed to the post of adjutant. It was in this latter capacity that he rendered the most efficient service to the regiment. No detail was too insignificant to engage his attention, and his military duties in connection with the corps seemed at times to supercede in his atttention to civil duties, with great credit to himself and acceptability to his brother officers and the men of the regiment. He held two certificates of qualification - one a 1st B from the Royal School of Artillery (C Battery taken in 1893 and the other a 1st A taken from the RMA in 1895.

Commemorated on Page 4 of the South African War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.