J G M Blanchflower The First World War John George Murray Blanchflower was born 3 rd May 1890 at 32 Frederick Street, South Shields. He was educated at various schools in South Shields and at the age of 18 he became an Ex-Pupil Teacher at Stanhope Road school. This was in 1908 and after 2 years he started at Sunderland Day (Teachers) Training College. He met his wife to be, Mary Evelyn Hutton, at the St. Thomas Church bazaar in December 1912. After war was declared with Germany in August 1914, he enlisted on the 11 th September 1914 in the 7 th Durham Light Infantry at Sunderland together with many students and old students of Sunderland Day Training College. His written account of this time is in his Family Souvenir book, a copy of which is shown below. The transcript, line by line, is as follows: August. 1914. War declared on Germany. Sept. 11 th 1914. enlisted in 7 th Durham L.I. @ Sunderland with many students and old students of Sunderland Day Training College. Trained at Ravensworth Castle and Gateshead. Left England for France April 19 th 1915. Crossed channel from Folkstone to Boulogne @ night. Wednesday 21 st. Marched from Cassel to Ypres and took part in 2 nd Battle of Ypres when Germans first used poison gas on Canadians. Regiment lost 400 men first week. 24 th May 1915 Big attack by Germans at Hooge gas used and line withdrawn towards Ypres. Our platoon under Lieut Rhodes overlooked and left behind. All casualities except three. Shot through both thighs and left hand. Picked up by Germans on Wednesday 26 th and taken to hospital @ Lendelede. Sent to Iseghem on 16 th June and to Kaiserlautern on 18 th Sept. Left for Ebenburg-Landau on 28 th Sept. 1 st Dec 15 recommended for exchange and sent to Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle). Arrived in England Dec 8 th 1915 and spent six weeks in Queen Alexandra s Military Hospital London Discharged from army Jan. 1916. 1
Hand written account by J G M Blanchflower of his time in the First World War. 2
This account was later expanded upon by his daughter, Evelyn Winsome, who wrote down what he had told her. This is a transcript from some of her notes: John Blanchflower lay wounded and bleeding for three days in the midst of his dead & dying college friends. He was finally rescued by a German soldier who carried him under fire over the lines where he was sent to hospital in Iseghem. The Germans operated on his legs (shortening one) and hands and finally he was returned to England as an exchange prisoner. It is understood from his son, to whom he also recounted this story, that he was very grateful to this German soldier who was very young. A picture of Iseghem hospital in 1915. Found among some of his belongings after he died. 3
This card, with his handwriting on the back, was also found among his belongings. It refers to a flight attack on Iseghem and Emelghem on 20 June 1915. 4
His capture by the Germans was reported in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday the 10 th of July (see copy on the right). It is interesting to note that his parents had not received any word about this until a few days before, when they received no fewer than seven postcards from him, all with different dates. It seems amazing that he was able to get hold of post cards, and be able to post them during the conflict, while being held prisoner in a German hospital. Before he was repatriated, and because he was missing in action, an enquiry was made to the Germans as to whether he was a prisoner of war. This was done by the British War Office on the 26 th July 1915, initiated by The Rt. Hon. Russel Rea, Member of Parliament for South Shields (see copy of actual document on the left). It might be noted that his initials were then down as only J. M. and not J. G. M. and that when signing the reply he also missed out the G. Perhaps he did that deliberately. The transcript of his reply, line by line, is as follows: I am Prisoner of War, at present in the Hospital at Iseghem. I was wounded in both legs and left hand, but am now rapidly approaching recovery, most of my wounds having completely healed up. During my stay in Hospital I have been well treated having everything that one could desire. Thanking you for enquiry. I remain Yours Sincerely 25/8/1915 John M Blanchflower 5
Even though he had survived and left hospital, his legs were still bad with some shrapnel which could not be removed. Some time was therefore spent during the following years attending local hospitals, but shrapnel still remained in one of his legs. During this time he received post cards from some of his captured friends who were being held by the Germans. One of these is shown below: Post card received from some of his captured colleagues. 6
On the 11 th June 1916 he became engaged to Mary Evelyn Hutton and they married on the 11 th June 1918. John George Murray and Mary Evelyn before their first child. John George Murray and Mary Evelyn with their first child, Evelyn Winsome. He continued in teaching and became head master of Mortimer Road Junior School in South Shields. He always wore wing stiff collars which were sent to Woods the Tailors every week for cleaning and starching. He retired in 1955, still using a walking stick, but within a 7
year the shrapnel in one of his legs caused further problems and the leg had to be amputated. His wife then died two years later on the 20 th February 1958, aged 62 years. During his last few years he spent most of his time reading in bed and he did the Daily Telegraph crossword every day. He smoked a pipe and always used War Horse tobacco. This was very solid and was supplied in bar form which had to be cut before pressing into his pipe. He did this with a small knife which, while sitting in bed, he also used to scrape the tar from behind his dentures. He died on the 9 th November 1965 aged 75 years. He and his wife are buried at the west end of Harton Church grave yard in South Shields. During their marriage they had three children, Evelyn Winsome (usually known as Winsome), Doreen (known as Bunty) and John. Their first daughter, Evelyn Winsome, is buried next to them with her husband, Raymond Bulman. Other pages from the Family Souvenir book are shown below and add to his history... 8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
This document has been prepared by David N Bulman, grandson of John G. M. Blanchflower and son of Evelyn Winsome. He has many happy memories of fishing with his grandfather in the River Swale below Marrick in North Yorkshire and watching him cut his tobacco and smoking his pipe. August 2017... 19