BLANCHARD, Allen George (DSC)


Lieutenant (A), Allen George BLANCHARD DSC
Aged 23


807 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Killed in a flying accident on Monday, 29th January 1945.

Allen George BLANCHARD (Dilly) was born 1921 (Sleaford Q3-1921 7A:826), son of George and Gladys Rosalie BLANCHARD (née ALLEN ).
His father died in Bury St Edmunds in 1926.
Allen was a member of the 3rd Bury St.Edmunds Scout Group (Culford School) and was school Captain 1938-1939.

In the 1939 register, his widowed mother [[10-11-1890] was living at "Burton Lodge, Burton Road, Hornsea, Yorkshire with his widowed grandmother Kate BLANCHARD [8-2-1863] and widowed grandmother Rosalie E ALLEN [17-5-1851]. There is one closed record.

Allen married Muriel Alice TALBOT in Southend on Sea in 1943. According to his will they were living at 72 Broadclyst Gardens, Thorpe Bay, Essex.



He joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1940. According to CWGC he was at HMS "Grebe" which was a shore base, actually a Royal Naval Air Station in Dekheila, Alexandria, Egypt, previously HMS Nile II. Allen was gazetted on June 8th 1944 in the King's Birthday Honours for his Distinguished Service Cross. At the time he was serving on HMS "Furious". Later he served in HMS "Hunter" and on October 11th "Hunter" disembarked 807 naval air squadron to RN Air Station Dekheila (HMS Grebe"), Egypt in preparation for her return to the UK for a short refit.




He was killed in a flying accident in a Supermarine Seafire Mk III of 807 Squadron in Egypt. So far the details have not been found.

The Bury Free Press of 9th February 1945 reported:-
Death of Lt. Blanchard - Old Culfordian's Brilliant Career

News has recently been received that Lt.(AS), Allen George Blanchard D.S.C., R.N.V.R. has been killed in action. Lt. Blanchard was the only son of the late Mr George Blanchard (who was on the staff of the National Provincial Bank, Bury St.Edmunds) and of Mrs Blanchard, who in recent years has been resident in Hull. Mr and Mrs Blanchard have had many friends in Bury St.Edmunds, particularly amongst the members of the Trinity Methodist Church, while Mrs. Blanchard has been a Governor of the East Anglian School for girls and was a keen worker for the Bury Y.M.C.A.
A BRILLIANT RECORD - Lt. Blanchard was at Culford School from 1929-1939. He was Captain of the School and of the Hockey eleven, and, on leaving Culford, was articled with a firm of chartered accountants at Hull. He joined the Fleet Air Arm in the summer of 1940, and on completing his training as a fighter pilot, took part in Malta convoy operations. He was serving on HMS Eagle when it was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. He was awarded the D.S.C. in the King's Birthday Honours and was recently appointed second in command of a Naval Air Squadron.
In August 1843 he married Miss Muriel Talbot (Corporal W.A.A.F.)of Thorpe Bay, Essex.
HEADMASTER'S TRIBUTE - Dr. J.W.Skinner writes: "The death of Allen Blanchard is a grievous blow. All who knew him, -and particularly those who knew him at Culford - will understand me when I say that he was from every viewpoint, outstanding in his generation. He was able and scholarly; a fine athlete, a leader on whom one could always implicitly rely in any situation. He had a mind that could think clearly, and appreciate deeply, and a heart that could feel for others. He thought of things that are honest, true, pure, and of good report. I knew him intimately all his days, for his family - on both sides- and mine have been the closest friends for three generations. As I watched him develop from his childhood, through his school days, and on to his splendidly gallant career in the Royal Navy, I could not feel anything but pride that I, with others, had had some concern with the shaping of a life so rich with promise. But far above either achievements or his ability was his utterly loveable character. He had, above all, the gift of friendship, in home as in school. He loved 'laughter learnt of friends'. It was his deep friendship for another Old Culfordian, Grenville Day (who also lost his life while serving in the Fleet Air Arm) that induced Allen to offer for the same service. He joyfully and consciously faced the hardest duty, the most formidable danger; and he, like so many of his peers, has given his all for the England he so deeply loved. To his wife and to his mother, to all the members of the Family, all at Culford would offer their deepest, most affectionate, most prayerful sympathy. Their sorrow and their pride we share to the full".




"Oops, I'll try that again"..a 807 Sqdn Seafire attempting a landing on HMS "Hunter"



family stone in Bury St.Edmunds - photo © WMR-92728



photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission.



Allen Blanchard is buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt grave O:156
and commemorated on his father's headstone in Bury St Edmunds Cemetery.

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details

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