Pte
Thomas John Blampied
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 30/11/1894 |
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Place of birth: Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands |
General information
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Profession: Clerk |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 69085 |
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Enlistment date: 24/11/1914 |
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Enlistment place: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 26th Bn. (New Brunswick) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 19/06/1916 |
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Place of death: Observatory Ridge, Zillebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: Panel 26 - 28. |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Thomas was born in 1894 in Trinity, one of 12 parishes on the Channel Island of Jersey, the son of Charles Blampied and his wife Mary Jane Gallichan. At the age of 15, Thomas emigrated to Canada. His older brother Clement also sailed for Canada and ended up in Saskatoon, where he worked as a clerk for the National Drug & Chemical Company. At the time of his enlistment, Thomas was working as a clerk in Saint John, Brunswick.
In November 1914, days before his 20th birthday, Nicholas enlisted in Saint John, New Brunswick. He was taken on by the 26th Battalion (New Brunswick). In late May 1916, the Canadian Corps occupied the heights near Zillebeke. Its front line ran from the hamlet of Hooge over Hill 62 and Mount Sorrel to the foot of Hill 60. The positions between Mount Sorrel and Hill 62 are the only places at Ypres where the Allies held higher ground than the Germans. It was here that the Allies planned a large-scale attack.
In the morning of 2 June 1916 the Canadian positions were demolished by shelling and in the afternoon the Germans exploded four mines.
Opposite the Canadians were troops of the Kingdom of Württemberg. The Württembergers overran the high ground and on 6 June they once again detonated four mines. Hooge, less than an hour’s walk from the Menin Gate, was taken without significant resistance.
At British HQ alarm bells rang. Ypres was on the point of falling. Additional artillery was sent to Flanders with great haste and suddenly the roles were reversed. After heavy shelling, the Canadians recaptured the strategically important high ground on 13 June 1916.
Thomas was killed in action on 19 June 1916, while manning the newly captured trenches at Observatory Ridge, Zillebeke. He was buried on Observatory Ridge, along with six comrades of his Battalion, including Nicholas Lewis De Lorey, who was also from Saint John and had enlisted the day after Thomas, and one Private of the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders). Their remains were never identified and Thomas is remembered on the Menin Gate. His brother Clement, who had also joined the army, survived the war and returned to Saskatoon. He died there in 1962.
In November 1914, days before his 20th birthday, Nicholas enlisted in Saint John, New Brunswick. He was taken on by the 26th Battalion (New Brunswick). In late May 1916, the Canadian Corps occupied the heights near Zillebeke. Its front line ran from the hamlet of Hooge over Hill 62 and Mount Sorrel to the foot of Hill 60. The positions between Mount Sorrel and Hill 62 are the only places at Ypres where the Allies held higher ground than the Germans. It was here that the Allies planned a large-scale attack.
In the morning of 2 June 1916 the Canadian positions were demolished by shelling and in the afternoon the Germans exploded four mines.
Opposite the Canadians were troops of the Kingdom of Württemberg. The Württembergers overran the high ground and on 6 June they once again detonated four mines. Hooge, less than an hour’s walk from the Menin Gate, was taken without significant resistance.
At British HQ alarm bells rang. Ypres was on the point of falling. Additional artillery was sent to Flanders with great haste and suddenly the roles were reversed. After heavy shelling, the Canadians recaptured the strategically important high ground on 13 June 1916.
Thomas was killed in action on 19 June 1916, while manning the newly captured trenches at Observatory Ridge, Zillebeke. He was buried on Observatory Ridge, along with six comrades of his Battalion, including Nicholas Lewis De Lorey, who was also from Saint John and had enlisted the day after Thomas, and one Private of the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders). Their remains were never identified and Thomas is remembered on the Menin Gate. His brother Clement, who had also joined the army, survived the war and returned to Saskatoon. He died there in 1962.
Sources 6
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"Funerals” (Saskatoon, Star Phoenix, 23/05/1962). Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Passenger Lists, 1865–1935 (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 76-C). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 807 - 56). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 155). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC): RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 47). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/922244 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=ab37b708-2e9b-4e32-8be8-15df6c51b4c7 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/922244 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5582297 |