Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"BLATCHFORD, George Thomas. Private, No. 4452, 9th Battalion. Son of Henry and Mary Blatchford, of Pialba, late of Childers. Enlisted in September, 1915. Went into Enoggera Camp at Brisbane, and sailed January, 1916, for Egypt, where he completed his training. He was despatched to France via Marseilles, and went straight to the firing line, and was killed in action at the battle of the Somme, on the 25th July, 1916." - from Queenslanders Who Fought in the Great War (trove.nla.gov.au)

"BLATCHFORD. — In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Private George Thomas Blatchford, 9th Battalion, who died of wounds in France. 25th July, 1916. Age 22 years and 9 months. 

Though nothing can the loss replace
A dear one taken from our side,
Yet in out sorrow we rejoice,
To think 'twas nobly that he died.
Life's highest mission he fulfilled
And bravely answered Duty's call,
To fight for liberty and right,
And battle for oppression's fall. (Inserted by his sorrowing mother, brothers and sisters).

BLATCHFORD.— In sad but loving memory of our dear brother, George Thomas, died of wounds in France, July 25th. 1916. 

He fell, a hero in the deadly strife:
For King and Country he laid down his life.
Fame was achieved, and he has done his share.
To win those laurels rich and rare,
Which now adorn Australia's loyal race.
Not even time its glory can efface. (inserted by his sorrowing sister and brother-in-law, Marion and William McGibbon, Huxley, lsis.)" - from the Maryborough Chronicle 25 Jul 1917 (nla.gov.au)

George Blatchford enlisted in Brisbane on 20th September 1915. He reported that he had been born at Apple Tree Creek near Childers and at time of his enlistment, he was farming with his brother, Norman, at Dallarnil. George spent some time in a depot battalion at Enoggera before being allocated as part of the 14th reinforcements of the 9th Battalion.

The 9th Battalion was the first battalion raised in Queensland at the outbreak of the war and had spent time in Egypt before being the first men ashore at Anzac Cove on 25th April. The battalion continued to serve in the line at Anzac up until the withdrawal in December 1915. The 9th arrived back in Egypt in January 1916, severely depleted in numbers due to death, woundings and disease. The battalion would have to take on a large number of reinforcements to bring it up to strength.

George and about 100 other reinforcements boarded the “Wandilla” in Brisbane on the 31st January 1916 and disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt just over a month later. The reinforcements marched out to a training battalion before reboarding a ship that would take them to Marseilles and then on to the large British training and transit camp at Etaples in France. By June of 1916, the greatly expanded AIF, which then comprised five divisions of almost 60 battalions of infantry and the associated artillery and machine gun companies had arrived on the Western Front. The plan was to allow the newly arrived Australians to acclimatise to the routines of trench warfare in the relatively quiet sector of the front around Armentieres. When the great battle of 1916 opened on the Somme on 1st July, the British Forces suffered what would prove to be disastrous casualties for very little gain. Unwilling to abandon the plan, the British commander Douglas Haig, urged his forces to push on. By the end of the first week, it was clear that additional resources would be required if there was to be a breakthrough; and as a consequence, the four AIF divisions were ordered south from Armentieres to the staging areas near the village of Vignacourt. Probably at some point during this move, George Blatchford was taken on strength by the 9th Battalion on 12th July.

The first division, which included the 9th Battalion, was to be put into the battle for Pozieres on 19th July. The divisional commander requested a postponement as neither he nor his staff had had time to observe the proposed battlefield. In the end, the plan was amended to have two brigades from the 1st Division attack the village of Pozieres and capture a trench line in front of the village, a light railway line and the part of the village south of the main road.

The men set off from the jumping off tapes at 12:30 am on 23rd July, protected by an artillery barrage. By mid-morning, all of the objectives had been taken and the troops began to consolidate their gains. Sometime during the battle, George received a gunshot wound to the abdomen, almost certainly from a machine gun. He was carried out by stretcher bearers to a British field ambulance where he died of his wounds two days later. George had been with his battalion for 11 days and had no front line experience. George was buried near the field ambulance in what would become the Warloy-Ballion Communal Cemetery.

George had left a will in which he left all of his pay owed by the Army as well as bank balance of almost 75 pounds to his brother Norman with whom he had been in a farming partnership. When it came time for George’s service medals to be distributed, Norman Blatchford informed the authorities that they should be sent to the boys’ mother in Pialba.