Blathwayt, G W
GERALD WYNTER BLATHWAYT
Remembered with honour Vendresse British Cemetery: Plot III, Row C, Grave 9.
He was commissioned into the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1898 and was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery at the outbreak of the Boer War. He was gazetted 10 January 1899 promotion to 2nd Lieutenant. In February 1914 he was posted to 56th Battery, 44th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and deployed with this unit to France in August 1914. He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Aisne. He was initially buried in the gardens of the Chateau Verneuil, and was reburied after the war ended.
There are articles in the Watford Illustrated dated 26 September 1914; in The Dominion newspaper, Wellington, New Zealand, dated 14 November 1914; in the Gloucestershire Echo dated 21 September 1914; and the London Standard dated 2 November 1914.
Son of Arthur Pennington and Mary Constanta (nee THORP) BLATHWAYT of Northwood, Middx; husband of Margaret Aline (nee PICKERSGILL-CUNLIFFE) BLATHWAYT of Haywards Heath, Sussex.
His parents married 23 April 1873 at All Saints and St Peter, Malden, Essex. Mary died 1919 in the Uxbridge, Middx, district aged 73, and was buried 15 February at Holy Trinity, Northwood; Arthur died 28 October 1929 in Northwood aged 81, and was buried 31 October, also at Holy Trinity, Northwood.
Gerald was born 30 June 1879 in Belvedere, Kent, and baptised 17 September 1879 at All Saints, Belvedere. He married 26 October 1911 at St Stephen’s, Kensington, London; they had two children. Margaret never remarried and died 17 January 1978 in Pulborough, Sussex, aged 87.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar
On the 1881 Census, aged 1 he lived in Belvedere, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 11, he lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1901 Census, he was probably serving in South Africa. On the 1911 Census, a Captain in H.M. Forces aged 31, he was stationed at Woolwich Common, London.
Rank
CaptainUnit
56th Battery, 44th BrigadeRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
14/09/1914Age at death
35Place of death
- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)