Duhallow Cemetery
Duhallow Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Hendrick John Bland, was the second born of 3 sons and had a half-sister Henrietta born August 18th 1885, from his mother’s previous marriage. His father George William Bland born 1854 married widow Henrietta White born 1856 in their home town of Sunderland in 1889. James William was born in 1889, Hendrick John 1892 and George Robert 1894 all in the district of Sunderland. George William Bland died aged 41 years in 1895 leaving his widow with the responsibility of providing for their very young children which she did as a mineral water worker, assisted by Henrietta (15) a tobacco worker, in 1901 they were living at 13, Numbers Garth, Sunderland. By 1911 only Hendrick (18) and George (17) were living at home supporting their mother employed at the shipyard as boilermakers, to increment the family income they had taken in a boarder, 39-year-old dock labourer, John Harrison.
In 1914 Hendrick John was living at home, he left his employment in order to enlist, March 21st 1915 at Sunderland, assigned as Private 878 Durham Light Infantry, joining the 19th Battalion the following day at West Hartlepool. The 19th D.L.I. was a Bantam Battalion formed after the first rush of recruits subsided and the War Office allowed men below 5 feet to serve. The battalion moved from West Hartlepool to Cocken Hall after the 18th Battalion left for the front. Cocken Hall, owned by the Lambton family, had been given over to the war effort as a training camp, where in order to simulate battlefield conditions trenches had been dug and there was a firing range. They remained there before transferring to Masham, in North Yorkshire, as part of the 106th Brigade of the newly formed 35th Division, August 1915 the division moved to Perham Down, Salisbury Plain for final training. In late 1915 they were ordered to Egypt, however, this was cancelled and the division departed with the British Expeditionary Force, January 31st 1916, from Southampton bound for France, landing at Le Havre and concentrating east of St Omer. The Bantams entered the trenches for the first time, February 11th 1916, near Neuve Chapelle, with the 106th Brigade. July 1st 1916 having moved south by train they joined the fighting on the Somme in the trenches at Longueval, however, the Bantams were not used as infantry but were ordered to dig new communication and reserve trenches, under constant shell fire they too counted many casualties. Private Bland was himself wounded by shell fire to the left knee, August 5th 1916, and having been evacuated back through the lines was admitted to the Casualty Clearing Station, August 12th. Once recovered he returned to his unit but suffered several times with bronchitis and asthma until due to ill-heath he was transferred to the 830th Labour Corps, September 4th 1917, with a change of service number as Private 403869, until October 12th 1917, when he returned to the 35th Infantry Base Depot and posted to the 134th Labour Corps, March 7th 1918. Ten days later he was admitted to the 30th General Hospital suffering again with asthma and once recovered was given leave, June 12-22nd 1917.
The 134th Labour Corps had moved by 1918 to Belgium. Private Bland was part of a group of men working at what was known to the men as Clapham Junction. Corporal 802112 G. Martin gave a statement as to what unfolded at a military tribunal held December 9th 1918. He stated, “On 31-10-18 I was in charge of a party of men clearing the road at CLAPHAM JUNCTION on the MENIN ROAD. At about 09.00 hours I heard an explosion and looking round I saw that several…illegible…at once sent for stretchers and stopped a passing lorry…illegible…convey to hospital…illegible…from such of them that were only slightly wounded shovelling mud and debris from the road the…illegible… BLAND came into contact with some explosives.”
Although Private Bland was immediately given help and transported to the 36th Casualty Clearing Station at Brielen, only a short distance away, he succumbed to his wounds en-route and it is recorded that he was, “brought in dead.” having sustained multiple wounds to the head and neck. The medical officer at the C.C.S. completed a report stating, “The injured man was one of a party clearing the road at CLAPHAM JUNCTION (28. J. 13. c. 6. 8.) on the YPRES-MENIN ROAD, The shovel of No,403869 Pte. BLAND came into contact with a fuse or explosive mixture (exact nature of which is not known) hidden amongst the debris, causing the expiation.” It was concluded his death was accidental.
Private 878 Hendrick John Bland Durham Light Infantry is at rest within Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, grave IV. i. 6, he was 26 years of age and single.
News of his demise brought yet another devastating blow to his poor mother, as his brother, Lance Corporal James William Bland serving with the Military Police Corps had died little over 5 months earlier, April 17th 1918, also in Belgium and interred at Gwalia Cemetery, 8.5 kilometres west of Ypres.
As his sole beneficiary Henrietta received all monies due to Hendrick, a pension, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal and Hendrick’s personal effects consisting of, a photo, wallet, watch and a card, sent to her new address of 26, Warncliffe Street, Sunderland, as she was now living next door to her daughter and son-in-law.
Henrietta Bland-White died aged 84 years in 1940, registered in the district of Sunderland.
Her daughter Henrietta married Thomas S, Worthy in 1906 with whom she had a son George William born February 23rd 1907. George William in 1939 is listed as head of the household at Ravensworth Street, Sunderland, a widower employed as a credit draper. Also in the household is his daughter Doreen, a scholar and his parents. Henrietta Worthy nee White (Bland) died in 1967 aged 81 years and it at rest within Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, Sunderland.
George Robert Bland would also have been eligible to serve during WW1, however, no record has been found, he died in 1947 aged 53 years, registered in the district of Sunderland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Hendrick John Bland is remembered at Sunderland in S148.048 Part 05
He is not remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance
