Alvan Digby Blanch
Memorial: Iron Acton - St James the Less Church
Regiment: Worcestershire Regiment
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private (Service No. 40263)
Parents: Alvan Thomas and Hannah Maria Blanch
Marital status: Single
Home address: The 1891 and 1901 Census records the family living on Latteridge Lane, Iron Acton. The home address for 1911 was probably the same house/farm.
Pre-war occupation: Assisting on father’s farm
Date of birth: 1891
Place of birth: Iron Acton
Date of death: 05/11/1916
Buried/Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial, (Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.), France
Further information:
Alvan’s birth registration was recorded as Alvin Digby Blanche. Other records sometimes spelt his Christian name Alven.
On the 1911 Census, Alvan D lived with his parents and three older and one younger brothers, all of whom were helping on their father’s farm. At the time of the Census, his parents had 6 surviving children, three of which had left home.
Alvan Digby Blanch, son of Alvan Thomas and Hannah Maria Blanch died on the 5th November 1916 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment (having previously served with the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry). At 11:13 on the 5th the 2nd Battalion attacked out of Hogs Back Trench south west of Morval, along Barritska and Mirage Trenches (the latter found to be full of German dead) towards Le Transloy. Eight officers and 102 other ranks were casualties in the attack and Alvan has no known grave being commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
Alvan Digby Blanch is also remembered on the Chipping Sodbury and District Memorial Cottage Hospital board, now at Yate and District Heritage Centre under Iron Acton.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Yate and District Heritage Centre.
Forces War Records.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Findmypast (Soldiers Died during the Great War, 1901 & 1911 Census etc), Researcher John Davis.