Lieutenant William Westley Blanden
William Westley Blanden was born on 19 July 1892 at Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, the first of three children of grocer and draper Walter Chinery Blanden and his wife Annie Elizabeth (née Westley). He also had two half-siblings from his father's previous marriage. In 1902, William’s maternal grandfather, William Westley, a retired farmer from Little Wilbraham, died. William’s mother inherited her father’s house, White Hall, in Little Wilbraham, and the family moved in. At the time of the 1911 Census William was living at White Hall with his parents, half-sister, and siblings, and was working as a farmer.
Blanden enlisted in the Suffolk Imperial Yeomanry on 27 March 1908 (No.1174) and then the Suffolk Yeomanry on its creation on 20 May 1908 (No.3018). He gave his age as 17 years and 10 months (an overstatement of his true age).
On 23 September 1915 he sailed with the 1/1 Squadron, Suffolk Yeomanry, to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, landing at Gallipoli on 10 October. There he contracted dysentery – he was invalided home on 10 December and was hospitalised until 29 March the following year.
On 27 August 1916 he was transferred to the Suffolk Regiment (No.40318) and embarked for France, where he joined the 12th Battalion.
Later that year he applied for a commission, with a prefence to serve in a cavalry unit, returning to the UK for officer cadet training on 29 December 1916. On 22 February 1917, after a period of leave, he reported for duty at the No.1 Cavalry Cadet Squadron at Netheravon. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29 June 1917 and posted to the North Irish Horse, reporting for duty at the reserve depot at Antrim on 14 July. He remained there for just over a year.
On 2 August 1918 at a horse show at Balmoral, Blanden won the VC Race for officers, ahead of North Irish Horse comrades A. N. V. Hill-Lowe and W. M. Hunter. Blanden on his horse Jederene also finished third in the 'novice jumping competition over the course for horses never having won a first prize in any jumping competition' (see report and images below).
He embarked for France on 7 September 1918, joining the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment in the field six days later. There he was posted to D Squadron. From 26 September to 4 October he received training at a Lewis Gun School.
At this time the 1st NIH Regiment was serving as corps cyclists to V Corps, and was heavily engaged in the Advance to Victory offensive. The D Squadron diary refers to Blanden leading a patrol to scout German positions on 5 October:
Moved forward to Gouzecourt under orders of 64 Inf Bde 21st Divn to M.32.a.2.4. (57B) and sent out patrols under 2/Lt Blanden to Bonne Enfance Fm and 2/Lt Austin to Montecouvez Fm. Sgt Rainey to Gratte Panche Fm. The first and third reported clear but Montecouvez strongly held by enemy. Patrols rejoined Sqdn at M.35.a where they remained nights of 5th 6th & 7th.
Blanden was promoted to lieutenant on 29 December 1918, was demobilised on 14 February 1919, and relinquished his commission on 8 April 1920.
On 16 February 1926 he married Hilda Blanche Collen in the West Wickham Parish Church, Cambridgeshire. At the time of the 1939 Register they were living at Greenhouse Farm, South Cambridgeshire. William died on 2 February 1982 at The Mount Farm, Horseheath, Cambridgeshire. He is commemorated on the Little Wilbraham memorial in Great Wilbraham Memorial Hall.
Blanden's brother, Herbert Stanley Blanden, and his half-brother, Alfred Walter Blanden, also served during the war. Herbert served as an Air Mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force (No.84565). Alfred, serving in the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (No.7308), was killed in action at Ypres on 15 February 1915.
Belfast News-Letter, 3 August 1918
Silver cigarette box presented to Lieutenant Blanden, inscribed:
WON BY W.W. BLANDEN 2ND LT
NORTH IRISH HORSE
AUG. 2ND 1918
IN THE V.C. RACE AT
BALMORAL SHOW BELFAST
Blanden's cigarette case
Haverhill Echo, 25 February 1982
Some of the above information sourced from the excellent site Little Wilbraham Roll of Honour 1914-1918. My thanks to Robert Mitchell for drawing this site to my attention. Cigarette case and box images Copyright © Phillip Tardif with all rights reserved as set out in this Use of Material policy.
This page last updated 18 September 2026.