Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Lancashire Landing Cemetery | A. 75. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.117 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 2C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Born at Hampton Hill, Middlesex in 1884, son of the Rev. the Hon. Henry Bligh and the Hon. Mrs. Anne Elizabeth Dobree Bligh (nee Butler).The family has aristocratic origins. In 1891, the family lived in the vicarage at Church Road, Hampton Hill.
His father was also at one time the vicar of Bishops Waltham and upon retirement moved to Winchester. A son of the late Rev. the Hon. Henry Bligh, he was a member of the well-known Kent cricketing family. The present Earl of Darnley was his cousin, and the late Hon. the Rev. E. V. Bligh his uncle.
Education & Career :
Educated at Clifton College and Pembroke College. He played cricket both at Clifton and Cambridge, but was not in either Eleven.
Barrister-at-Law, Mitre Court Buildings (Chambers and resident), London EC, (1909-1911).
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Drake Bn. R.N. Div |
| Action : Gallipoli |
The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.
Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.
Detail :
Listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission registers.
WRC.44.310 See 'Members of the Inner Temple who served in the Great War' Royal Naval Division by Douglas Jerrold, 1923 Bligh, Sub-Lt., Page 157 ... During the period August 15th to November 30th the 1st Naval Brigade alone, in addition to losing four officers killed (Sub-Lieut. Farrow of the Hawke, Sub-Lieut. Bligh of the Drake, and Lieutenant the Hon. Charles Lister and Sub-Lieut. E.H. Gibson of the Hood) ... An account of the memorial in Winchester Cathedral to Edward Henry Swinburne Bligh [Winchester]. 1916. 25pp REEL 12THE FIRST WORLD WAR: A DOCUMENTARY RECORD Series One: European War, 1914-1919, the War Reserve Collection (WRA-WRE) from Cambridge University Library Part 10: The Memory of War http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/first_world_war_series_one_part_10/Contents-of-Reels.aspx Enlisted 7/10/1914 Promoted to Ty/Lt 23/7/1915
Cambridge Jerrold; Page 156-7- Mentions a confused nature of trenchworks that connected with those of the Turks. A recce by Asquith and Bligh (sic) and Bligh is mentioned as 'lost'. Note that Asquith was present at the death of Rupert Brook (Hood Btn). Was Bligh a contempory of that set? WISDEN: LIEUT. EDWARD HENRY SWINBURNE BLIGH (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) was killed in action in the Dardanelles on September 10, aged 31.
In the World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies
Researched & compiled by Don Kindell it shows:
BLIGH, Edward H S, Ty/Lieutenant, RNVR, Drake Battalion, RND, 10 September 1915, Gallipoli, DOW in HS Soudan [Source: http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCasAlpha1914-18B.htm] contradicting: Died in No 11 CCS, Gunshot Wound Head. Bligh was buried by Chaplain J Failes (Captain) who also officiated at the burial of Rupert Brook.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Western Circuit No. 3154 E.C. | London |
| Joined : | Lodge of Economy No. 76 E.C. | Hampshire & IOW |
| Joined : | Old Cliftonian No. 3340 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
11th December 1909 | 8th March 1910 | 10th May 1910 |
Joined Lodge of Economy No. 76, Winchester on 29th March 1911. He was noted as a Barrister and, perhaps the address for his chambers noted. His record in the register at the United Grand Lodge of England shows "Killed in Action 1915". But his Mother lodge was Western Circuit Lodge No. 3154 in London, having been initiated in 1909.
Edward is also cited to have joined the Old Cliftonians Lodge No 3340 on 14th January 1914. A record for Bligh does not appear to be in the Lodge register, but strangely, the sequence of dates stops at 1914 and recommences at 1918, with no reference that it may be included in another part of the register.
Bligh is one of three brethren of this lodge remembered every installation on the Memorial Cup. In Winchester Cathedral North Transept there is a stained glass memorial to him.
Discrepancies (Require checks, clarity or further research) :
Records at the National Archives, Kew: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8642767
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley