Cyril Francis Blanchard

Rank	Flying Officer
Name	Cyril Francis Blanchard
Position	Navigator
Nationality	New Zealand
Service	Royal New Zealand Air Force
Unit	RAF 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron
Age	31
Service No.	NZ416445
Grave	Rheinberg War Cemetery, 4.E.4

Cyril Blanchard was the son of Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Blanchard of Christchurch, New Zealand. He was born on 28th December 1911 in Christchurch and educated at Christchurch Boys' High School. He later studied at Canterbury University College, gaining an LL.B degree, and after several years as a law clerk in the service of the District Public Trustee, he practised as a barrister and solicitor in his own right.

Service Record
Date	Abbr.	Location
30/09/1941	Enlisted	RNZAF Station, Levin
On completeion of initial training		No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai then Rongotai
		Trained as an Air Observer at Rotorua
27/04/1942		Transferred to Canada on SS Uruguay (formerly SS California) via San Francisco (in San Francisco on 14/05/1942)
11/09/1942	Pilot Officer	Awarded Air Navigator's badge after completing a course at No. 4 Air Observers' School, London, Ontario
11/03/1943	Flying Officer	Promotion
26/10/1943	Sailed to UK	No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth
		Posted to No.2 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Millom, Cumberland
08/12/1942		Posted to No.11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire on Wellington bombers
March 1943		Posted to No.1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishall on Stirling bombers
14/04/1943		Assigned to No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron, Downham Market, Norfolk
26/05/1943		After three operational flights as navigator, he was killed when his Stirling bomber EH887 HA-Z was shot down 8km east of Jülich by Major Walter Ehle of II./NJG1 at 01.55