Private Antoine Blanchard Blanchette was a 27 year old miner from Thetford Mines, Quebec when he attested into the 12th Battalion at Valcartier in September 1914.

He was one of the hundreds of reinforcements from units in the UK sent in early May 1915 to rebuild the 15th Battalion following the battle of 2nd Ypres in April. He was initially assigned to the Grenade or Bombing Section but later transferred to No. 3 Company in January 1917. In 1915 he fought at Festubert and took part in all that year’s trench tours: Givenchy in June, Ploegsteert in July & August, Hill 63 in August and the long September-December tour on The Messines Road.

In 1916 he fought at Mount Sorrel in June and The Somme in September-October and took part in all that year’s trench tours: January-March back on The Messines Road, Hill 60 in April- May- June & July, Pozieres in September, Carenchy on November and Berthonval in December.

In 1917 he fought at Vimy in April, Hill 70 in August and Passchendaele in October-November and except for a few weeks in September when he was attach posted to the Town Mayors of Bully Grenay and Mailes les Mines, he participated in all the 1917 trench tours: Calonne in January-February, Neuville St Vaast in March, Farbus-Willerval & Arleux in April, Vimy Ridge in June, Mericourt in June, Loos in July, Laurent in September, Avion in October and Lens in December.

In early February 1918 the battalion was conducting its first trench tour of the month in the Loos sector not far from the ground at Hill 70 where the unit had fought the previous August. On the night of February 8th the battalion sent out five patrols into No-Man’s Land. A wiring patrol from No. 3 Company ran into a German patrol resulting in an exchange of grenades and Private Blanchette was killed in action by grenade fragments and a GSW to his chest. His body had to be left behind but was later recovered by Sergeant Butterfield from the battalion’s Intelligence Section (Scouts & Snipers) and he was buried in Bully Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension.