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Honorary Brigadier
WILLIAM EDMUND ROBARTS BLOOD, C.B.E., M.C.
Late Royal Engineers 

by 

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, BSAE, P.E., MinstRE
(June 2025) 

Figure 1.  Lieutenant William Edmund Robarts Blood, R.E.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) 

1.  INTRODUCTION 

             William Edmund Robarts Blood had an interesting career in the Army.  He was commissioned in the Royal Engineers about six months after the start of the Great War of 1914-1918 and served throughout the war rising to the rank of Captain.  Following the war he remained in this rank in the Reserve of Officers and was called up to serve again in World War 2.  When he was released from the Army in 1947 his rank was Captain (War Substantive Lieutenant Colonel) and Honorary Brigadier. 

2.  FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information

            W.E.R. Blood was born in Murree, Bengal, India on 20 February 1897.  He was the son of William Perssé Blood (1857-1933) and Marienne Frances Blood, née Robarts (1866-1947).[1]  They had been married in Jullundur, Bengal on 23 January 1888.[2]

William Perssé Blood was an officer in the Royal Irish Fusiliers.  He had been commissioned a Lieutenant in the regiment on 1 January 1881 and was a Captain at the time that young William was born, having been promoted to that rank on 18 April 1888.[3]  Captain Blood had served in the Hazara (1888), Sikkim (1888) and Chin-Lushai (1889-1890) campaigns in India and had been awarded the India General Service Medal 1854 for his service with bars of these three campaigns.[4]

Early Life

            Young William appears to have grown up in India while his father was still serving there.  He may have been educated for some time in India and then later in the UK.  Nothing definitive could be found regarding his education, although it is possible that he attended the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. 

His father was promoted to the rank of Major on 20 May 1898 and by 1901 the family was residing in Frimley, Surrey.  On 31 October 1904 William’s father was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and on 16 August 1910 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.  As a Lieutenant Colonel he had been placed on half pay from the Royal Irish Fusiliers and was employed as a Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at the War Office.[5] 

3.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING

            William Edmund Robarts Blood was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 10 February 1915.  As the Great War had been going on for about six months before his commissioning, he probably received a short or accelerated course of instruction at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham before receiving his first posting.  While he was receiving this training, his father retired from the Army on 26 February 1914.           

4.  GREAT WAR SERVICE

AM Cable Section

            Blood’s Medal Index Card indicates that his first posting was as Officer Commanding AM Cable Section.  This section was organized on 22 November 1915, although its War Diary was opened on 6 August 1915 and was maintained until 26 August 1916.  Presumably, after August 1916, the section ceased to exist or it was amalgamated with another unit. 

Cable Sections consisted of one officer and 35 other ranks of the Royal Engineers. This was made up of:[6]

·         A subaltern (Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant) in command

·         One Sergeant

·         One Shoeing-Smith

·         One Carriage-Smith

·         Three Corporals or 2^nd -Corporals

·         18 Sappers and Pioneers

·         10 Drivers

·         Two Batmen (of the Sappers, Pioneers and Drivers, two would be appointed Lance-Corporals).

The Section would be provided with 12 riding and 18 draught horses. 

Figure 2.  A Royal Engineers Cable Section.

(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

Each section was organised into two detachments, each with one cable wagon and material for laying down and working a cable up to ten miles long. Each line was equipped with a stationary office (essentially, a telephone point) for the starting point and one movable office in the cable wagon.

From information gathered regarding Blood’s war service it is known that he subsequently was posted to the 9^th Divisional Signal Company.  Just when this happened is uncertain.  His Medal Index Card shows that he landed in France on 20 November 1915.  Since it appears that AM Cable Section was still in existence until 26 August 1916, it must be assumed that 2^nd Lieutenant Blood may have been with the section for a portion of that time.  It appears, however, that he was posted to the 9^th Division by mid-August 1916 as he was wounded during the Battle of Bazentin on 17 August 1916.

In 1914, a divisional signal company consisted of a headquarters and four sections.  No. 1 Section was made up of three cable detachments (one of which may have been Blood’s AM Cable Section), each possessing 10 miles of cable and capable of establishing three telegraph offices (‘base’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘travelling’), as well as the staff which manned the divisional signal office. Also possessing four mounted orderlies, eight cyclists and nine motorcycle despatch riders, No. 1 Section had the primary responsibility of establishing communications between divisional and brigade headquarters, and between neighboring divisions. Sections 2, 3 and 4 were each allocated to the infantry brigades, charged principally with connecting brigade and battalion headquarters to one another, and each comprising 1 officer and 26 other ranks. In all, the divisional signal company totaled 5 officers and 170 other ranks.

            By 1918, this number had expanded to 15 officers and 400 other ranks. In the process, a fourth cable detachment had been added in 1915 for the purpose of laying artillery communications, before the headquarters of the Royal Artillery Signal Section and the field brigade artillery sub-sections were absorbed in early 1917. Finally, in 1918 No. 5 (Machine Gun) Section was added, which consisted of 1 officer and 20 other ranks drawn largely from the Machine Gun Corps, and the personnel within the divisional signal company headquarters increased from 1 officer and 44 men in 1914 to 3 officers and 173 men in 1918. 

9^th Divisional Signal Company

The 9^th (Scottish) Division came into existence as a result of Army Order No. 324, issued on 21 August 1914, which authorized the formation of the six new Divisions of K1.[7] It was formed of volunteers, under the administration of Scottish Command. Having been in training at the Salisbury Training Centre since late August 1914, although only gradually were arms and equipment obtained, the recruits of the division were judged to be ready for war by May 1915.

In addition to the Divisional Signal Company, the 9^th Divisions engineers also consisted of the following units:

·         63^rd Field Company

·         64^th Field Company

·         90^th Field Company

The 9^th Battalion (Pioneers), of the Seaforth Highlanders, also provided field engineer support to the units of the division and would be called upon when required to work under the division’s Commander Royal Engineers (CRE).

If 2^nd Lieutenant Blood began his service with the 9^th Divisional Signal Company in about mid-August 1916, then he was not present with the unit for the following actions:

The Battle of Loos (25 September-5 October 1915)

The Battle of Albert (The Somme) (1-13 July 1916)

Blood appears to have remained with the 9^th Divisional Signal Company for the remainder of the war.  The following is a chronology of his war service.[8] 

The Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14–17 July 1916) 

The War Office Casualty List dated 17 August lists Blood as wounded in action, probably during this battle. 

The Battle of Delville Wood (18 July-3 September 1916) 

The Battle of Le Transloy (1-18 October 1916) 

Company losses:  

48437 Sapper Ernest Goulding Draper, killed in action or died of wounds on 24 October 1916.[9] 

2^nd Lieutenant Blood was promoted Lieutenant on 23 December 1916. 

The First Battle of the Scarpe (9-14 April 1917) 

Company losses:  

46779 Corporal T.E. McNally, D.C.M., killed in action on 12 April 1917.

44463 Driver W.T. Topham, killed in action or died of wounds on 23 April 1917. 

The Second Battle of the Scarpe (3-4 May 1917) 

The Battle of Menin Road (20-25 September 1917) 

Company losses: 

23535 Sergeant Malcolm McLean, killed in action on 22 September 1917.

198127 Lance Corporal H.N. Pincott, M.M., killed in action on 23 September 1917. 

The Battle of Passchendaele (12 October 1917) 

Lieutenant Blood is appointed Acting Captain on 23 November 1917 

The Battle of St. Quentin (21-23 March 1918) 

The Battle of Bapaume (24-25 March 1918) 

The Battle of Messines (10-11 April 1918) 

Company losses: 

60873 Driver E. Standing, killed in action on 10 April 1918.

448158 Sapper E. Jones, killed in action on 11 April 1918. 

The Battle of Bailleul (13-15 April 1918) 

The First Battle of Kemmel (17-19 April 1918) 

Company losses: 

49689 Sapper Ernest Soutar Stoddart, killed in action on 17 April 1918.

51037 Pioneer William Jasper Taylor, killed in action on 17 April 1918.

219332 Driver Thomas Louis Chadwick, killed in action on 18 April 1918.

191573 Pioneer W. McFaul, killed in action on 18 April 1918. 

The Second Battle of Kemmel (25-26 April 1918) 

Company losses (in the preparatory phase of the battle: 

56964 Sapper Robert Gerald Dykes, killed in action on 24 April 1918.

267904 Pioneer John McPhail Stewart, killed in action on 24 April 1918. 

Figure 3.  The Area of the Battle of Lys, 1918)
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia) 

            The battle of Lys, between Ypres and Armentieres, was fought in the British Second Army area between 10 and 29 April and included the actions at Messines, Bailleul, Kemmel and Scherpenberg.  These were the costliest battles of the war for the 9^th Divisional Signal Company, with the unit losing 10 men killed in action. 

The Battle of Scherpenberg (29 April 1918)

Company losses during June 1918: 

26958 Sapper Frederick Charles Carpenter, killed in action on 13 June 1918.

40851 Sergeant Samuel Albert Cartwright, killed in action on 13 June 1918. 

Acting Captain Blood was promoted to the substantive rank of Captain on 24 September 1918. 

The Battle of Ypres (28 September-2 October 1918) 

The Battle of Courtrai (14-19 October 1918) 

During the period 26-27 October 1918 the 9^th Division was withdrawn from the line for rest and remained so until the Armistice on 11 November.  On 4 December 1918 the division was selected to advance to the Rhine as part of the occupation force and crossed into Germany, taking up a position in the Cologne bridge head.[10] 

Captain Blood was mentioned in despatches on 23 December 1918 and the 9^th Division began demobilization in February 1919.  On 3 June 1919 Blood was awarded the Military Cross[11] and on 23 June he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.[12] 

5. INTERWAR YEARS 

Captain Blood returned home as the 9^th Division was being demobilized.  On 6 November 1919 he married Eva Gwendoline Olive Clarisse Mends Harrison (1890-1981)[13] at the parish church, St. Marylebone, London. 

Blood was not released from the Army immediately upon the demobilization of his unit.  On 19 April 1921 he was appointed a Staff Captain at the War Office and he continued to serve in the Reserve of Officers.[14]  The 1921 Census of England shows the following composition of the Blood family: 

NOTE: William and Eva appear to have named their son after the famous general, Sir Bindon Blood.  Sir Bindon may have been within the blood line of William, but no connection could be found during this research.  

Figure 4.  Sir Bindon Blood.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia) 

William Blood returned to civilian life and in 1932 he was the Director of Mavat Limited.[15]  The business of this company is not known and the company no longer exists today. 

In 1938 Blood and his family were residing in the Wandsworth District of London (Clapham, Putney and Streatham) and in 1939 he was the Managing Director of Public Works Contractors in Wandsworth.[16]  While employed in his civilian business he also maintained the rank of Captain in the Reserve of Officers.[17] 

6. WORLD WAR 2 

Soon after the start of World War 2, Captain Blood was recalled to active service.  On 23 February 1940 he was appointed an Acting Lieutenant Colonel and was assigned duties as an Assistant Director of Fortifications and Works at the War Office.  On 27 March 1940 he was promoted to the rank of War Substantive Major and on 13 June 1941 he was appointed an Acting Brigadier in the Reserve of Officers – Specially Employed.[18] 

On 13 December 1941 Blood was promoted to the rank of War Substantive Lieutenant Colonel and was appointed a Temporary Brigadier with duties related to construction and general engineering (including field and road companies), presumably at the War Office.[19] 

Temporary Brigadier Blood arrived in Baltimore by air on 18 September 1942 en route to Washington, D.C. where he took up his duties as Chief Engineer on the British Army Staff.[20]  For his service during World War 2 he was made a Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E.) on the Birthday Honours list of 2 June 1943.[21] 

On 26 April 1947, 10229 Captain (War Substantive Lieutenant Colonel) Reserve of Officers William Edmund Robarts Blood was granted the honorary rank of Brigadier, having exceeded the age limit of liability to recall.[22] 

He died on 14 March 1976.[23]  No entry could be found for him in a UK Probate Calendar.

            The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Blood’s promotions, appointments, and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army.  They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career. 

7.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

Promotions:  Blood received the following promotions during his time in service:

 Appointments:  Blood received the following appointments during his time in service:

8. MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

For his military service, Honorary Brigadier Blood was awarded (from left to right) Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E.), Military Cross (M.C.), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and French Croix de Guerre. 

Figure 5.  The Medals Awarded to W.E.R. Blood.
(Images from the author’s collection)

NOTE: The medals shown above are not those of Brigadier Blood.  They are presented here for illustrative purposes only. 

Figure 6.  The Medal Index Card of W.E.R. Blood, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

REFERENCES: 

Army Lists 

1.      Hart’s Army List, 1908.

2.      Monthly Army List, October 1916.

3.      Monthly Army List, October 1917.

4.      Monthly Army List, October 1942.

5.      Monthly Army List, April 1944.

Census 

1.      1901 Census of England (RG 13/609).

2.      1921 Census of England.

3.      1939 England and Wales Register.

Civil Documents 

1.      Marriage Certificate.

2.      U.S. Immigration and Customs Form, 18 September 1942.

Family Tree 

1.      William Edmund Robarts Blood Family Tree: Ancestry.com by slehman177.

2.      William Perssé Blood Family Tress: Ancestry.com by slehman177.

Internet Web Sites 

1.      Generals.dk

https://generals.dk/general/Blood/William_Edmund_Roberts/Great_Britain.html

2.      The Long, Long Trail: Cable Sections of the Royal Engineers Signal Service.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/cable-sections-of-the-royal-engineers-signal-service/

3.      Wikipedia: Battle of Bazentin Wood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bazentin_Ridge

4.      Wikipedia: Bindon Blood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindon_Blood

London Gazette 

1.      The London Gazette, 9 March 1917, p. 2384.

2.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 18 January 1918, p. 966.

3.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 December 1918, p. 15037.

4.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 7 March 1919, p. 3126.

5.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1919, pp. 6823 and 6824.

6.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 19 June 1919, p. 7802.

7.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 13 May 1921, p. 3918.

8.      The London Gazette, 22 April 1932, p. 2654.

9.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 June 1943, pp. 2424 and 2425.

10.  Supplement to the London Gazette, 25 April 1947, p. 1816.

Military Documents 

1.      Mention in Despatches Index Card.

2.      Medal Index Card.

3.      UK, WW1 Daily Reports: Missing, Dead, Wounded and POWs, 1914-1918 (Fold3).

4.      Casualty List (Wounded), War Office, 17 August 1916.

5.      India General Service Medal 1854 Medal Roll.

Periodicals 

Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal, Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.

ENDNOTES: