Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Doctor Arthur Henry Blunt a surgeon, born in the April quarter of 1865 in Leicester (He was the son of Walter Buswell Blunt and Maria Goodman) and his wife Ellen Blunt (nee Brailsford, married on the 4th June 1889 in St. Barnabas’s Church, Derby), born 1865 in Nottingham. Francis Clifford was born in the July quarter of 1891 in Leicester and was baptised on the 1st December 1891 in the Church of St. Mary de Castro, Leicester, his siblings were Arthur Leslie, born on the 30th May 1890, Philip Kenneth, born in the July quarter of 1892 and baptised on the 1st February 1893 in the Church of St. Mary de Castro, Leicester and Walter Raymond, born on the 13th June 1897 and baptised on the 4th October 1897 in St. Nicholas’s Church, Leicester, all his siblings were born in Leicester, also residing with the family were his paternal grandparents, Walter Buswell Blunt a druggist, born in the July quarter of 1837 in Moulton, Northamptonshire and his wife Maria Blunt (nee Goodman, married on the 7th February 1861 in St. John the Divine Church, Leicester), born in the July quarter of 1838 in Twyford, Leicestershire, in March 1901 the family home was at 133, King Richard’s Road, Leicester. In April 1911 Francis was absent from the family home at 366, Fosse Road North, Leicester, residing there was his father, a surgeon, his mother and siblings Philip, and engineering student and Walter, a schoolboy, meanwhile Francis was employed as a draughtsman and was residing as a boarder at 21, Coundon Road, Coventry, Warwickshire.
Francis’s Army enlistment documents were not researched, and as such all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment, Territorial Force and was posted as a Private to the 1/4th Battalion and allotted the service number 2398. He embarked with his Battalion to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 2nd March 1915, landing at Le Havre the following day. He was discharged to a Commission on the 24th April 1915, and returned to his Battalion to serve as a 2nd Lieutenant. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was wounded in action, and subsequently died from his wounds on the 14th October 1915 while serving with the 1/4th battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He was buried in Chocques Military Cemetery, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 13 Oct-15 - At noon our artillery started to bombard. At 1.00pm our smoke and gas started. At 1.50pm smoke and gas stopped. At 2.00pm artillery lifted and Battalion assaulted the HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. Lieutenant Colonel R. E. MARTIN was wounded early but remained in the fire trench directing operations for nearly 24 hours and until -?- to the dressing station by Brigadier General KEMP. All officers of the Battalion either killed or wounded.
The War Diary records: 14 Oct-15 - In the evening the Battalion was relieved by part of the 139th Brigade and went back to the LANCASHIRE TRENCH. Roll call revealed that 188 NCO’s and men returned.
The Official History of the War – Military Operations (France and Belgium 1915 Volume II) provided the following statistics for the 1/4th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, officers killed 20, other ranks killed 453. Total losses for the day were 138th Brigade, 64 officers and 1,476 other ranks. 137th Brigade, 68 officers and 1,478 other ranks.
On Monday, October 18th, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES – Death of Lieutenant F. C. Blunt. – Dr. A. H. Blunt, of Turret House, Fosse-road, Leicester, received on Saturday the sad news that his second son, Second-Lieutenant FRANCIS CLIFFORD BLUNT, of the 4th Leicester’s, died from wounds on October 14th. The deceased officer joined the Territorial’s after the outbreak of war, and on the completion of his training went to the front. He was home again about Easter, when he received a commission, and had since returned to France.
On Wednesday, October 20th, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – 1st-4th LEICESTER’S IN ACTION. – HEAVY CASUALTIES. – Eight Officers Killed. – It is with profound regret that we have to confirm the rumours that have been so persistently in circulation the last few days, that the 1st/4th Leicester’s have suffered severe losses. The battalion was in action on October 13, and how they suffered may be judged from the list of officers whose deaths have been officially notified to their relatives. The receipt of the news yesterday caused a painful sensation in the town, and the sympathy of all will go out to the relatives of those who have fallen. It is impossible at present to obtain anything like a complete list of the casualties among non-commissioned officers and men. The following are the names and rank of the officers.
KILLED.
Captain PARR, son of Mr. J. G. Parr, veterinary surgeon, Humberstone-gate.
Captain FAIRE, son of Mr. Arthur W. Faire, J.P., county director of the V.A.D.
Lieutenant ROBERT CLIVE HARVEY, son of Col. R. Harvey.
Lieutenant T. WHITTINGHAM, son of the Rev. W. G. Whittingham, vicar of Knighton.
Lieutenant GREEN, son of Mr. Septimus J. Green, Fosse-road Central, of the firm G. Green and Son, shoe manufacturers, Ash-street.
Lieutenant FORSELL, son of Mr. John Thos. Forsell, of Barkby, and carrying on business as a spinner, in Frog Island.
Lieutenant GUY RUSSELL, son of Mr. Walter Russell, of B. Russell and Sons, hosiery manufacturers, Western Boulevard.
Lieutenant WALTERS, son of Mr. Wm. Walters, a director of Messrs. Stead and Simpson’s, boot and shoe manufacturers.
To this list should be added the name of Lieut. BLUNT, whose death in hospital from wounds received in the same action has already been reported.
On Thursday, October 28th, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – The official announcement of the death from wounds of Second-Lieut. F. C. BLUNT, 4th Battn. Leicestershire Regiment (T.F.), which has been published in our columns, is contained in the list of casualties among officers issued from the War Office yesterday.
Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys published a Roll of Honour on the 31st January 1920 in which an entry records that he was a pupil at the school between 1899 and 1904.