Blue plaque unveiled for Guernsey ambulance founder
Gary said his father had built up the service from a "second hand ambulance", which a local person sponsored.Mr Blanchford Sr became dedicated to the idea of an ambulance service once he had his accident and the car stopped, as "in any other circumstances he probably would have died".
The local service, which later became St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, was set up on builder's yard on the Rohais in St Peter Port owned by Mr Blanchford Sr's father - a site St John still occupies.At the time, the only other ambulance on the island was run by the States of Guernsey on a part-time basis.Mr Blanchford led his service throughout the German occupation.After the war, he developed the road ambulance, the cliff rescue service and in 1952 launched the world's first marine ambulance, the Flying Christine.Mr Blanchford also introduced the first ambulance radio telecommunications system in the UK, as well as the Inshore Rescue Boat service, the Decompression Chamber and a pioneering radar system, a spokesperson for St John said.Mr Blanchford was made an MBE and OBE, as well as receiving a Gold Lifesaving Medal and the George Medal.He was the subject of an episode the BBC TV show This is Your Life in 1959, a show that celebrated the lives of extraordinary people.
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