Canadian nonagenerian seeks family of friend he made in 1940s Eltham Boys Home

Les Blanchard has lived in Vancouver, Canada for over 50 years, but is keen to reconnect with friends he made in Eltham and Stratford during his childhood.

It’s been many years since Les Blanchard was in Taranaki, but his memories of his time in the region remain “very special” to him, he says.

Now aged 92 and living in Canada, Les is in the process of writing his life story for his family, and as he reflects on his time as a child in Taranaki, he has started thinking of the friends he made while living in the region.

Les spent some of his early years in the Salvation Army Mercy Jenkins Eltham Boys Home in Taranaki, and is hoping to find any family members of a friend who also lived there - James Frederick Dodd.

“James and I attended Eltham Primary School together. James was a year younger than I was, and he left the home in 1943, I think, which was before I spent three years studying at Stratford High School.”

Les and James both lived in Eltham Boys Home in the early 1940s.

Les says he and James did not stay in contact, and it was only when he began to research his own early years that he discovered James had died and been buried in the Kopuatama Cemetery in Stratford.

“I would love to hear from any surviving members of James’s family. I have spoken with the Stratford local historical society, who were able to tell me he did have a family, and at some point they lived on Pembroke Street in Stratford, but I don’t know if any of them still live in the town today.”

Les is also keen to hear from anyone else he may have known or been friends with when he lived in Taranaki.

“I spent the first 16 years of my life in Taranaki, and those days - where I got a good start in life - were very special to me.”

Anyone who can help Les can get in touch with him by email at: doreles@telus.net.