Blencowe Arthur 1885

Arthur Blencowe

Killed in Action 10 Apr 1917.

1885-1917

Father Nm: Frederick William 1863-Oldest Known Ancestor: Thomas Blencowe abt 1475 Marston St Lawrence.

Mother Nm: Elizabeth Lathbury 1864.

Marriage Dt:1908 to Mercy Reynolds at Brackley, Vol. 3b Page 3.

K: Brother Albert served with the Bedfordshire Regiment.

WW2 Son Arthur George served with the Oxford and Bucks Regiment, Daughter Edith Mary was an Air Raid Warden in Northampton in WW2

Spouse comments: Mercy Reynolds 1883-1971.

Children: Edith Mary 1911, Phyllis May 1914, Arthur George 1916.

(Research): GR[B] Brackley Sept 1885 JD 1891 Census.

1901 Census Cross Lane Brackley

1. Fredk W Blencowe 38 Tin Smith
2. Elizth Blencowe 36
3. Arthur Blencowe 15 Telegraph messenger
4. Walter Blencowe 13 Errand boy
5. William Blencowe 11
6. Kate Blencowe 9
7. Amy Blencowe 7
8. Hilda Blencowe 5
9. Albert Blencowe 2
10. Ethel Blencowe 3 Months
11. Harry Lathbury 13

1901

Appointed to Post Office as an Assistant Postman.

1904

Transferred from Brackley to Purston as a Rural Postman.

1911 Census Living At Manor Road, Farthinghoe next to Purston

1. Blencowe Albert Brother M 1899 Brackley 12
2. Blencowe Arthur Head Postman M 1886 Brackley 25
3. Blencowe Mercy Wife F 1885 26
4. Blencowe Alfred Brother M 1903 Brackley 8

 

WW1

Blencowe Arthur , 1885, Brackley, Private, F/3507  27^th Bn. 4^th Bn. Middlesex Regiment.

Pre-war had served for 4 years as a Sergeant in the Oxford and Bucks LI as a Territorial.

1915

• 10^th Dec. Enlisted at Brackley age 30 yrs 6 months. The prefix of F in Middlesex Regt. the number indicated that he was a member of Football Bn. which was the 17^th Bn. Middlesex Regt. or in this case the Reserve Bn. for the 17^th the 27^th Bn. Home Address: 3 Bridgewater Cottages Occ. Postmaster.
• 10^th Dec. On Army Reserve.

1916

• 6^th Jun. Mobilised.
• 4^th Oct. Posted to BEF France.
• 15^th Oct. Joined 4^th Bn. Middlesex Regiment 63^rd Bde. 37 Division at Ablain St Nazareth in the Souchez Sector. Arthur one of 133 reinforcements joining the battalion this day.

  

• 13-18^th Nov. Battle of the Ancre. The 37^th Division was initially in reserve, then on the 15^th took over the line at the captured village of Beacourt.

• 

1917

The Battle of Arras was an Allied offensive from 9 April – 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front.

• • 9-10^th Apr. Battle for Arras. Reported missing on 10^th April 1917 while with 4^th Bn. The 37th Division (Arthur’s 4th Bn. included) advanced towards Monchy-le-Preux south-east of Arras. The 4th battalion made their move in the late afternoon first to Battery Valley, then to a small road where they dug for cover and then ordered to attack towards H29. B. Progress was very slow because of machine gun and artillery fire by 2am then were only prtially advance and a whole16 hrs to get to line shown dotted on the map. Arthur was reported missing on the 10th and so he may have been killed at any point on this route.

• What we know from War diary records for 4th Middlesex regiment
  • Early on 10 April the battalion moved forward near the Sunken Road and Orange Hill.
  • At 10:30 a.m. orders were received to advance towards Lone Copse Valley and then toward Monchy.

    

  • The advance was subjected to intense artillery and machine-gun fire.
  • By 3:30 p.m. only fragments of the attacking battalions had reached the objective area.
  • At 6 p.m. the brigade line was established along the crest overlooking Lone Copse Valley.
  • The battalion was reorganising because of casualties during the evening.
• Where was Arthur  killed ? There seem to be two likely spots with the first scenario the higher probability that was
  • • his body may never have been identified;
    • burial parties may not have reached him;
    • later shelling may have destroyed the grave.

1. Killed on the Initial Approach . This is were we know the battalion came under intense artillery fire.

If Arthur was killed by shellfire:This is the single most common explanation for men recorded as “missing” on 10 April.

2. Killed near H29.B or Lone Copse Valley

• • • • he may have lain between British and German positions;
      • recovery may not have been possible for several days;
      • German burial parties may have buried him as an unknown soldier.

• 10^th Apr. Reported Missing initially and then  Killed in Action this day.

 

Burial

There is no known grave for Arthur Blencowe he is commemorated instead at

ARRAS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France

Grave Reference / Panel Number
Bay 7

Location
The Arras Memorial is in Faubourg-d’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.

 

Son of William (sic) and Elizabeth Blencowe, of Cross Lane, Brackley; husband of Mercy Blencowe, of 3, Bridgewater Cottages, Manor Rd., Brackley, Northants.

Medals

Awarded the British and Victory medals.

Reference: British Army medals. Blencowe Arthur Middlesex Regiment Private F/3507  E/1/Roll 102B6 page 906

In about 1921-22, Mercy Blencowe would have received a Scroll and Plaque from the King.

Arthur is also remembered at the Brackley War Memorial.

Mercy Blencowe and Children 1917 Onwards

The loss of  her husband and the father to their young children was a traumatic event no doubt, but this was now to be compounded by poverty. The Army remarkably given the number of deaths they were dealing with quickly authorised a war widows pension and it was effective from 31 Dec 1917 and communicated to Mercy in January 1918.

The award was split thus

• Mercy: 13s 9d
• Edith: 5s
• Phyllis: 4s 2d
• Arthur George: 3s 4d
• Total: 26s 3d per week

she received 26s 3d pension − and would have spent approximately 20s 6d for food  leaving only about 5s 9d left to pay for; 

• rent
• coal/fuel
• lighting
• clothing
• boots
• soap and household necessities
• school-related expenses
• transport
• medical needs
• anything unexpected.

Food prices after the war were very high so this situation eased a bit but it’s remarkable to think she kept  the family together. 4 years after Arthur’s death ie 1921, they are all in one household in Brackley, the  children are 4-12 in age so no chance that Mercy can take work even if it was available. By 1939 the children have left home and Mercy still in her own dwelling is working has domestic help , the pension being reduced progressively as the children reach 16.

Sources

• Ancestry
• The Great War Forum
• National Archives Army Records  note: Arthurs Army Service records are intact

• Seebohm Rowntree and the measurement of poverty, 1899-1951

• Daphne Austen Blencowe One Name Database
• Claude AI for map verification sources and one photo id

Note: Army records have Arthurs file under Arthur James Blencowe but I can’t find any other records that use that middle name.

Further Reading

Vimy Ridge and Arras: The Spring 1917 Offensive In Panoramas Barton, Peter. Year/Format: 2009, Book, 312.

Gallery

Note: there are 13 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.