GEORGE WILLIAM BLENCO [4076]
DIED AS A POW 19th SEPT 1918
1880-1918
Father Nm: William Blincowe 1851-Oldest Known Ancestor; William Blencowe abt 1729 Mixbury
Mother Nm: Lucy Fortune 1847
Marriage Dt:10 April 1909 to Eleanor Jane Lofthouse, at Skelton Parish Church. Ripon Vol 9a, Pg 153
K comments:
Spouse comments: Eleanor Jane Lofthouse 1884-1974
Children: George Thomas 1909, Joseph William 1909
(Research): GR[B] Ripon March 1880 1881 Census
Birth
1891 CENSUS HUMBERTON YORK
- William Blenco 40
- Lucy Blenco 42
- Mary Ann Blenco 17
- George Blenco 10
- Rhoda Blenco 5/1214 Days
1901 CENSUS MANOR HSE. COTT. BRAFFERTON
Blencoe George Servant Horseman on Farm
1911 CENSUS BRIDGE HEWICK, YORKSHIRE
- Blenco George William head
- Blenco Eleanor Jane wife
- Blenco George Thomas son
- Blenco Joseph William son
|
Lincolnshire Regiment |
Yorkshire Regiment |
WW1
Blenco George William ,1880, Ripon, Private, 4124, 34124, 9076, 28936 , 1/5th Bn. Yorkshire Reg., Lincs. Regiment.
An older man (34) George was with the Labour battalion of the Yorks. Regt. very likely from 1912-1916 and then transferred to the 12th Lincs Regt. Then back to the 12th
Bn. Yorkshire Regt.
- 12th (Labour) Battalion was formed in Brocklesby in July 1916.
- August 1916: landed in France and moved to Lines of Communication.
- April 1917: transferred to Labour Corps as 16th and 17th Labour Companies. Its at this point that the Labour Corps number 9076 may have been assigned to George however he appears to then have moved to the Yorkshire Regt.
The regiments from the National Roll of war medals is:
- 12th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment 28936 Pvt.
- 7th Bn. Yorkshire Regt. 34124
- 12th Bn. Yorkshire Regt. 4124
- 5th Bn. Yorkshire Regt.34124
We do not know when George joined the 5thBn. Yorks but in March 1918 the regiment did suffer large casualties and reinforcements were likely gathered from the UK and overseas battalions ie the Labour Corps.
5th Bn. Movements in 1918
- 1-21st Mar. The 5th Bn. return to the Somme – German Spring Offensive – Battle of St Quentin.
- 22 -31st Mar. German advance towards Amiens – terrible casualties.
- Apr. Somme – to River Lys – Second German offensive – Battle of Estaires.
- 27th May. The Battle of the Aisne – Craonne.
- George’s A Coy of the 5th Bn. was positioned in the frontline.2
- 1 am. The opening German bombardment which began precisely at 1 am on the Californie Plateau and around Craonne obliterated the front line trenches and the dugouts.2
- Communications with neighbouring units were lost. 2
- The 4th Yorks tried in vain to counter-attack and protect the 5ths flank but the bombardment drove them away. After the counter-attacks failed the remnants of the 5th tried to break through the rear but very few men managed to do this successfully.2
- The war diary entry is very scant “Enemy attacked at 4.30 am Barrage commenced 1.am”2
25 Officers reported missing with 638 OR’s missing George was one of these and wounded it seems very badly. Casualties were so bad the battalion was not re-formed for the rest of the war.2
George was captured and led away to a German casualty Station and a then a POW camp hospital.3
- 19th Sept. George was either in the hospital or POW Sanitorium for 3 months but eventually died in September.
SOURCES
- 5th Bn War Diary
- David Blancherd -The Aisne 1918 @foxton44
- International Red Cross Records of POW’s
DETAILS OF BURIAL
Grave Reference II. K. 1. Cemetery Glageon Communal Cemetery Extension
The village of Glageon is about 3 kilometres west of Trelon, 11 kilometres south-east of Avesnes and 56 kilometres east of Cambrai. The Communal Cemetery and Extension lie west of the village.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Glageon village was in German occupation during practically the whole of the War.
The Communal Cemetery was used for the burial of German soldiers and Allied prisoners from September 1914, to August 1918; the Extension was then begun and was used until the following October. The German, American and Italian and a number of French graves have now been removed from both burial grounds but the British and Russian graves remain.
There are now over 300 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 are unidentified.
The Extension covers an area of 2,202 square metres.
MEDALS
Awarded British and Victory Medals
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 about George Blenco
Name: George Blenco
Regiment or Corps: Labour Corps, Yorkshire Regiment
Regimental Number: 9076, 34124
In about 1921-22 wife Eleanor would have received a Plaque (engraved with her name) and a Scroll signed by the King.
Probably more meaningful was a weekly War Widows pension of 13s 9d plus 5s and 4s 2d respectively for the two boys plus the money he accumulated in army pay and gratuity. See Soldiers effects form.
NOTES
Labour Corps regiment and number while CWGC has Lincs. Regt. 28930 as other Regiment.
CWGC and the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War both have George Blenco serving with Lincs Regt.
Gallery
Note: a medal card exists for this man that is not shown in this gallery due to copyright reasons.