George Blencowe  [4580]

1897-1958

Father Nm: Charles (Leonard) Blencowe [3087] [6007] born 2 May 1869 died 1956 Whitchurch  Shrops ; Oldest Known Ancestor William Blincow abt 1702 Bicester.

Mother Nm: Margaret Winifred O’Hara [10799] 1868-1948.

Marriage Dt:1927, Spouse Surname: Rachel Salt, Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sept 1927, Registration district: Stoke upon Trent, Inferred County: Staffordshire Volume Number: 6b Page Number: 422.

K comments:

WW1: George was one of 5 brothers Albert Edward, Harry, and Francis, served with the Kings Shropshire LI, Percy a Driver with the RHA died of wounds 1917.

WW2: Nephew Dennis James was killed while with the RAF in 1944. Nephews Bryan Henry served with RAF and RAOC, Frank, served with the Royal Artillery, Robert Harry served with the RAF and  John Leonard served the Manchester Regiment.

Spouse Comments: Rachel Hilda Salt. 1895–1973
BIRTH 30 AUG 1895
DEATH JAN 1973 • Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England

Children:

(Research): GR[B] Whitchurch March 1898 JD. Prob GR[D] Stoke vol 9b p 647 March 1958.

Born 5^th Dec 1897 (POW records)

1901 Census 43 Yardington St, Whitchurch

1. Blencowe Albert Son 7
2. Blencowe Charles Head Baker & Confectioner 31
3. Blencowe Charles Son 6
4. Blencowe Francis Son 5
5. Blencowe George Son 3
6. Blencowe Harry Son 1
7. Blencowe Catherine Dau 8
8. Blencowe Margaret Wife Bread Maker 31
9. Blencowe Percy Son 4
10. Blencowe William Son 9

1911 Census 30 Bargates The Gray Hound Whitchurch Shropshire

1. Blencowe Albert Son Apprentice Plumber 17
2. Blencowe Charles Head Baker 42
3. Blencowe Charles Son Errand Boy Saddlers 16
4. Blencowe Frank Son Post Office Telegraph Messenger 15
5. Blencowe George Son 13
6. Blencowe Harry Son 12
7. Blencowe Kate Servant Hospital Worker 19
8. Blencowe Percy Son 14
9. Blencowe William Son Labourer Iron Foundry 18

 

WW1

Blencowe George, 1897, Whitchurch, Private, C1625, 16^thBn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps.

1915

• Nov. Enlisted Nov-Dec 1915 (by serial number sequence)

Medal Card only exists

The serial number C1625 for the KRRC identifies the man as 16th (Service) Battalion, (formerly the Church Lads Brigade), KRRC and date of enlistment of late November or early December 1915 (the closest number on my database is C1633 on the 3^rd December).¹ The 16^th Service Bn. was part of the 100^th Brigade of the 33^rd Division. The 33^rd Division had departed for France in Nov. 1915 and so he would seem that George likely joined them in France after training possibly in spring 1916.

1916

• 15-16^th Jul. High Wood.

  

  “At 8 am on the 15^th July, 33^rd Division launched an attack on the German Switch Line and the western and southern sides of High Wood. Fighting all the way, in support of the 7^th Division, further penetration was achieved until two-thirds of the Wood was in British hands. Later that night the Germans counter-attacked from their Switch Line within, and outside, the Wood. Both 7^th and 33^rd Divisions were forced to retreat within the Wood. British reinforcements improved the situation, but the Wood was by no means clear of Germans when 33^rd Division again attacked from the south behind an artillery barrage. Ravaged by machine-gun fire inside and outside High Wood, and long-range artillery fire, the troops stumbled around in the Wood and along the fringes lacking coherence, direction and an effective means of communication. The Germans slowly regained the Wood and on the 16^th July the British withdrew, having suffered a total of 2,500 casualties.”¹⁰

  “The 100^th Brigade attacked with the 9^th Highland Light Infantry on the left, in the front line, the 16^th KRRC being in support. The Highland Light Infantry was held up from the start by enfilade fire from High Wood. The Queen’s reached the enemy’s wire and found it uncut. Our 16^th Battalion was then put in to fill the gap between the two regiments. They advanced 1,000 yards over the open and lost heavily. Colonel Wyld was wounded and Captain E Wenham succeeded to command. The Battalion behaved most gallantly in this, its first big fight, and eleven Military Medals were awarded to NCO’s and riflemen for their conduct in the attack.”⁵

• 

1917

• 23^rd Apr.Arras, The action on the Hindenburg Line.

  

  On April 23^rd the 33^rd Division attacked a section of the Hindenburg Line between Croisilles and Fontaine-lez-Croisille.² The attack was made towards the north-east, astride the Sensee River, with the 100^th Brigade on the right, the 98^th on the left.³ The 16^th KRRC were supporting the 1^st Queens attack which started from either side of the Croisilles/Fontaines Les Croisilles road towards the Hindenburg line and failed for a number of reasons.² Both battalions suffered very heavy losses in officers and other ranks. Casualties were 13 officers killed, wounded or missing out of the 14 who began the attack, losses among the other ranks were 26 killed 101 wounded and 308 missing. 7 of the officers were reported as German prisoners of war.⁴ CWGC gives 76 killed for this day.⁹

• 20^th May. Hindenburg Line. The 16^th K.R.R.C, which had been out of the line since the affair of April 22/23, took part in another attack against almost the identical part of the Hindenburg Line where they had had such an unfortunate experience the month before. They behaved as gallantly and had as bad luck as on the former occasion. The Brigade attacked with the 2^nd Worcestershire on the right, the Glasgow Highlanders in the centre, and the 16^th K.R.R.C. on the left; the 1^st Queen’s being in reserve. The advance began in a thick mist, and there was no bombardment. The surprise was complete, and they took the first line almost without resistance, so presumably, the wire had been well-cut. The barrage then came down on the enemy’s second line, and the advance was resumed under it. This line was strongly held, and the two leading companies were driven back on the other two, which were holding the German front line. The Battalion started consolidating this line with posts thrown out to the front, under heavy artillery fire all the time. At 10 a.m. orders came to prepare to renew the attack. The Battalion started making preparations to comply, though it had already lost nearly half its numbers. In the afternoon the orders for the 100th Brigade to attack were cancelled, and they were informed that two battalions from another brigade would pass through. This attack failed too. Consolidation went on all the next day, and the line was heavily shelled. On the night of the 22nd/23rd, the Battalion was relieved.³ The CWGC reports 56 men killed,⁹ this extract says fewer men killed and the wounded were 133 with  55 men missing.
• 24-27^th Sept. The Third Battle of Ypres.

  

  • 25^th Sept.German Counter Attack. Return-fire from the 33^rd Division and the 15^th Australian Brigade along the southern edge of Polygon wood, forced the attackers under cover around some of the Wilhelm line pillboxes, near Black Watch Corner, at the south-western edge of Polygon Wood. German attempts to reinforce the attacking troops failed, due to British artillery observers isolating the advanced German troops with artillery barrages.³
  • 26-27^th Sept. High command ordered the attack scheduled for 26^th September to go ahead but modified the objectives of the 33^rd Division. The 98^th Brigade was to advance and cover the right flank of the 5^th Australian Division and the 100^th Brigade was to re-capture the lost ground further south. Casualties in the 33^rd Division were so great that it was relieved on 27^th September by the 23^rd Division, which had only been withdrawn on the night of 24/25 September.³

1918

• 10-11^th Apr. German Offensive at Lys, The Battle of Messines. As the weather conditions began to improve after the winter, a second phase of the offensive, codenamed “Operation Georgette” in the German plan was the start of the Battle of the Lys (9^th – 29^th April 1918).The 100^th Brigade of the 33^rd Div. Involved in this tactical withdrawal from Messines. Do not know if the 16^th KRRC were involved.
• 13-15^th Apr. German Offensive at Lys. The Germans drove forward in the centre, taking Bailleul, 12 kilometres west of Armentières, despite increasing British resistance. Plumer assessed the heavy losses of Second Army and the defeat of his southern flank and ordered his northern flank to withdraw from Passchendaele to Ypres and the Yser Canal.⁶
• 13^th Apr. George captured at Neuve Eglise– The Battle of Bailleul. At dawn next morning (April 13^th ) the Germans attacked in force, Behind an intense barrage, a dense wave of the enemy advanced from Le Romarin and Rue du Sac. During that fight, another force of the enemy entered the western end of the village but was driven out by the Glasgow Highlanders. Fierce and confused fighting lasted all the morning on the slopes south of Neuve Eglise. Two companies of the Glasgow Highlanders established and held a position north of Kortepyp Cabaret. Two other platoons of the Highland battalion reported to Colonel Stoney and aided in the defence of the village. But a wide gap existed between Kortepyp Cabaret and the front line of the 2^nd Worcestershire; for the 16^th K.R.R.C.had almost ceased to exist. A remnant of that battalion, three officers and forty men, fell back about midday to a position astride Leinster Road at Buston Farm, and “B” Company wheeled back from its trenches into line with them; but it was clear that the original position could not be held much longer, and about 2.0 p.m. Colonel Stoney determined to draw back the front line companies from the “Army Line” trenches to the outskirts of Neuve Eglise.

  

• It appears from POW records that George may have been Medic or Stretcher bearer when captured. At this stage its likely that George who was wounded or was surrounded and captured. The Red Cross records record him captured this date and at a later date in a German POW camp at Dulmen.

  

• At Dulmen POW camp in Westphalia initially, he was transferred to Münster III also in Westphalia which was a Kaserne or army barracks.
• 24th Dec, Reported arrived home from Germany on 24th December 1918.
  

Sources

1. Paul Nixon @ armyservicenumbers.blogspot.ca
2. Forum at The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War, 1914-1918.
3. Volume V of the Annals of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
4. Report of the G.O.C. 33rd Division.
5. King’s Royal Rifle Corps-Regimental History.
6. Wikipedia
7. Historical Factsheet Church Lads Brigade -16th KRRC
8. With the CLB in France-Rev. James Duncan
9. CWGC deaths database at http://www.hut-six.co.uk
10. The Woods And Copses: Nature’s Fortresses of the Somme on the Western Front.
11. Dülmener Heimatblätter – Hefte – Issue 2_2002 – My conscientious 1915-18 a report on the Dulmen POW Camp translated pdf.

Medals

British and Victory medals awarded

After the War

1921 Census

Not found maybe still with Army.

1939 Census

Address: 101 Newlands St.
Residence Place: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
Occupation: Salesman & Filler Railway Dept

Alfred Salt
Rachel Salt
Geo Blencowe
Rachel H Blencowe

Death 1958 age 60

Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, Volume:9b, Page:647.

Gallery

Note: there is 1 record that exists for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.