John ‘Jack’ Elmer Blencowe  [10736]

1893-1953

Father Nm: William George Blencowe 1865 Gawcott; Oldest known ancestor John Blinco 1798 England.

Mother Nm: Grace Irene Blodgett 1865 Gawcott.

Marriage Dt:1945 to Eleanor E Loucks.

K comments: Brother George William served with the 596^th Infantry. Two other brothers Hubert and Bertram were drafted but probably didn’t serve.

Spouse: Eleanor E Loucks.

Birth

6 November 1893 Erwin Township, Steuben, New York

1900 Census Erwin, Steuben, New York

1. William Blincowe 35
2. Grace Blincowe 34
3. George Blincowe 9
4. Eva Blincowe 8
5. John Blincowe 6
6. Philip Blincowe 4
7. Bertram Blincowe 2
8. Hubert Blincowe 7/12

1910 Census Erwin Steuben NY

1. William Blencowe 46
2. Grace Blencowe 45
3. Emma Blencowe 18
4. John Blencowe 16
5. Philip Blencowe 14
6. Bertran Blencowe 12
7. Hubert Blencowe 10
8. James Blencowe 4

312th Infantry Regiment Collar badge	78th Division

WW1

Blencowe John Elmer, 1894, New York, Private First Class, 1737424, 312^th Infantry Coy F, 78th Division.

1918

• 1^st Apr. Enlisted at Camp Dix New Jersey, with the 312^th Infantry, which was part of the 156^th Infantry Bde., 78^th Division AEF.

  

• 23^rd Apr. Jack was mobilised at Camp Dix, New Jersey. The 78^th Div. consisted of four Infantry Regiments – the 309^th, 310^th, 311^th and 312^th and three Artillery Regiments – the 307^th, 308^th and 309^th.
• 20^th May. Records show that this day Jack and 312^th Infantry Coy. F along with Coy. E travelled by train to Boston and embarked for Europe on the ship SS Winifredian.

  

• 2^ndJun. SS Winifredian came under submarine attack, but British destroyers took care of the submarines. The 312^th Infantry disembarked in England went to Folkestone stayed for just a few days before embarking to Calais and then on to Senlecques for training by British troops.
• 10^th May-6^th Jun. The entire 78^th Division arrived at different English ports. They soon thereafter departed for France. After training with British instructors at St Pol behind the Arras front in France, the 312^th was ordered to St Mihiel.
• 27^th Aug. Moved from Jonvelle and marched for 2 days to reach the village of Germainvillers and billeted there.
• 2^nd Sept. Marched overnight to Bilgneville then onto Dolaincourt.
• 10^th Sept. By truck all night through Neufchateau and Toul to a large woods near Domevres-en -Hey.
• 11^th Sept. By truck again overnight arriving on the 12^th at Bois de Larappe.
• 12^th Sept. St. Mihiel Offensive. Positioned as Corps reserves behind the 2^nd, 5^th, and 90^th Division in the front. The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by General Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. This meant that their artillery was out-of-place and the American attack proved more successful than expected.

  

• 10^th-15^th Oct. Argonne-Meuse Offensive. The 312^th Inf. marched to the Argonne and remained in Reserve behind the Grandpre Front.
• 15^th Oct. 78^th Div. takes over the line from 77^th Div. the 312^th Inf. facing directly Grandpre, with other units of the 156^th Bde. facing Chevies, Bois des Loges and Cote 182. Grandpre and Bois des loges were enemy Machine Gun nest traps making attack deadly.
• 16^th -25^th Oct. Argonne-Meuse Offensive (Grandpre) The 312^th and the 78^th Div involved in attacks at Champigtieulle, Grandpre, Bois des Loges. At 06:30 hrs on the 16^th Oct. the 2^nd Bn. of the 312^th began attacking Grandpre the enemy had previously beaten off units of the 77^th Div. and were lodged in the upper floors of buildings in the town. However, by 11:00 hrs the 312^th had captured 34 prisoners and taken half the town. It took five days of house-to-house fighting to complete the capture of the rest of the town, except the citadel. Further west, 1^st Bn. 312^th, and a machine gun company, forded the river in the morning under heavy machine gun and artillery fire, with difficulty, established liaison with the French at Echaude Farm and dug in along the Grandpre-Termes Road.

• 23^rd Oct. Capture of Grandpre. After a couple of days of planning after failing to take their targets the 312^th again stormed Grandpre. The attack on Talma Hill was successful. The battalion objective was gained and patrols sent out along the southern edge of the Bois de Bourgogne. Seventy-eight prisoners were taken on the citadel, one man in Company K, 312^th, taking 47 of them out of one dugout. While the full objective set for this attack was not reached, two of the three points which make up the stronghold of Grandpre were taken; Talma Hill and the Citadel in Grandpre.

• 24^th Oct. The 312^th was relieved of its position and went into Div. reserve. The capture of Grandpre and the Bois-Loges by the 78^th Div. was the breaking of the Hindenburg Line the pivot of the German defence.

Note: The brothers George W and John E Blencowe were both in the Argonne Forest in October, most likely after the war, these were times remembered from the war together.

• 1^st Nov. Ferme des Loges. In an attack on German firing positions, 312^th Inf was able to attack the Ferme des Loges with grenades and put out a number of the guns.
• 2^nd Nov. The Pursuit Toward Sedan. On the left, contact was gained with the enemy just as he was withdrawing from Boult-aux-Bois. A patrol, followed by Company C, 312^th, entered the town and followed the Germans north to Belleville-sur-Bar, which they captured at noon. At Boult-aux- Bois, our men joined up with the happy, rejoicing French troops, who had come upon the west side of the Bois de Bourgogne. Further east other troops of the 312^th, had driven the enemy out of Germont at 09:30 hrs, and then advanced detachments north through Authe toward Brieulles-sur-Bar and west toward Chatillon-sur-Bar.
• 4^th Nov. Leading elements of the 312^th Infantry also reached Les Petites Armoises, advancing via Bazancourt Farm from Chatillon and maintaining contact with the French.
• 5^th Nov. The 312^th Infantry occupied the line to the northwest of Tanney, connecting with the French, who in the meantime had advanced abreast of our line, on the west side of the Ardennes Canal. On the afternoon of the 5^th our line, therefore, extended, on the left, from the Ardennes Canal northwest of Tanney, across the Tanney-Sedan road just south of the Bois du Mont Dieu, along the high ground east of Tanney, and thence southeast through the town of Sy.
• 11-13^th Nov. The Armistice. The division was billeted in several small villages radiating from Ste. Menehould. Here they were given bathing facilities and new underclothing was issued. All attention was centred on cleaning up during these three days. Refreshing baths, clean clothes and these few nights peaceful sleep put all hands in high spirits again.
• 18^th Nov. Div moved south and billeted in Les Laumes area.

1919

• 3^rd May. Castres-Gironde.
• 11^th May. Returned to the USA on SS Montpelier from Bassens. Name: John E. Blencowe
  Departure Date: 11 May 1919
  Departure Place: Bassens
  Arrival Date: 25 May 1919
  Arrival Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  Residence Place: Painted Post New York
  Father: William Blencowe
  Ship: MONTPELIER
  Military Unit: CO F #312th INF
  Rank: Private First Class
  Service Number: 1, 737, 424
  Notes: COMPANY “F” 312th INFANTRY.
  
• 31^st May. Honourably discharged to home.

Sources

1. Company “E”, 312^th Infantry, 78^th Division in France.
2. The History of the 78^th Division.
3. American Armies and Battlefields in Europe, Library of Congress 1938.

Medals

Jack entitled to the Victory medal with at least the St Mihiel, Meuse Argonne Offensive and Defensive clasps, plus the New York State Service Medal

After the War

1. 1930 Erwin, Steuben, New York, Age: 36; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Head.

   

   

1935 Riverside, Steuben, New York

1. Age: 42

1940 Census living with brother George in Erwin, Steuben, New York

1. John E Blencowe 46 Relation to Head of House: Head.
2. George W Blencowe 49.

1950 censusName

John E Blencorve Age 56 years and wife Eldara age 32 born New York
Event Date 1 May 1950
Event Place Erwin, Steuben, New York, United States
Event Place (Original) Erwin, Steuben, New York
Enumeration District 51-68A
Birth Year (Estimated) 1894
Birthplace Pennsylvania

Death 4 Jan. 1953 Age: 59

Obituary

GALLERY

Note: there are 2 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.