John Joseph Blencowe [4579]

1898-1984

Father’s Name: John [229] c 30.5.1864 Caversfield died 1911 [7004]Bicester; Oldest Ancestor William Blincow, C1702, Bicester.

Mother’s Name: Matilda Eliza Austin, b. 1868, Blackthorn, Oxfordshire d. Abt Aug 1935, Ploughley, Oxfordshire

Marriage Dt: 1925 Ethel E Harris Bicester.

K comments: Brothers Cyril Albert served with the 4^th Bn. Ox. & Bucks LI and Fred James with RDC and 96^th Territorial Reserve Batt, Dorsets.

Spouse comments: Ethel Eleanor Harris. born 13 February 1904 Bicester died December 1989 Oxford.

Children: Derrick J 1925-2017 and Gerald 1930.

(Research):GR[B] Bicester March 1898.

1901 Census Sheep St Bicester

1. John Blencowe 36 Carter on Farm
2. Matilda E Blencowe 33
3. Frederick J Blencowe 7
4. Cyril A Blencowe 5
5. John J Blencowe 3
6. Thomas W Blencowe 1

1911 Census Bicester 7 Bardwell Terrace Bicester

1. Blencowe Cyril M 1896 15 Bicester Oxfordshire
2. Blencowe Dora F 1903 8 Bicester Oxfordshire
3. Blencowe Fredr M 1894 17 Bicester Oxfordshire
4. Blencowe John M 1898 13 Bicester Oxfordshire Apprentice Outfitter
5. Blencowe John M 1865 46 Bicester Oxfordshire
6. Blencowe Thomas M 1901 10 Bicester Oxfordshire

 

Rifle Brigade

WW1

Blencowe John Joseph, 1898, Bicester, Private, S 13914, 13^th, 8^th & 11^th Bn. Rifle Brigade.

1915

Enlisted in 1915 with the 13^th Service Battalion. This battalion was formed at Winchester in October 1914 as part of Kitchener’s 3^rd tranche of recruitment and attached as Army Troops to 21^st Division. The 13^th Bn. moved in November 1914 to billets in High Wycombe then moved to Andover in April 1915 and transferred to 111^th Brigade in 37^th Division. On 31^st July 1915, they landed at Boulogne and went into Reserve until 1916 at the Somme.

• 12^th Dec. John landed in France and joined the 13^th Bn. as a reinforcement.

John had two more battalions listed in the Rifle Brigade medal roll. We can only speculate as to the timing of the movement between them. It is likely that before or after the Somme he transferred to the 8^th Bn. of the 41^st Brigade, 14^th(Light) Division. What follows is the war history of the 8^th Bn. until it was disbanded (reduced in cadre 27 April 1918).

1916

• 14^th July – 3^rd Sept. The Battle of Delville Wood*  Possibly in Reserve for this battle.
• 15^th – 22^nd Sept.  The Battle of Flers-Courcelette* While no significant role was played by the 8^th Bn. (that I can find) this was a significant victory for British, Canadian and New Zealand forces.

The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

1917

• 16-18^th Aug. The Battle of Langemarck*** 14^th Division was not involved on these dates
• 19^th Aug.

  

  The 14^th Division (II Corps) attacked with a brigade through Inverness Copse, although held up further north by fire from Fitzclarence and L-shaped farms. A German counter-attack forced the British half-way back through the copse but with support from two tanks on the Menin Road, the British held on despite three more German attacks.

• 22-29^th Aug. Battle of Arras, Engaged at Inverness Copse.
  • 22^nd Aug. The 14^th division was ordered to attack Inverness Copse with the 43^rd Bde, on the right, and the 42^nd Bde, with the 41^st Bde in reserve. When the action began the 8th Rifle Brigade was still in camp at Dickiebusch. By 11 am the line into Inverness copse was held, at this time the 8^th Bn. was ordered to Zillebeke Bund to replace the 8^th KRRC who were ordered forward. ¹
  • 23^rd Aug. A German attack was conducted by the 34^th Division, against the 14th Division in the II Corps area, from Inverness Copse to Glencourse Wood, with bombers, light machine-guns and flame-thrower units, which pushed the British back to the line of 22^nd August, between Inverness Copse and Glencourse Wood.²
  • 24-26^th Aug^. In the course of the battle over the next few days, the 8^th Bn. was split and under orders from the 42^nd and 43^rd Brigades. Fighting took place for the 8^th Bn. in Glencourse Wood.¹
  • 27^th Aug. An attack at 04:45 hrs by two tanks and four platoons of the 41st Brigade of the 14^th Division, now under the command of the 23^rd Division, on a trench from the Menin Road for 600 yards (550 m) through the western edge of Inverness Copse failed in the rain and mud, after the tanks ditched at Clapham Junction. The 41^st Brigade was relieved during the night and an attack by the German 32^nd Division was made on the north end of the 23^rd Division front line, which was also a costly failure. 8^th Rifle Brigade 2^nd Lieutenant W.N Sprotson with a platoon of “C” Company was selected to make the attack. Most of his platoon became casualties on the way up to the forming up place and, although reinforced by No. 14 Platoon, the state of the ground and the absence of tanks destroyed any chance of success. The 8^th Bn. was relieved on the 28^th. While labelled “a minor operation” the casualties for the 8^th Bn. was 3 Officers and 112 OR’s.¹

The battles marked ** are phases of the Arras Offensive

1918

• 21^st – 23^rd Mar. The German Spring Offensive.

  

  • 21^st -22^nd Mar. The German attack at St Quentin.+ By midday of the 21^st, the Germans had captured Essigny The 8^th Rifle Brigade were just south of Essigny holding the line there when the German continued its advance. After being overwhelmed there the remains of Bn. and the 14^th Division withdrew to the Crozat Canal at Jussy where their further withdrawal was covered by the 6^th Bn. Northants. The Montange Bridge was blown up partially that day.
  • 23^rd Mar. Early on the morning of Saturday 23^rd, German troops broke through the line in the 14^th Division sector on the canal at Jussy.
  • 24^th Mar. The battle continued throughout the morning along the entire front and at 11:00Hrs the remnants of the 14^th Division were ordered to withdraw further south to the town of Guiscard.
• 4^th Apr. The Battle of the Avre+. The 14^th Division continued its withdrawal to a line nearer to Amiens, The final German attack was eventually launched towards Amiens. It came on 4^th April, when fifteen divisions attacked seven Allied divisions. The 14^th part a mixed bag of British/Australian troops held the line between Thennes and Hangard on the Luce river just north of Moreuil. In the British sector, 18^th and 14^th Divisions, with 9th Australian Brigade, repelled three serious German 228th Division assaults, but around 10:00 hrs an enemy break-in on 14^th Division’s front forced anxious withdrawals to positions barely a mile east of Villers-Bretonneux. At this point eventually on the 5^th the Australian Bn. stopped the German advance.

The battles marked+ are phases of the First Battles of the Somme 1918

• In the above two actions, the Division suffered very severe casualties, losing almost 6,000 troops. XLVI and XLVII Brigades RFA lost all their guns. The Division was withdrawn from the line and placed on the construction of a new defensive line in the rear. On
• 26^th Apr. The infantry battalions were reduced to a training cadre. Various units were temporarily attached before the Division was moved to England for re-establishment on 17^th June 1918. The refreshed Division, although still short on numbers, moved back to France and joined Second Army 2-6^th July 1918.
• It’s at this time it is most likely that John was transferred in the field to the 11^th Battalion Rifle Brigade (59^th Bde 20^th Division) see the next bullet point.
• 20^th Apr. The 11^th Bn. were withdrawn to the area south-west of Amiens and received many new drafts of men during the summer. While the 11^th Bn. continued fighting through to the end of the war there was no significant battles and the CWCG records show only regular but small losses for the battalion.
• 17 – 26^th Oct. The Battle of the Selle.
• 1st Nov. The Battle of Valenciennes.
• 4^th Nov. The Battle of the Sambre.
• 5-7^th Nov. The passage of the Grand Honelle.
• 11^th Nov. At the Armistice, the Division was in the area between Bavay and Maubeuge and later that month the units moved to the Toutencourt-Marieux area.

1919

• Jan-May. Demobilisation of the Division began in January and was complete by the end of May. It is assumed that John experienced the war history as outlined, but caveats are of course he could have been transferred early that Apr. 1918 and he may have missed action because of sickness or war wounds.

Sources

1. Andy Pay at the Long Long Trail war forum.
2. Wikipedia.

Medals

Awarded 1914-1915 Star, British and Victory medals.

After the War

Married 1925

Spouse Surname: Ethel E Harris, Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1925, Registration District: Bicester, Volume Number: 5a, Page Number: 1484.

Sons Derrick 1925 and Gerald 1930 Bicester.

1939 Census

2 Caul Cottage Corner View, Lower Heyford, Ploughley, Oxfordshire

John (J)	Blencowe	16 Jan 1898	Male	Civilian Staff Roof Station Formerly Clothing Salesman	Married	189	1
Ethel E	Blencowe	13 Feb 1904	Female	Unpaid Domestic Duties	Married	189	2

John	Harris	16 Jun 1861	Male	Sawyer Estate Timber Yard Retired	Widowed	189	5
James	Powell	15 May 1888	Male	Electrician Instrument Tester	Married	189

Two people underage not shown likely Derek and Gerald

 

Death 1986 Age 86 years

Ploughley, Oxfordshire, Volume: 20, Page: 2684.

GALLERY

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