Thomas John Blencowe  [4611]

1899-1937

Father Nm: Thomas John Blincoe [3378] born 1872 Aston died 1932 Birmingham

Mother Nm: Catherine Murphy [8958] 1875-1952

Marriage Dt: Dec Qtr.1921to Doris M Machin Birmingham 6d 475.

/K comments: Son John Jack Thomas was killed in a hydrogen balloon accident at Leith harbour 22nd November 1943 when serving the Royal Navy

Spouse comments: Doris M Machin 23.4.1898 -1945.

Children: John Thomas 1922, Irene A 1923, Ivy M 1929 and Betty L 1933.

(Research): GR[B] Birmingham June 1899 GR[D] Birmingham vol 6d p 285 Sept 1937.

1901 Census Birmingham

1. Thomas Blencowe 29
2. Catherine Blencowe 29
3. Elsie Blencowe 4
4. Thomas Blencowe 2

1911 Census Birmingham Court 9 7 House St Georges St

1. Blencowe Elsie F 1898 13 Birmingham
2. Blencowe Florence F 1910 5 Months Birmingham Blencowe Thomas M 1899 12 Birmingham
3. Blencowe Thomas John M 1873 38 Birmingham
4. Blencowe William M 1902 9 Birmingham
5. Blencowe Catherine F 1872 39 Birmingham

Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry

WW1

Blencowe Thomas John, 1899 Birmingham Lance Corporal, 38475, 7^th Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry,61^st Bde. 20^th Division.

Synopsis

Thomas was conscripted in 1917 when of age and seemingly joined the 7th DCLI in France sometime later that year. He was through the balance of that year and 1918 at the front-line a great deal and exposed to shell and gas attacks frequently, no records of injury or illness are found but it may well have been that he suffered gas or shell wounding. He was lucky to survive the war because in 1918  his (reduced in size) battalion in April was almost wiped out by the German Spring Offensive.

Medal card and medal roll indicate Thomas in the 7^th (Service Battalion) Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. – The serial number supports a 1917 enlistment. The 7^th DCLI Bn. were part of 61^st Brigade, 20^th Division.

Thomas died at age 37 which is young and this may have been war sickness/injury related

Correspondence with DCLI Museum

“Once again I am stymied by the lack of information in the Attestation record. The numbers 38473-38543 are bracketed together with the words “Wired to 3 DCLI. Transfer from 84^th Training & Reserve Battalion.” The date of this entry lies between 13^th and 14^th February 1918.” “One must presume that Thomas Blencowe had completed his basic training with 84 T&R Battalion, and was posted to 3 DCLI at Freshwater Fort on the Isle of Wight to await posting to an operational battalion of the Regiment. He appears to have been demobilised … before August 1920, as his name does not occur in the conversion of soldiers’ numbers to the new system.” Hugo White.

1917

• 16-18^th Aug. The Battle of Langemarck. Note: only an outside possibility that this was Thomas first battle with the 7^th Bn. DCLI.

  

  In this engagement, the Battalion had done very well, though casualties were heavy. Two officers and twenty-four other ranks were killed and three officers and 150 other ranks wounded. Note actual deaths recorded later 42 for this period.⁵  These casualty losses in itself could be the reason that Thomas was drafted to the battalion.³

• They were relieved on the night of 18/19^th Aug. and marched to Elverdinghe and then entrained to billets at Proven.³
• 9^th Sept. Third Battle of Ypres.
  • 9^th Sept. Candle Trench. The 7^th Bn. into the front line again. They left camp and marched to Proven where they entrained for Elverdinghe, then marched to Candle Trench where they relieved the 17th Royal Welch Fusiliers in reserve. Enemy bombardment resulting in several men being buried, four were killed and twelve wounded.³
  • 10^th Sept. The Bn. set out to relieve the 10^th Welch Regiment in the support area, on either side of the Pilkem-Langemarck road. ³
  • 11^th-23^rd Sept. Tower Hamlets.Gheluvelt Plateau, Flanders
    • 11^th Sept. At 10.30 p.m. the Bn. began to move up, to relieve the 12^th King’s who were holding the front line. ³
    • 13^th Sept. Enemy shelling, one officer and four other ranks wounded. At night officer patrols were sent out by both front-line companies capturing two Germans. After this more bombardment and three other ranks were killed and four wounded.³
    • 16-19^th Sept. One more tour in the line took place before the Bn. was relieved and marched back to Soult Camp.³
  • 20^th Sept. Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. In reserve as the attack took placed.³
    • 23^rd Sept. 7^th Bn. took over the front line from the K.S.L.I. and K.R.R. One officer was slightly gassed during the move up, three other ranks were killed and four wounded.³
    • 24-25^th Sept. Relieved on the 24^th but some patrols sent out. Hostile shell-fire was continuous, but not heavy, over the whole area. Two other ranks were killed and six wounded.³
  • 26^th Sept-3^rd Oct. The Battle of Polygon Wood.
    • An attack opened on a front, less than 6 miles from south of Tower Hamlets to north-east of St.Julien. South of the Menin Road. The 7^th Bn. were still in the front line when this attack opened farther south. The 20th Division did not attack the enemy although shelling was exchanged. Nine other ranks were killed and five wounded as a result of the enemy’s shell-fire. The Bn. was relieved on the 26^th Sept. then took no further part in this battle.³

1918

The 20^th Division was withdrawn after the heavy fighting of the Somme battles, moving on 20 April 1918 to an area south-west of Amiens.

• 28^th-31^st Mar. German Spring Offensive. Massively outnumbered and caught by surprise the Allied Army was in the final stages of retreat the 61^st Bde ordered to take up position behind Mezieres to stop the German advance.

  

  On the 29^th they were attacked and driven out of their position. A counter-attack was organised but enemy overwhelm in strength. Forced to withdraw to a position south of Demuin. Again here on the 30^th they came under pressure and were further driven back to positions between Hangard and Domart.³
  

• 2^nd Apr. In support at Hangard and holding bridge over river Luce Stream, it appears the 61^st Bde. must have been overwhelmed suddenly as on this day forty-seven 7^th Bn. men were killed, the battalions highest daily total for the entire war. Most of these men are commemorated at Pozieres. (More detail of the German offensive in this area below)
• 14^th Apr. Relieved and embussed for Quevenvillers. On the 3^rd moved to billets at Hornoy.
• 10^th Apr. Marched to Bouillancourt-en-Sery and on the following day to St. Quenton-Lamotte A draft of 241 men joined the battalion.18^th Apr. The Bn embussed for Bryds and marched to Bailleul-aux-Cornailles.
• 30^th Apr. The Bn. receives orders to moved to Villers-au-Bois and from there to Lievin and reported to the 7^th Canadian Brigade under whose orders they were placed.³
• 1^st May. The Bn. relieved the 42^nd Royal Canadian Highlanders in Green Crassier sector at Lievin. The Bn. stayed in the Lievin and Lens sectors for all of May, June, July and most of August. During that period while there were not any significant battles front line activity caused many casualties and gas attacks still caused many to be taken for treatment.

Towards the end of September 1918, troops from 20^th Division made their first contribution when 7^th DCLI were involved in the capture of enemy trenches south-west of Acheville.⁶

• 4^th Sept. Acheville Sector.The gas attack, 2 officers and 49 OR’s evacuated for treatment.³

  

• 6^th Sept. New Columbia Camp (south of Lens).³
• 14^th Sept. Acheville Sector. In the trenches and patrols. This day 1 officer wounded on patrol. Gas shelling heavy in this sector the enemy using mustard gas.³
• 15/16^th Sept. Trench raid unsuccessful. ³
• 26^th Sept. ‘A’ and ‘B’ Coys attacked enemy trenches, within 20 minutes all objectives had been taken.³
• 3^rd -8^th Oct. Camp near Lechelle, moved on the 4^th to Haut-Allaines and on the 8^th to another camp near Heudecourt. ³
• 9^th Oct. At night, in wet and stormy weather, the 7^th DCLI took over front-line trenches from the 13^th Green Howards.³
• 16^th Oct. The 7^th Bn. were relieved by the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. and moved back to support. ⁴
• 9^th Nov. The 7^th Bn. marched to Fins and entrained for Bray the next day.³

The Division was in the area between Bavay and Maubeuge when the Armistice came into effect at 11 am on 11^th Nov. Later in the month, the units moved to the Toutencourt-Marieux area. demobilisation began on 7^th Jan. 1919 and the final cadres crossed to England on 28^th May 1919.⁴

1919

Absent Voters list Birmingham records Thomas John Absent from 7 St Georges St. and like many late enlistees he was still with the 7^th Bn.

1921 Census

9, 7 H, St George’s Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire

Thomas J	Blencowe	Head	Male	1872	48	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Bricklayer	J Lloyd & Son Builders
Catherine	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1872	49	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Household Duties	–
Elsie	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1897	24	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Press Worker	J R Gaunt Wmiltary Buttons
Thomas J	Blencowe	Son	Male	1899	22	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Bricklayer Improver	J Lloyd & Son Builders
William H	Blencowe	Son	Male	1901	20	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Labourer Out Of Work	Dunlop Rubber Co
Florence M	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1910	10	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	–	–
Lillian M	Squier	Niece	Female	1901	20	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England	Capstan Lathe Work	Barwells Cock & Bell Founders

Sources

1. Cornwall Regimental Museum.
2. Notes from Hugo White at Cornwall’s Regimental Museum provide the movements of Joseph and Thomas between 1919-1926
3. The-History of The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1914-1919
4. For 61^st Brigade references the War Diary 7^th KOYL 1915-1918, Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten.(These PDF files are the property of the National Archives and should not be download from this website,)
5. Analysis of CWGC death records using Hut-six.co.uk search engine.
6. The 11^th Durham Light Infantry.

Medals

Awarded the British and Victory medals

After the War

Married 1921 and children born in Birmingham up to 1933.

Death 1937 Age 37 years.

Birmingham

Age 37  is young to die and may have been war-related although no wounding, sickness records exist.

Notes on the German Spring Offensive March-April 1918

From Annette and Brendon members of  the War Forum

Post 1.

“Morning of 27th March (thought I would start from this date):- the 59th & 60th were in position at Folies and Arvillers, in close support of the 30th Division. The 60th Bde’s line was held around the south-eastern and eastern outskirts of Arvillers from right to left by 11th D.L.I., 12th K.R.R.C. and 6th K.S.L.I., with the 12th R.B. in the village, the 60th T.M.B. had been attached to 12th R.B. as a rifleman.

Attack on-line south of 20th Division, forced 36th Div. to give up ground, many of its troops fell back on Arvillers and were rallied by the K.S.L.I. and placed on the left flank. One company of 12th R.B. prolonged the 60th Bde’s right flank. The 30th & 24th Divisions by evening had withdrawn to the 20th Div.s line.

During early hours of 28th March, the 30th and 36th Divisions were placed under orders of the French. And the 20th and 61st Divisions placed under orders of XIX Corps. The French had also started to relieve the British units but only the 107th, 59th and 61st Bdes had been relieved by the morning. The heavy fire developed at about 8.30 a.m. on this front, followed by an attack, the French troops on the 60th Bdes right flank gave way early, exposing the flank. After severe fighting on the right flank, one platoon of the D.L.I. was driven in. The Germans then attacked 6th K.S.L.I. but beaten off. The Germans renew their bombardment for about half an hour and attack again. The K.S.L.I. were now considerably reduced in numbers, their C.O., Lt.-Col. Welsh, sent a message saying that he could not keep his line unless he received reinforcements, but would that he would hold to the last man. Luckily at about 11 a.m., the British troops were ordered to retire through the French line behind them. Troops on the Ridge on the 60th Bdes right were to have covered withdraw of 60th Bde but were seen to retire. This left the Bde in a precarious position, with the Germans only a few hundred yards away from the ridge, it looked like the Bde was going to be cut off but the 12th R.B. swung around and opened on the Germans who were driven back. The Bde now withdraw in good order and concentrated just east of Hangest, then marched to Rifle Wood, and rejoined rest of Division. The 59th and 61st Bdes took up a defensive line between Mezieres and Demuin, exclusive of both villages, in support of the French troops, with the 60th Bdes west of the Demuin-Moreuil road.”

Post 2

By the night of 28th/29th March, the Germans had abandoned the Mars operation but would continue to try to force a break between the French & British and take Amiens, so on 29th March the Germans put most of their effort against the link between XIX corps and the French.

I will only add that the 61st Bde were not holding the village of Demuin itself on the 28th March, while in support of the french, and I am not sure if the 61st Bde extended it’s the line into the village after the French fell back on the 29th. It would have had to privet it’s the line from Demuin back to the right to keep in touch with the 59th & 60th Bde. after it fell back from Mezieres to Demuin-Moreuil road. The Divisional History records that the 61st Bde left flank rested on the Luce at Demuin but does not mention whether this was on the west side of the village or east side of the village? It is likely that the 61st did not hold the village because of its very weak numbers but the only way to find out for sure is to look at 61st Bde orders or 20th Division orders to see if the 61st Bde had an order to extend its line on 29th into the village?

Also on this day, the French lost Moreuil Wood by 5 p.m. on the 29th (the wood changed hands several times during the night and early hours of 30th), so the K.S.L.I. had to form a defensive flank on XIX Corps far right, and told to hold the bridgehead near Thennes at all costs, this is no help to you but shows that both flanks of the 20th Division were in the air for a time on the 29th March.

As mention by Brendon the 61st withdrawn to the west of Demuin during the 30th, when the 66th Division pulled back. And like Brendon mentions the 20th Division’s front was attacked at time’s during the day with Rifle and Little Woods changing hands several times, by 7 p.m. the 20th Division, excluding the 61st Bde had retaken the line it held at the start of the day.

Post 3

The sequence of events leading to the loss of Demuin appears to be as follows:

On the 29th March, the village of Mezieres was evacuated by French forces and occupied by the Germans. Orders were given for the re-capture of the village by the 12th RB and 12 KRRC – zero hour was fixed at 4 pm. The attack met with partial success – with elements of the attacking force getting into the village. The attackers were then driven out of the village by concealed parties of the enemy, who was also massing on the front right and the battalions were forced to retire.
A line was then established along the Demuin-Moreuil road. The 60th Bde. had its right flank against Cavalry Wood where it was in touch with the French.
The ‘remnants of the 50th Divn were placed under the 50th Bde. which held the centre, with its left on the road from Roye to Amiens. The 61st Bde gradually fell back from positions during the night, and by the morning of the 30th continued the line from the left of the 59th Bde along the road to the river Luce at Demuin.
At about 11 am as the troops north of the Luce retired towards Hangard, the 61st Bgd had to draw back its left flank to the west of Demuin.
The Germans repeatedly attacked the positions of the 20th Div. in the early morning without success, but at 4 pm penetrated the line of the 60th Bde..
During the remainder of the day, there were counter attacks along the area supported by artillery and by Australian forces north of the Lune.
The line held on the morning of the 31st was substantially the same as taken up during the night of the 29th/30th. ‘Demuin, however, was in the hands of the enemy, and the 61st Bde. was just west of the town, with a bridgehead established between Demuin and Hangard.’

The above was taken from the 20th Light Div. History- Inglefield.

It must be noted that the strength of the 61st Bde at this time was massively reduced – the Brigade having suffered heavily in the fighting retreat. On the 26th March, the 61st Bgd numbered 151 men.

The 20th Div. history does not suggest that Demuin was of any special significance.