William Charles Blencowe  [4360]

1893-1968

Father Nm:9. William Blencowe [3231] c 2.3.1862 Bicester mother Butler Died 22.10.1917 Banbury : Oldest known ancestor – William Blincow abt 1702 Bicester.

Mother Nm: Theresa Carpenter [4999] 1863. died 1898 West Bromwich

Marriage Dt:1920, Marriages Jun 1920, Heath Gladys K W. Bromwich 6b 2340.

K comments: Son Clifford was a Sergeant with the RAMC in WW2.

Spouse comments: Gladys Kate Heath 1895-1970.

Children: Clifford Charles 1921-1984, Joyce Jane 1925-1999, Molly C 1925, Audrey June 1934 -1996 and Pauline B 1936.

(Research): GR[B] West Bromwich March 1893 GR[D] West Bromwich 9B 825 Dec 1968

1901 Census Balls Hill Cottage West Bromwich

1. Blencow Amy Dau F 1885 Banbury 16
2. Blencow Elizabeth Dau F 1889 West Bromwich 12
3. Blencow William Head Coachman M 1862 Bicester 39
4. Blencow William C Son M 8

1911 Census Black Lake, West Bromwich

1. Blencowe Amelia May Carpenter Dau F 1885 Banbury 26 
2. Blencowe Elizabeth Dau Envelope Machinist General Printers F 1889 West Bromwich 22 
3. Blencowe Elizabeth May Grand Dau F 1910 West Bromwich 1 
4. Blencowe William Head Carter Coal Merchants M 1864 Bicester 47 
5. Blencowe William Charley Son Relief Stamper General Printers M 1893 West Bromwich 18

Staffordshire Yeomanry

WW1

Blencowe William Charles, 1893, West Bromwich, Private, 2671, 300112, 1/1^st Staffordshire Yeomanry, Corps of Hussars.

1912

• Looks like William joined the 1/1^st Bn. Staffordshire Yeomanry Territorials in late 1912. No. 2617 joined on 2^nd April 1912 No. 2684 joined on 9^th January 1913^{2. .}William was likely in ‘A’ Squadron: Walsall (which had drill stations at West Bromwich, Tamworth, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield).

1915

• 26^th Oct.

  

  The regiment marched to Norwich, where it entrained for Southampton. The regiment embarked the Hired Transport ‘Nessian’, and the next day sailed for Malta. The main body consisted of 16 officers, 501 other ranks, 512 horses and 39 mules. On the way to Salonika, orders changed.

• Nov. Received wireless orders not to proceed to Salonika, but re-route for Alexandria. Arrived there on 8^th November, disembarking the next morning.

Note: The 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry was attached to the 22nd Mounted Brigade of the Yeomanry Mounted Division. On deployment, the Regiment consisted of 16 officers, 501 ORs, 512 horses and 39 mules. The overview of the Egypt Palestine and Sinai campaign within this document The campaign in Egypt and Palestine – The Long, Long Trail

War diary of 1/1st Staffords in Egypt, Sinai

1915

• 10^th Nov. Entered the theatre of war – Egypt 10 Nov 1915
• 28^th Nov. Moved by rail to Fayum, marched to Deir al Azab Camp. From 2^nd Dec, one troop was ordered to be on outpost duty each night.

• 6^th Dec. Brigade route march to El Agamiyin, via Fayum and Talat. B Squadron detached for duty at El Shawashna (returned 15 December, being replaced by C Squadron).
• 13^th Dec. Brigade route march to Senures.

1916

• 3^rd Jan. Marched to Tamia, via Fayum, El Maslub, Matar tares road. Over 21 miles. Cool day. Returned to Deir al Azab next day, by a longer route of 24 miles. Cool day. Roads in poor condition after rain.
• 10^th Jan. HQ and B and C Sqns. moved to Abu Gandir, D to Kasr el Gebazi. (In this period there is much route marching, patrolling, etc.
• 22^nd Feb. Moved to Kasr el Gebazi. (Carried out patrols in direction of El Hamuli, Qasr Qarun.) A few days later the regiment moved to Karat, Fayum.
• 17^th Apr. A system of leave was introduced such that 5% of the regiment would be allowed 4 days off, at any time. Several men transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps at this time. A replacement draft from 3/1st arrived on 12^th June.
• 11^th Sept. HQs and D Sqn. moved to Deir el Aazab, C to Abu Gandir, B and the Machine Gun Section to El Shawashna. On 30 September, one NCO died as a result of a self-inflicted wound by a service rifle.
• 11^th Oct. Moved to the outpost line. HQ and B Sqn. to Gharak South, C to Gharak West and D to Abu Hamed.
• 1^st Nov. Moved to Deir el Azab.
• 2^nd Dec. Entrained at Fayum, and moved to Hill 40, Kantara.
• 11^th Dec. Marched to Romani. Bad going. (Standing patrols began, in the area of Bir el Nuss, and Katia.

1917

In the 1917 renumbering of the Territorial Forces took place, the Staffordshire Yeomanry issued numbers from the block 300001-305000. Corps of Hussars. Williams low number of 30112 indicates some seniority amongst the regiment.

• 19^th Jan. Marched to Bir el Abd. A series of movements to the advanced positions along the Sinai coast began, as follows: (1 February) Hod el Bayid, (14) Abd, (16) Salmana, (17) Tilul, (18) Mazar, (19) Badarwil, (20) El Arish, arriving 23 Feb. at Sheikh Zowaid, where the regiment was detailed to the outposts.
• 1^st Mar. Entrenching an observation post on Fryers Hill.
• 4^th Mar. Made a reconnaissance in force, together with 1/1st Lincolns Yeomanry Machine Gun Sqn. and the 7^th Australian Light Horse, on Khan Younis and Bei Sela. (This is the first time in the diary that it is noted that the troops were fired on, by artillery).
• 10^th Mar. Moved to Bir Eshsha, near Rafa.
• 12^th Mar. Carried out a reconnaissance in force, at Weli Sheikh Nuran and Wadi el Guzze.
• 25^th Mar. To Deir el Belah.
• 26th-27^th Mar. First Battle of Gaza.
  • 26^th Mar. Troops taking part in this battle Australian New Zealand Mounted Division, Imperial Mounted Division and  53rd Div. The Mounted Regiment was shelled while crossing Wadi el Guzze, from Gaza to Hareira.
  • 27^th Mar. Detailed to hold the outpost line from sea west of Tel el Ajjul (Tall al-Ajjul). Much sniping by the enemy. Relieved next day, four shells fell in the camp area.

Also in this battle was Private, 4536 Albert Blinko and Private William Blencowe of 1/4^th Cheshires, Private, 2671, and Sapper, 2866, Edwin Blinco, Royal Engineers.

• 29^th Mar. Rejoined the Division at Belfih.
• 31^st Mar. Moved to outpost duty at In Seirat.
• 1^st Apr. To bivouac at Deir el Belah.
• 17^th -19^th Apr. Second Battle of Gaza.
  • 17^th Apr. The division was ordered to make a demonstration on the right, while the infantry attacked at Sheikh Abbas. Came under fire. Surgeon-Major A. H. Palmer dangerously wounded in the back.
  • 19^th Apr. General attack from Gaza – Hareira began. On 27^th April, relieved to rest camp at Tel el Jemmi. (There are some very long, detailed, handwritten reports of the events of the attack in the war diary).
• 22^th May. The division moved to take part in a raid on Beersheba – Auja railway.
• 23^rd May. The task of smashing the railway between Asluj, 15 miles due south of Beersheba, and Hadaj was entrusted to Field Engineers and Anzac and Imperial mounted troops, who have been specially trained in the methods of rapidly destroying railway line. The mission was successful.
• 28^th May. Moved to Tel el Marrakeb, on the beach, for a rest. Regimental strength 24 officers, 410 other ranks.
• Aug. Part of three mounted divisions renamed in August 1917 by General Edmund Allenby. The Desert Mounted Corps comprised three mounted divisions, the ANZAC Mounted Division, the Australian Mounted Division, and the Yeomanry Mounted Division with infantry formations attached when required, as had Desert Column. In the first month of its existence, the corps continued training and patrolling no man’s land preparing for manoeuvre warfare. Their first operations would be the attack, along with the XX Corps, the Battle of Beersheba. Having captured their objective they were involved in a series of battles before the old Gaza to Beersheba line was finally broken a week later.

  

  During the pursuit, they fought two Turkish armies at the Battle of Mughar Ridge before advancing to capture Jerusalem during the Battle of Jerusalem in December 1917.[nb 1]

On 27 October, the Third, final and successful assault on Gaza took place. The British force in Palestine now moved forward on two fronts, assisted by an Arab force sweeping forwards in the east. One column moved north from Gaza, the other from Beersheba. Jerusalem fell in December, after which came a long opposed advance northward along the Jordan Valley, which commenced in February 1918.

1918

• 1^st Apr. A move began, to Sukerier, (2) Mejdel, (3) Sukerier, (4) Khirbet Deiran, (24) Latrun, (25) Enab, (26) Talat el Dumm, via Jerusalem, (27) Wadi el Auja, via Jericho. A patrol was sent to Wadi Bakr and came under shellfire but there were no casualties.
• 14^th May. Moved from Onslows Farm to Ain Hajla, taking over the line from Ghoraniye Bridge to the Dead Sea.
• 25^th May. Moved to north of Jericho
• 24^th Jun. Moved to the bridgehead at Auja. Shelled by long-range gun.
• 16^th Jul. Moved to Solomon Pools, Bethlehem.
• 1^st Aug. At Wadi Mellalah, advancing up the Jordan Valley. There are many patrols, firefights, much sniping.
• 16^th Aug. Moved to the junction of Wadi Auja and River Jordan.
• 26^th Aug. Moved to Talaat ed Dumm.
• 28^th Aug. Moved to the junction of Wadi Surar.
• 30^th Aug. Moved to Mejdel. Strength 19 officers, 363 other ranks, 466 horses and mules. Abnormal rate of sickness, 7 officers and 166 other ranks being evacuated in the month. “Without doubt due to trying climatic conditions”.
• 15^th Sept. Concealed night march to Ramleh, via Yebnah.
• 19-25^th Sept. Battle of Megiddo. Moved to 5 miles north of Hadreh. Moved to forward position of XXI Corps attack at 0430, and then cleared enemy as far as Tul Keram (Tulkarm). 4 Cavalry Division pushed through and marched for Mejdel – Kakon area. Concentrated at Jelmie. In this advance, the regiment took over 1000 prisoners.
• 26^th Sept. A move began, to Shuni, (27) Remte, (28) Mexereib, (29) Dilli, 29 miles, (30) Zerikiye, 23 miles. Since 15 September, the regiment had covered 233 miles in all and captured 3069 prisoners.
• 2^nd Oct. Move continued, to Darajah, (6) El Hame, (7) Bar Elias, (16) Lebwe. The diary notes many men dying in hospital, presumably of sicknesses, at this time. The regiment remained at Lebwe for several weeks.
• 29^th Nov. Moved to An Sofar, and next day to Bir Hassan, 30 miles south of Beirut. The regiment remained here, demobilising, for several months.

1919

• 30^th Mar. Discharged.

The Regiment was attached to the 22^nd Mounted Brigade, Yeomanry Mounted Division in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign against the Ottoman Turkish and German army 1916-1918. It fought in the indecisive First Battle of Gaza and Second Battle of Gaza in March and April 1917. They finally won through in the Third Battle of Gaza in October 1917 and the crucial follow-up Battle of Beersheba on 6 November 1917, where Allied victory at last left the field open for the capture of Jerusalem on 9 December 1917. Wikipedia

Note: The Staffordshire Yeomanry was in 1917 re-numbered and William was given the number 300112 and renamed Corps of Hussars.

Sources

1. The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War, 1914-1918.  
2. http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/.
3. http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse.
4. A brief record of the advance of the Egyptian expeditionary force under the command of General Sir Edmund H. H. Allenby … July 1917 to October 1918.

Medals

Awarded 1914-1915 Star, British and Victory medals.

After the War

1921 Census

38, Hope Street, West Bromwich

 

Charlotte	Heath	Head	Female	1855	66	Bromyard, Herefordshire, England	Home Duties	–
Jane	Heath	Daughter	Female	1873	48	Burford, Shropshire, England	Maternity Nurse And Surgical	–
Annie	Woodhall	Daughter	Female	1892	29	Herefordshire, England	Home Duties	–
Timothy	Woodhall	Son-in-law	Male	1884	36	West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England	Spiral Spring Maker	The West Bromwich Spring Co Spring Manufacrtuers
Gladys	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1895	25	Herefordshire, England	Home Duties	–
William	Blencowe	Son-in-law	Male	1893	28	West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England	Relief Stamper Printing Trade	Kenrick & Jefferson Ltd Printers & Stationer Etc, West Bromwich
Olive	Heath	Granddaughter	Female	1906	14	Higham on the Hill, Leicestershire, England	Paper Worker	Kenrick & Jefferson Ltd Printers & Stationer Etc, West Bromwich
Joan	Woodhall	Granddaughter	Female	1921	–	West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England	–

1939 Census

West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England
Occupation: Relief Stamper Printing Trade

William C Blencowe
Gladys Blencowe
This record is officially closed. likely son Clifford
Joyce Blencowe

Death 1968 Age 75 years

7 Oct 1968, West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England

GALLERY

Note: there are 3 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.