Alfred Ralph Blinko M.M. [4347]

1890-1953

Known as Alf.

Father Nm: George Frederick Blinko [3737] born 11.2.1859 Holloway St. Pancras :Oldest known ancestor – William Blincko 1635 Hedgerley.

Mother Nm: Sarah Ann Handscome (Harling) a dressmaker born Maldon Kent, Note Sarah previously married.

Marriage Dt:

K comments: Elder brother Frank George served with the Worcestershire Regt. was wounded and discharged in 1915. Brother Horace served with the Middlesex Regiment.

Spouse Comments: Ursula Grace Bernard [7770] born 28.8.1897 died 26.4.1976 St Marylebone London

Children:

(Research):GR[B] Edmonton Dec 1890 GR[D] Southend vol4a p 647 Dec 1953.

1891 Census

Age 2 years with parents at Archway Cottages, Holly Place, Enfield. Father George F. a Dealer, mother a Dressmaker.

1901 CENSUS ENFIELD, MIDDLESEX.

1. George F Blinko 41 1860 Wardrobe Dealer
2. Sarah A Blinko 42 1859 – Tonbridge, Kent,
3. Percy J Blinko  15 1886 Green Grocer’s Assistant Northaw, Hertfordshire,
4. Horace Blinko 14 1887 – Northaw, Hertfordshire
5. Ernest Blinko 12 1889 – Northaw, Hertfordshire
6. Alfred Blinko 9 1892 – Enfield, Middlesex
7. Edith G Blinko 8 1893 – Enfield, Middlesex
8. Ella G Blinko 5 1896 – Enfield, Middlesex
9. Bertram Blinko 11 1890 – Hertfordshire, England

1911 Census 29 Trinity Street, Enfield Edmonton Middlesex

1. Blinko Alfred Son Golf Assistant M 1892 Enfield 19 Blinko
2. Ella Dau F 1896 Enfield 15
3. Blinko Ernest Son Indoor Servant M 1890 Northaw, Hertfordshire 21
4. Blinko George Frederick Head Dealer In Wardrobe M 1859 London 52
5. Blinko Sarah Ann Wife F 1858 Edenbridge,
6. Blinko Grace Dau Post Office Clerk F 1893 Enfield 18
7. Blinko Horace Son Groom M 1889 Northaw, Hertfordshire 22

1913 Vancouver

Emigrated to Canada and a Professional Golfer there.

From History of Shaughnessy Heights Golf Course. “The first Professional, William Bowden, was appointed in 1912 at a salary of $90.00 per month. The package deal included Mrs Bowden as a housekeeper and cook in the original Clubhouse. The Bowden’s remained only a year, to be replaced by Alfred Blinko as Professional in 1913.” Note: Alfred resigned this position in 1920.

29th Battalion (Vancouver)	Attached Machine Gun Corps

WW1

Blinko Alfred Ralph, Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, SN 76355, 29^th Battalion Canadian Infantry C Coy. Canadian Machine Gun Corps

1915

• 11^th May. Enlisted at Vancouver: Occupation Professional Golfer
• The 29^th Bn. was recruited from Vancouver and New Westminster, British Columbia.
• 20^th May. The battalion embarked at Montreal on 20^th May 1915 aboard Missanabie, disembarking in England on 30^th May 1915. Its strength was 37 officers and 1104 other ranks.
• 30^th May – 17^th Sept. At Lydd, Dibgate, and Shorncliffe in England for this period on training.
• 17^th Sept. Marched to Folkestone Quay embarked aboard St Serial. The battalion arrived in Boulogne, France, and marched to Ostrohove Camp. Became part of the 2^nd Canadian Division, 6^th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
• 18^th Sept. By train and then marched to Billets at St Sylvester Camp.
• 25^th-29^th Sept. In trenches Tea Farm Wulverghem, Neuve Eglise, Kemmel Sector. 26^th first casualty killed by a rifle bullet.
• Oct. In trenches Tea Farm, Wulverghem for periods in the month, several casualties from trench to trench fire, grenades, etc.
• Nov. Tea Farm, Wulverghem trenches, reported in very bad condition on 1^st and wet weather continued making them deep in water.
• 15^th Nov. Admitted to 6^th Canadian Field Hospital suffering with Trench Foot, 18^th Nov 1915 to No. 2 Canadian Rest Station to recover.

  

1916

• Jan. Tea Farm, Wulverghem trenches.
• 30^th – 31^st Jan. Intelligence taking raid into German trenches successful, prisoners were taken.
• 7^th Feb. Promoted to Corporal.
• Apr. Alf attending Machine Gun school at Wisque a BEF training school.
• 4^th Apr. Alf returned from MG school on this day to the Bn. and War Diary records he was attached to the Divisional (6^th Infantry Brigade, 2^nd Div. ) Machine Gun Corps.
• 5^th -7^th Apr. Action at St Elio. Alfred is awarded the Military Medal. After a week of an intense battle between British and German forces in the St Eloi Craters, the ground was a quagmire and the intensity of the struggle required the Canadian 2^nd Div. to relieve the British 3^rd Div. urgently. The conditions for this rapid relief on the 4^th of April were not ideal and the Canadians (27^th and 31^st Bns.) were badly mauled for two days. On the 6^th Apr. the 29^th Bn. was called upon to relieve the 31^st Div. and they fared just as badly, being inexperienced the Germans attacked them ferociously. In the end, the Canadians were pushed out of the Craters. The Bn. suffered 21 men killed in this action.³
• While all this was going on it appears Alfred (who was attached to the Machine Gun Corps) provided bravery and leadership that undoubtedly earmarked him for a future commission. The M.M. Citation reads “On April 5th/7th 1916 during operations at St Eloi, volunteered to take charge of a Lewis Gun, organised crew and in the face of intense artillery fire got it to the front line where his conspicuous gallantry and resourcefulness did much to check the enemy advance”
• 11^th Aug. At St. Elio. Alf has an accident (Broken Arm) which is interesting in that the reporting of the incident in the Army records is contradictory.

  

  

• Alf, in any event, was evacuated to No 14 General Hospital Boulogne with his broken arm.
• 19^th Aug. Admitted 3^rd Scottish Gen. Hospital. “Fractured elbow caused by a fall”.
• 17^th Aug. Transferred to CCAC Folkestone
• 12^th Sept. Transferred to The Kings Canadian Red Cross Convalescent Hospital Bushey Park.

  

• 11^th Oct. Awarded the Military Medal.
• 24^th Oct. Returned to Duty at Noulette Wood after a period of time in Reserves in Hastings, and Seaford UK.
• Nov-Dec. Time in trenches at Souchez.
• 29^th Dec. Promoted to Sergeant, Taken on strength Officer Training College CTS Bexhill.

1917

• 18^th Feb. England. Transferred from 1^st Canadian Training Bn. to CCAC Shoreham.
• 17^th May. Hastings. Attached 2^nd CCD.
• 8^th Jun. Taken on strength 1^st Canadian Reserve Bn.
• 19^th Aug. Seaford until posted to France April 1918.

1918

• 24^th Mar. Temporary Lieutenant BC Regt 1^st Reserves Bn.
• 29^th Apr. Embarks for France.
• 1^st May. Landed France.
• 11^th Jun. Nr Neuville Vitasse. Taken on Strength as Lieut. 29^th Bn. France.
• 5^th Aug. The Battle of Amiens and actions around Damery.

  

  • 6^th /7^th Aug. Bn. took up positions in the Tronville Woods between Bois de Blagny and the village of Cachy.
  • 8^th Aug. Attack on Caix. “The 29^th (on the left) and 31^st Battalions crossed the Red Line at 4:30 p.m.The plan for the 2^nd Div was to capture Rosieres and Vrely…”¹
  • 8^th Aug. The 29^th press on to secure Rosieres. “As the 29^th and 31^st Battalions advanced side by side up the long slope towards Rosières they were met by a hail of bullets from machine guns sited in the village and along the Rosières-Vrély road. They had also to face a counter-barrage of shrapnel and high explosive from the enemy’s artillery, while the whole brigade front was swept with enfilade fire from the unprotected flanks.At 1pm the Bn. attacked the village of Rosieres and past through to the other side.”¹
• 9^th Aug. War diary Alf is admitted to hospital sick. 8^th Aug. Alf is wounded and evacuated to Casualty Clearing Station No. 8 . The wound is caused by a shell fragment in the leg from a  gas shell and the leg is also burnt by Mustard Gas. It’s not clear if this wound was incurred in the attack or earlier and the reason why this evacuation is termed sick.. This infection proves to be persistent and several times after this date he suffers from ulcerated skin and developed dermatitis.
• 21^st Aug. Ambrines. Returned from hospital to Bn.
• 25^th Oct-8^th Nov. Home leave the UK.
• 8^th Dec. to end of the year in various treatment centres with recurrence of Dermatitis.

1919

• 16^th Feb. Invalided to England
• 19^th Mar. Examined at Royal Herbert Hospital Woolwich to assess for medical report, a recommendation he is transferred to a Canadian hospital.
• 11^th May. Returned to Canada on the Olympics on May 11, 1919
• 24^th May. Demobilised and was disbanded by General Order 149 of 15^th September 1920.

Sources

1. Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War, By Colonel G. W. L. Nicholson, C.D.
   • St. Eloi Craters, p.142: April 1916 in relief of the 27^th Battalion and trying to recapture Craters 2 and 3 see chapter 5.
   • Battle of the Somme, p.176, 178: September 1916 as the 29th occupies the enemy trenches north-east of Courcelette in 10 minutes
   • Vimy Ridge pp.256-257: April 1917 the 29^th overran Thélus Trench, taking the south end of Hill 135
   • Lens pp.293-294: August 1917 resulted in crippling losses at Cinnabar Trench in the attack on Lens, with all officers killed or wounded
   • Amiens p.403, pp.411-412: August 1918 saw fighting in Amiens and on the Rosières-Vrély Road, with the 29^th “mopping up” at the end of the battle
2. Courage on the Battlefield, Canada’s Military Heritage, Volume 2, Arthur Bishop, McGraw-Hill 1993, page 31. “When the Germans attacked along the position held by the 29th Battalion, Alfred Blinko was given charge of a Lewis machine-gun section. In the face of an intense enemy artillery barrage, he skillfully moved the unit forward to the front line where for 2 days he held off the enemy attacks. His leadership was instrumental in stemming the German advance. Several months later Blinko was wounded in the same area and was taken out of action to recover from his wounds before returning to the front.”
3. CWGC database

MedalsBlinko Alfred Ralph service records_(p43-84)

Alf was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery between 5^th-7^th April 1916 at the St Eloi Craters. Also awarded the British and Victory medals.

Citation

After the War

1924

Border Crossings: From Canada to the U.S.

1930

Border Crossings: From Canada to the U.S.

Golf 1929 -1935

Alf still playing Professional Golf played the China Open Golf Championship on at least two occasions reported in

• 28 November 1929 The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser
• 05 January 1934 – Dundee Courier – Dundee, Angus, Scotland
• Travel from Shanghai China 1935 with spouse Ursula Grace. Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 about Alfred Ralph Blinko, Date of Arrival: 4 Jun 1935. Vessel: Empress of Japan, Port of arrival: Vancouver, British Columbia, Port of departure: Shanghai, China. Roll: T-14888

1949 Canada, Voters Lists

Name: Alfred Ralph Blinko, Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Occupation: Retired

19 Oct 1949 returns with Ursula to live at 7 St Andrews Rd Enfield

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, Port of departure: Vancouver, British Columbia, Arrival Date: 19 Oct 1949. Port of arrival: Liverpool, England, Ports of Voyage: Vancouver, Ship Name: India, Shipping Line: The East Asiatic Company

Death 1953 age 63 years

Southend.

 Gallery

 

Alfred’s battalion embarked at Montreal on 20 May 1915 aboard MISSANABIE, disembarking in England on 30 May 1915. Its strength was 37 officers and 1104 other ranks.