Blencowe Albert 1898

ALBERT BLENCOWE [4587]

1898-1988

Father Name: Frederick William Blencow [199] born 22.11.1863 c 24.4.1864 Brackley died 1955 Brackley: Oldest known ancestor – Thomas Blencowe 1475 Marston St Lawrence.

Mother Name : Elizabeth Lathbury 1864 Brackley -died 1927 Brackley.

Marriage Dt:

K comments: Brother Arthur was killed in action 10 Apr 1917 with the Oxford and Bucks LI.

Spouse comments:

Children:

(Research): GR[B] Brackley June 1898 JD.

Born 1898

7 April 1898 Brackley

1901 CENSUS CROSS LANE BRACKLEY

Fredk W Blencowe 38 Tinsmith
Elizth Blencowe 36
Arthur Blencowe 15 telegraph messenger
Walter Blencowe 13 errand boy
William Blencowe 11
Kate Blencowe 9
Amy Blencowe 7
Hilda Blencowe 5
Albert Blencowe2
Ethel Blencowe 3 Months
Harry Lathbury 13

1911 CENSUS LIVING WITH BROTHER

Blencowe Albert M 1899 12 Brackley Northamptonshire Brother
Blencowe Alfred M 1903 8 Brackley Northamptonshire Brother
Blencowe Arthur M 1886 25 Brackley Northamptonshire Head
Blencowe Mercy F 1885 26 Brackley Northamptonshire

WW1

Blencowe Albert, 1898, Brackley, Private, 45485, GS/84347, 3^rd, 8^th, 7^thand 2^nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment, 43^rdGarrison Bn. Royal Fusiliers.

1916

7^th Jun. Volunteered (one day after his brother Arthur enlisted).

Synopsis

Albert was a Butcher of Church St. Brackley age 18 years and 2 months,. Note: Army regulations said he couldn’t be sent overseas until 18 yrs and 6 months.

Albert joined the 3^rd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. which was a Reserve Bn. and was home-based during the war; however, its men were used to supply other Bn.’s. Albert stayed at home on ‘A’ reserve from 6^th Jun.1916 – 25^th Mar.1917. This may in part be due to his exempted occupation. However, in late 1917 he was thrown into the massive allied Cambrai Operation and immediately would have experienced great casualties amongst his battalion on its first day. A crushing counter-attack by the enemy ended this campaign with more losses in his battalion and he certainly experienced a “baptism of fire”. In 1918 he moved around battalions of the Bedfords it seems at will but by May was in his last combat battalion the 2^nd Bn. Bedfords. In July 1918 he was wounded in the leg and was unable after that to serve in a combat role, however, he wasn’t sent home but used as a guard in France by the Royal Fusiliers.

1917

26^th Mar. Home until 22^nd Oct.
30^th Sept. Passed telephone signallers course and presumably in the signals unit of the Regiment.

Signallers laying a line of the telephone cable to the forward position through Inverness Copse. In the background, there is a group of German prisoners carrying wounded soldiers toward the dressing station at Hooge Crater.
Photo AWM E00747 Inverness Copse.jpg
23^rd Oct. Albert embarked to France.
26^th Oct. Transferred to the 6^th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. but this lasted just a few days as was transferred 2^nd Nov. 1917 to the 8^th Bn. Bedfordshire Regt.

8^th Bedfordshire Regiment War Diary For November 1917

1^st Nov. Le Souich. Reinforcements 28 Other Ranks arrived all Expeditionary Force men.(Albert amongst them). Albert was billeted in Le Souich some 80km west of the attack starting point Havrincourt. At this camp, training was given for the role that the 6^th Division was to play at Cambrai.
20^th Nov.The Cambrai Attack (famous for Tank use)

6th Div position Cambrai
20^th-23^rd Nov. Battle of Bourlon Wood. Heavy casualties on the German side. The battalion was used in this initial successful attack and many casualties suffered. there are 17 men recorded by CWGC killed on the 20^th Nov. The Diary reports “The whole of our objective completely captured. Prisoners coming in fast, Infantry & tanks continuing and all going well the enemy on the run.” 8^th Bedfords as part of the 6th Division was in the III Corps thrust towards La Vacquerie and Bois de Lateau, The use of tanks to lead the infantry was more successful than previously experienced and along with the element of surprise lead to some good gains in territory.
30^th Nov.-3^rd Dec. German Counter Attack regains ground. As the German counter-attack began the 8^th Bn. was moving backward and suffered casualties in retreat, 5 men being killed on the 3^rd Dec.

1918

9^thFeb. Transferred to the 7^th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Note 16^th Feb. 8^th Bn. was disbanded in France.
26^th May. Transferred to 2^nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment in the 54^th Brigade, 18^th (Eastern) Division.
31^st Jul. Wounded at Franvillers.

A map of another period shows the location of Franvillers in relation to Amiens and Albert.
31 Jul. Albert was wounded in the arm. The Battalion in Divisional Reserve in trenches outside Franvillers. In the evening the Battalion proceeded to the line to relieve the 56th Australian Bn. It is likely it is in this line at Franvillers that Albert is wounded.

Wounded in the arm. The Battalion in Divisional Reserve in trenches outside Franvillers. In the evening the Battalion proceeded to the line to relieve the 56th Australian Bn. It is likely it is in this line at Franvillers that Albert is wounded.
31^stJul. or 1^st Aug. Shotgun Wound right leg 52 Field Ambulance, then on to No. 61 Casualty Clearing Station at Vignacourt.
3^rdAug. Admitted No 1 General Hospital at Etretat on the French coast.

A nurse (Edie Barrett) who worked at the No 1 General stands here looking out to the sands of Etretat foreshore.
6^th Oct. Classified B3 medically and permanently transferred to the Royal Fusiliers as a Garrison Guard.
10^th Oct. Posted to No. 40 Coy. Garrison Corp. 43^rd Garrison Bn. allotted a new serial number G84347. The duties of the Garrison Bn. was to guard the five Army HQ’s in France.
4-18^th Nov. Granted leave to the UK.

1919

22^ndMay-11^th Jun. Granted leave to the UK.
19^thSept. Embarked for England, home 20^th Sept.
16^th Oct. Albert was returned to England.
16^th Nov. Discharged to Z reserves.

We don’t know whether Albert returned to Butchery but his father Frederick and mother Elizabeth did see their youngest son return home to Brackley. Albert doesn’t appear to have married but like his father lived a long life, he died in 1988 age 89 years.

Sources

The History of the Sixth Division by Major General T O Marden.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records database.

MEDALS

Awarded British and Victory Medals and entitled to wear wound stripe.

AFTER THE WAR

1921 census

Church Street, Brackley

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship to head	Sex	Birth year	Age in years	Birth place	Occupation	Employer
Frederich William	Blencowe	Head	Male	1863	57	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Blacksmith	W Nicholls Coach Builder
Elizabeth	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1864	56	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Home Duties	–
Serena Kate	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1892	29	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Home Duties	–
Albert	Blencowe	Son	Male	1898	23	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Plumbers Mate	W J Franklin Builder
Ethel Elizabeth	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1901	20	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Factory Hand	Thew Hooker & Gilbey Ltd Milk Factors
Alfred	Blencowe	Son	Male	1902	18	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Shop Assistant	Mrs King Grocer
Frederich	Blencowe	Son	Male	1904	16	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England	Bakers Assistant	H P Plank Banker
Ada Catherine	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1910	11	Brackley, Northamptonshire, England