Alfred Blencowe [4223]

Died of Wounds 16^th Aug. 1916

1886-1916

Father Nm: Thomas Blencow [1670] born 30.11.1859 Neithrop c 8.12.1860 Banbury died 8.11.1906 Banbury: Oldest known ancestor Thomas Blencowe 1790 Bishops Itchington.

Mother Nm: Charlotte Ada nee Buzzard [3193] born 4.8.1859 Banbury died 1918.

K Comments: One of 5 brothers that served, Brother Ernest KIA with Oxford and Bucks. Brother Valentine served with King’s Royal Rifle Corps & Army Service Corps but was gassed in the war and died in 1923. Brother Thomas served with RNAS and his wife Edith with the WRAF. Only one record for Brother Fred it shows he was serving with the KRRC 109 Training Bn in 1917.

(Research): GR[B] Banbury March 1886 JD 1891.

1901 Census Neithrop Oxon

1. Blencowe Tom Head Steel Iron Grinder 41
2. Blencowe Charlotte 9
3. Blencowe Charlotte Ada Wife 42
4. Blencowe Ernest Son 7
5. Blencowe Fred Son 11
6. Blencowe Alfred Son 14
7. Blencowe Rosa Buzzard Dau 18
8. Blencowe Thomas Son 12
9. Blencowe Valentine Son 16
10. Blencowe Sarah Dau Machinist 19

1911 Census Banbury

1. Blencowe Alfred 24 Linen Cutter
2. Blencowe Charlotte 19
3. Blencowe Charlotte Ada 52
4. Blencowe Ernest 17
5. Blencowe Fred 21
6. Blencowe Thomas 22
7. Blencowe Rosa Buzzard 27

Oxford and Bucks L I

WW1

Blencowe Alfred, 1886, Banbury, Acting Sergeant, 2494, 1/4^th Coy “C” Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry

1914

• The newspaper article below identifies that Alfred was a Territorial who volunteered in 1914 probably about August 1914.

1915

• 15^th May. 1/4th Regt. Became part of the 145^th Brigade in 48^th (South Midland) Division.
• 29^th Mar. Alfred entered the theatre of war in France.
• 30^th March. Battalion arrived in Bologne.
• Apr. to Jun. Billeted in Ploegsteert, Belgium.
• Jul. to Jul. 1916. Hebuterne Area.

1916

• 1^st Jul. The Battle for the Somme. VIII Corps (Lieutenant-General A G Hunter-Weston). Attack on Beaumont Hamel and Serre. The Battalion and most of its Division the 48^th was to be in Corps Reserve at Busles Artois⁵.
• 5^th Jul. Graham Greenwell of 1/4^th Oxford and Bucks wrote home from G Sector at Hébuterne: “Here we are again, back in the trenches, or rather canals, as the water is over our knees”. He was to be there until 8 July.
  “Yesterday afternoon I had a good look at the battlefield of 1 July through the telescope at a splendid observation post. It was a very interesting sight; it lay just to the right of us; the whole plain sloping up to the village called Serre held by the Germans was visible. Our troops attacked it after 6 days of bombardment, and after getting into the village were driven back to their original trenches. Heaps of bodies are still lying out there unburied, but the Germans and ourselves have been sending out stretcher parties each night. The three lines of German trenches in front of the village are absolutely shattered and are almost levelled; their thick wire is absolutely wrecked, but their machine guns did appalling damage in spite of everything. The village is one mass of ruins with a few gaunt trees standing up before the battle it was thickly wooded and almost invisible. Far to the right, I could see our guns shelling a large German railway centre behind the line – good sight”. ³
• 14^th-17^th Jul. The Battle of Bazentin Ridge * in which the Division captured Ovillers.
• 19^th Jul. Attack on Ovillers and Pozieres. Two failed attacks were not able to progress. At about 4.15 a.m. the Battalion was ordered to withdraw, which the state of the trench made a difficult operation. By 8 a.m. the Battalion was clear of the trenches, reformed at the dump outside Albert, and moved to huts at Bouzincourt. Casualties in the Battalion, 2 Officers wounded and 99 other ranks wounded.⁴
• 23rd Jul. Pozieres.

The Battalion attacked just east of Pozieres. A Company on the left, D on the right, B in support, and C in reserve. The objective on the left was reached almost at once; that on the right after a hard struggle. At least two counter-attacks had to be repulsed. At 4 a.m. we were reinforced by two companies of the 4^th Berks. Heavy shelling all day, but no further attacks were delivered. In the afternoon it became evident that the Battalion had suffered heavily, and at night we were relieved. Officers; 1 missing, believed killed; 1 killed and 8 wounded. In other ranks;73 were killed, and many wounded.⁴

• 12^th Aug. The British forces advance on a 1-mile front northwest of Pozières.
• 13^th Aug. Alfred was mortally wounded at Pozieres.. Alfred was mortally wounded in or near Skyline and Ration trenches and there in the same Bn. Arthur Harold Blencowe and Albert Blencowe. Ten days later Fred Blencowe 21st Bn. AIF was wounded in the same spot. The diary for the day says “Very heavy shelling over the whole area all day, more especially on Skyline and Ration Trenches. By the evening Skyline Trench had been obliterated, and C and D Companies had suffered heavy casualties, some, no doubt, caused by our own Heavies firing short… At about 9 p.m. enemy shelling became intense around Battalion H.Q……Shortly before 10 p.m. the enemy attacked our front and left flank with apparently two battalions. Our centre, which was weakly held, was pierced.
• 14^th Aug. Owing to the length of the line occupied and the casualties already sustained, no further counter-attack by the Battalion was practicable. The Casualties in the Battalion during the 13^th and 14^th of August were: 1 Officer missing; 5 Officers wounded, and 147 N.C.O.s and OR’s killed, wounded, and missing.
• 15^th Aug. Admitted to No 3. Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers. Gunshot wound IV.4, VI.2. W. (Entry filled out with the Army Wound Classification System of Roman Numerals) – IV4 – Gunshot wound of the chest. Penetrating.
• Alfred’s brother receives a most hopeful letter from Wesleyan Chapel attached to the South Midland Field Ambulance that his wounds serious but not thought fatal..(see newspaper cutting below)

• 16^thAug. Died three days after being wounded at the No 3. Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers.¹ The newspaper cutting below details how Alfred lay wounded in a Communications trench on Saturday 12 August until found on Tuesday 15 August having had no food and only water he could catch in his mess-tin.

* The battles above part of The Battle for the Somme

Serving alongside Alfred at Pozieres was Private Cyril Albert Blencowe 2/4^th Bn. from Bicester. Also serving was Corporal Arthur Harold Blencowe 1/4^th Bn. from Oxford.

Extract from War diary for the 13th and 14th August 1916

• 13^th Aug. Heavy enemy shelling started as soon as the relief was completed, & continued throughout the whole day, over the whole area, but especially on Rations & Skyline Trench, the latter especially being obliterated by the evening. Heavy casualties in C & D Coys. (It is practically certain that our own heavies were also dropping on the trench)².

Sources

1. 1/4th Oxford & Bucks, 1916-1919 Roll of Honour
2. Full War Diary of 1/4th Battalion.
3. Somme 1916 by Gerald Gliddon.
4. Extracted From The Regimental Chronicles Ofthe Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Compiled by Steve Berridge.
5. Slaughter on the Somme by John Grehan, Martin Mace.
6. First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen from No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station MH106/321.

Medals

Awarded 1914-15, British and Victory medals

Probate

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Blencowe Albert, Rank: Serjeant, Service No:2494, Date of Death:16/08/1916, Age:29

Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 4th Bn.

Grave Reference, II. A. 60, Cemetery Puchevillers British Cemetery.

Also remembered at St Mary’s Neithrop Oxon.

Soldiers Effects Record

The sheet confirms 16th Aug. Died three days after being wounded and at the No 3. Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers. Effects left to sisters Sarah Smith, Rose Barrett, Lottie Lowe. Brother Pte Valentine c/o O.C. 109th Kings Rifles Bn Wimbledon, brother Thomas, brother Pte Fred Blencowe c/o O.C. 109th Kings Rifles Bn Wimbledon and Mrs May R Blencowe sister-in-law.

Gallery

Note: there are 4 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.