Frank Blencowe  [4274]

1889-1957

Father Nm: Joseph Henry Blencowe [3718] c 27.6.1858 Gawcott (Buckingham J.Q.) died 1943 North Bucks  : Oldest known ancestor – William Blencowe, C1788, Buckingham.

Mother Nm: Annie Smith [6259] 1858.

Marriage Dt: Dec 1913. Spouse  Eliza Jane Cherry Buckingham 3a 1937.

K Comments:

Brother John emigrated and served with Australian Army and brother Joseph Henry served with Oxford and Bucks LI.

WW2: Son Eric John, Stoker, Royal Navy, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and died on the 6th February 1944 near the Maldives. Son Ronald Frank served from 1940 as a Stoker with the Royal Navy.

Spouse Comments: Eliza Jane Cherry 1890-1966.BIRTH 21 JAN 1890 • Barton Hartshorn, Buckinghamshire, England. DEATH JUL 1971 • Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Children: Freda Gertrude  1915, Ronald Frank 1919,  and Eric John 1925.

(Research): GR[B] Buckingham Dec 1888 1891 Census, prob. GR[D] Aylesbury vol 6a p 322 March 1957.

1891 Census Gawcott, Bucks

1. Jas Blencowe 32
2. Annie Blencowe 33
3. Fred Blencowe 10
4. Joseph Blencowe 7
5. Mary Blencowe 6
6. William Blencowe 4
7. Frank Blencowe 2

1901 Census

Joseph Blencowe Head Married Male 43 1858 General labourer
Ann Blencowe Wife Married Female 44 1857
Joseph Blencowe Son Single Male 17 1884 Farm labourer
William Blencowe Son Single Male 14 1887 Farm labourer
Frank Blencowe Son Male 12 1889
John Blencowe Son Male 6 1895

1911 Census Main St Gawcott

1. Blencowe Ann Wife 53
2. Blencowe Frank Son 20 Hedge Cutter
3. Blencowe John Son 17
4. Blencowe Junr J H Son 37
5. Blencowe Sen Joseph H Head 52
6. Blencowe William Son 22

Machine Gun Corps	Oxon and Bucks LI

WW1

Blencowe Frank, 1889, Gawcott, Private, 78217, 49727, ‘E’ Battalion, Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps, Royal Tank Corps, 574th Coy. Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

Medal record discrepancies and the National Roll of the Great War

The medal index card and roll show only two serial numbers and regiments served. Number 78217 Machine Gun Corps and number 49727 Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Frank’s war role would have been a mystery if it was not for a book called The National Roll of the Great War. The book attempted to document all World War one soldiers but didn’t get completed, its total accuracy is sometimes questioned as it does have many anecdotal discrepancies. Frank’s record though seems to be correct even if it at odds with Army medal records. This apparent discrepancy can be explained as a question of timing, initially, the unit he joined was called the Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps. Only in 1917 to be renamed ‘Tanks Corps’ consequently medal records record the unit he went to France with ie HS MGC. The image from the book (below) shows it is undoubtedly our Frank from Gawcott.

Number 78216 J M Jacoby one number in front of Frank joined the No1 Battalion MGC Heavy Section on 4th July 1916.

1914

• Nov. Frank was attested and mobilised in this year according to the National Roll of the Great War. It’s not clear he was “on important duties” as the National Roll suggests. He undoubtedly was trained to work with the tanks however most likely (we speculate) in a labouring role, ie recovering tanks from accidents like falling into trenches etc., digging out tank tracks that have become bogged down etc. the training Frank undertook was probably at Elverden were the training was mainly conducted.

  

  

1916

• Jun. 1916 the Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps was organized at Elveden Camp in six companies or battalions—А, В, C, D, E, and F. Each company having 25 Tanks. ¹
• 28th Nov. Frank was transferred to ‘E’ Battalion most likely this day.  Evidence for this is serial numbers 78216 J M Jacoby and 78218 C W Parkins  (ie numbers either side of Frank) were transferred to E Battalion on 28th Nov 1916. The tanks of this period had 8 crew members and 4 men were required just to drive it. The driver had control of a clutch, footbrake, hand throttle and primary gearbox, which gave two speeds forward and one in reverse. The commander, sitting to the driver’s left, operated the brakes. At the back of the tank, two ‘gearsmen’ worked secondary, two-speed gearboxes located within the track frames. The crew faced immense danger and under battle conditions unable to easily escape a bombardment. As speculated earlier, Franks job may have been less dangerous as he was likely part of the battalions working parties used to do ‘Agricultural work’ in and around tanks and the base.

It’s worth noting that Charles Albert Blencowe was at this time in training to be Tank Commander of an ‘E’ Battalion Tank. A coincidence that two Blencowes in the Tank corps are in the same battalion, did they meet ?  and if so discuss the family name and if they had common ancestors.

1917

• • 25^th Jun. Landed in France and based at Rest Camp No1 Le Havre.⁵
  • 5^th Jul. Entrained to Anvin and billets there.⁵
  • 26^th Jul. The tanks and the men of the battalion moved forward to Wailly just SW of Arras.⁵
  • 20^th Sept. Third Battle of Ypres. E battalions first action in the crossing of the Steenbeek, at St Julien was a failure and many tanks abandoned (including 2^nd Lt. C A Blencowes). Frank probably involved in the attempted salvage of these tanks and it is in one of these operations that he most likely is wounded as the tanks were prime artillery targets once stopped in their tracks.⁵
  • 20^th Nov. The Attack on Cambrai.

    

    The second and main tank battle of the year this time with some success, 15 of the battalion’s tanks got to their objective.⁵ However all this at a high cost of casualties. Six tank commanders killed and 9 wounded including 2^nd  Lt. Charles Blencowe. Unusually the war diary lists the 84 OR’s wounded or missing. Frank is not listed in the war diary in this action suggesting he was wounded before or after this battle.

  • 1^st Dec. All Coys left the front and entrained at Ypres for Meaulte .⁵

1918

Note The medical records suggest that Frank was home based in 1918 at least

• 9^th Jan. Entrained at Meualte for Blangy.⁵
• 1st February. Admitted to the Military Hospital Catterick with Muscle Strain
• Feb. In billets at Blangy.⁵
• Mar. At the beginning of the month the Coys. moved forward again this time to Tincourt -Buire Wood. Near St Quentin.
• 21^st Mar. Very heavy bombardment Germans attack Hervilly, and Epehy to St Quentin. The situation was very uncertain.
• 22^nd Mar.Tanks in action, Bn. HQ removed to Doingt Wood.⁵
• 23^rd Mar. All tanks were ordered to retire over the Somme at Brie Bridge. Those tanks that could not cross were destroyed in the retreat.
• 25-26^th Mar. Bn. at Corbie and moved to Boves on 26^th .⁵
• 31^st Mar. Prouzel SW Amiens. Casualties for the period, Officers 7 wounded, 3 missing OR’s 1 killed, 28 wounded 25 missing. March 1918 a possible time for Franks wounding, on this occasion, WD does not list OR casualties.⁵
• 4^th Apr. Bn. moved by motor lorry to Auchy.⁵
• 13^th Apr. Berthen NW of Hazebrouck the Lewis Gun Bn. with up to 422 OR’s moved to the front line.
• 16^th Apr. Berthen. German Spring Offensive. News was received that the enemy had penetrated the front south of Meteren-Bailleul Rd. ‘B’ Coy was partially surrounded by the enemy. Coy CO was wounded and one officer killed 4 Officers and 1 section is missing. Later Argyle and Sutherland relieved 5th Bn. Note a series of reliefs and returns to the front line until the 29^th .⁵
• 29^th Apr. The enemy opened a heavy barrage, a great number of gas shells. The enemy then attacked and reached the front line, but drove back. The line running Fermoy Fm. Locre, Mont Rouge, Mont Vidaigne.⁵
• 31^st Apr. Casualties for the period. Officer 1 was killed 2 wounded and 5 men missing. Other Ranks 10 killed, 43 wounded, and 30 missing.⁵
• 19 May. Admitted to Military Hospital Catterick with Influenza.
• Sometime in 1918 a long period in Hospital in England ended up at The Military Hospital Catterick.

 

• 10 June. Discharged from Military Hospital Catterick

Update with these records

• Aug. Transferred to 574^th Agricultural Coy. Oxford and Bucks LI. After a long period of convalescence based at The Military Hospital at Catterick, Yorks. Some indication of the timing of this can be gleaned from Serial number 49727, It appears that 49732 G Clack 2^nd Aug. and 49720 I A Brain 19^th Sept. was transferred to 574^th Agricultural Coy OBLI. Note: Agricultural companies were originally formed on a regimental basis being men no longer fit to serve overseas who were hired to local farmers who were responsible for transferring the appropriate farming (or forestry) skills. The regiments were responsible for pay and rations and the farmers paid a sum (less than agricultural labourers’ rates) to the regiment. Most men were B2 or B3.

1919

• Mar. Demobilised.

Sources

1. Tanks in the Great War 1914-1918 by Brevet-Colonel J. F. C. Fuller, D.S.O.
2. The National Roll of the Great War
3. The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War– Tanks.
4. Landships Narratives Detailed analysis of the Tanks and their battalion movements.
5.   ‘E’ (5th) Bn. Tank Corps Diary .  Appendix

Medals

Awarded British and Victory medals.

Medals sent to High St, Gawcott Buckingham Bucks.

Frank entitled to wear one wound stripe on his dress uniform.

After the War

1939 Census

3 Council Houses, Steeple Claydon, Buckingham

Frank Blencowe 22 Aug 1889 Male Brickworks General Labourer Married 25 1
Eliza (J) Blencowe 21 Jan 1890 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 25 2
Ronald Blencowe 30 Nov 1920 Male Brickworks General Labourer Single 25 3
Eric Blencowe 22 Mar 1925 Male Press Boy Brickworks Single 25 4

Death 1957 age 68 years

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Volume: 6a, Page: 322.

Gallery

Note: there are 2 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.