Reginald Lionel Blencowe [4625]

1899-1951

Father Nm: Walter Blencowe, b. 1849, Souldern, Oxfordshire died Apr 1925, Sheffield, Yorkshire West Riding: Oldest known ancestor John Blencowe 1778 Burnby, Northants.

Mother Nm: Elizabeth Ann Fisher, 22 Oct 1866 Huddersfield, Yorkshire died Mar 1943, Rother Valley, Yorkshire West Riding,

Marriage Dt: Marriages Jun 1920, Warrender Elizabeth Blencowe Sheffield 9c 1623.

K comments: Brother James Willie served with K.O. Yorks LI. Nieces Fanny Elizabeth served in WW2 as a Nursing Sister, and Dorothy and Florence served as Nurses in the Reserve Nursing Force required for WW2 casualties. Brother Albert Edward served with Kings Own in Ireland in the 1920s

Spouse Comments: Elizabeth Warrender was born 12 April 1901 Sheffield died in Nov quarter 1989 Sheffield

Children: May Blencowe (Dudley) 1920-1996

(Research): GR[B] Wortley Sept 1899 GR[D] Sheffield vol2d p 193 June 1951.

Births Sept 1899

Blencowe Reginald Lionel Wortley 9c 317

1911 Census 30 Jedburgh St. Sheffield

1. Blencowe Albert Edward Son M 1902 9
2. Blencowe Elizabeth Ann Wife F 1867 44
3. Blencowe Emily Miriam Dau F 1907 4
4. Blencowe Ezelyn Ida Thilomena Dau F 1897 14
5. Blencowe James Willie Son M 1895 16
6. Blencowe Reginald Lionel Son M 1900 11
7. Blencowe Richard Fisher Son M 1884 27
8. Blencowe Samuel M 1891 20
9. Blencowe Walter Head M 1850 61

1912 Attending Anston Provided School

Reginald Lionel and siblings Albert Edward and Emily Miriam also at this school.

West Yorkshire Regiment	Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

WW1

Blencowe Reginald Lionel, 1899, Wortley, Private, 61596, 658168, 15^th/17^th West Yorkshire Regt. 2^nd Garrison Bn. King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

1917

• 20^th Aug. Enlisted and was sent overseas to join the 15^th/17^th West Yorks and probably saw action through 1918 and then seems to have been transferred to the 2^nd Garrison Battalion of the KOYLI Depot perhaps because of illness (see 1919 discharge), Awarded Silver War Badge with this reason for discharge.

Note: 15^th (Service) Battalion (1st Leeds), 17^th (Service) Battalion (2nd Leeds)

• 7^th December 1917. 15^th Bn. Amalgamated with 17^th Bn. to form 15^th/17^th Bn. formed part of 93^rd Bde of 31^st Division

1918

Reginald may not have gotten to France until April 1918 (his name doesn’t appear in the war diary in January when extensive listings of those in the battalion are included). The time from Jan to April is detailed however in part to describe the depletion of the Battalion and why 500 recruits were needed in April.

• Jan-Feb. Arleux Sector. The Bn. in billets at Camp Lancaster, Mont St Eloi and trench duty in the Arleux sector.
• 21^st Mar. German Spring Offensive begins.

  

• 22^nd Mar. Bn. at GHQ Caucort it was bussed and then marched to the line in front of St Leger near Judas Farm on the 23^rd.
• 25^th Mar. The Bn. withdrew to Boyelles Ervillers Rd.
• 26^th Mar. Further withdrawal to the Cemetery at Hamelincourt. Heavy shelling and machine-gun fire were directed against these positions and casualties were taken each day. Sergeant A Mountain of the Bn. subsequently won V.C. For his action that day.
• 27^th Mar. The Bn. withdrew to SE of Moyenvillers. German attack encircled the Bn. and while some escaped many were wounded and surrounded.
• 28^th Mar. Ten per cent of the Bn. held back joined the escapees and formed a defensive line overnight East of the road from Boiry to Ayette.
• 29^th Mar. This party went forward and engaged the enemy fighting all day.
• 30^th Mar. At 12:30 am the remains of the Bn. were relieved by the 11^th Border Regt. Casualties estimated to be
  • Officers 1 died of wounds, 9 wounded, 9 missing.
  • OR’s 19 killed, 77 wounded and 500 missing.
• 31^st Mar. Bn. moved into billets at Gaudiempre.
• 5^th Apr. Hermin. Reginald could have been among the 503 recruits who joined the battalion from England.
• 11^th-16^th April. The defence of Meteren.

  

  The Bn. ordered into the line to support 13^th Yorks & Lancs and 18^th DLI who were to attack Le Becque. The Bn. then moved to Hondeghem and then told to retire to the Railway and with two other battalions hold it.

  • 11^th-15^th Apr. “A” Coy. Very heavy machine-gun fire was directed at the battalion during the move but they got to their position to defend Meteren. This Party (‘A” Coy) defended the flank and allowed other two battalions and most of its own to escape and march back to go through the 33^rd Div and regroup behind the lines to organise the defence of Meteren. This position was held by the “A” party until the 15^th Apr. when it was relieved by the Tank Corps and proceeded to Borre.
  • 12^th-16^th Apr. “B” “C” and “D” Coys. Meanwhile, Coys “B” “C” and “D” were placed under command of 12^th Suffolk they occupied a position near Bailleul but this was untenable and so move to occupy a line from St Jans Cappel to Mount Noir and remained there until the 16^th when ordered to rejoin the Battalion at Borre.
  • Casualties
    • Killed 3 Officers and 23 OR’s
    • Wounded 6 Officers and 153 OR’s
    • Missing 2 Officers and 143 OR’s (some of the missing found their way back to the Bn.)
  • Awards 9 MC’s,2 DCM, 12 Military medals granted for bravery because of this action.
• 1^st – 9^th May. In camp and working parties working on entrenching west of Hazebrouck.
• 9^th-15^th and 21^st – 24^th May. Bn. In front line trenches west of Meteren mainly quiet.
• 28^th Jun. Attack at La Becque.

  

  “At the far left of the 31^st Division front, the 15^th/17^th West Yorkshire’s (Leeds Pals & Bantams) of 93rd Brigade were to capture and consolidate la Becque Farm – from which the action takes its name – before pushing on to Plate Becque stream. “ “ On the left of the attack, the 15^th/17^th West Yorkshire’s encountered only isolated pockets of resistance in driving through to their objectives under the protection of the creeping barrage. In circumstances that were repeated along the length of the front, attacking troops pressing too close to the barrage were inevitably hit by their own shrapnel, accounting for many of the battalion’s 170 casualties.”² The operation was completely successful 90-180 POWs, 10 Mch. Guns and 3 Trench Mortars were captured.

• Aug. Front line north of Meteren. Quiet.
• 13-18^th Sept. Operations at Ploegsteert.
  • Advanced on nights of the 15^th and 16^th.
  • 18^th Sept. Attacked and captured POWs and equipment.
    • Casualties Killed 1 Officer and 7 OR’s. Wounded 1 Officer and 19 OR’s
    • Captured 19 POWs, estimated 52 enemy killed.
• 1^st Oct. The Bn. in trenches in Bois de Ploegsteert.
• 4-6^th Oct. Relieved the 11^th East Lancs in the front line at Le Gheer . Battalion Lieut. Col A.V. Nutt was wounded and Bn. the command was taken over by Maj A Peace. The Bn. relieved by 12^th Norfolk’s on the 6^th and marched to the rear to camp Aldershot near Neuve Eglise.
• 16^th Oct. The Bn. ordered to march to the east of River Lys and by 17^th south of Comines. On the 18^th moved forward to Tourcoing, 19^th Lannoy and 20^th Nechin.
• 24^th Oct. The Bn. relieved the 13^th York and Lancs at the Pecq line
• 27^th/28^th Oct. Bn. at Camp near Mouscron at the end of the month marched via Courtrai to Staceghem in the Steenbrugge area.
• Nov. Most of the month was spent on the march first from Staceghem to Marcke then onto Rugge. On the 10^th they moved onto Renaix then on the 11^th the Armistice caused the battalion to halt and turn around retracing their way back and stopping at Ooteghem before orders took them to Poperinghe on the 24^th Nov. From 24^th Nov they made their way to St Omer reaching there on the 27^th.
• Dec and Jan and Feb. Spent in St Omer and Blendecques, some men demobilised but Reginald stayed on being shipped back to England sometime in 1919.

1919

• 23^rd Aug. Discharged at York 23 Aug 1919 Kings Regulations 392 (xvi) unfit to serve due to illness.

Sources

1. War Diary of 15/17^th West Yorkshire LI. transcriptions are available on request.
2. Accrington Pals.

Medals

Awarded and recorded as Reginald Lionel Blancowe . BWM, Victory and the Silver War Badge.

After the War

1921 Census

Reginald (like a lot at this time) is unemployed and living with his parents at 29 Cromer Street, Sheffield

Walter	Blencowe	Head	Male	1849	71	Oxfordshire, England	General Labourer	Yorkshire Engineer Co Ltd Locomotive Builders
Elizabeth A	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1866	54	Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England	Home Duties	–
Reginald L	Blencowe	Son	Male	1899	21	Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England	Gas House Out Of Work Labourer	Sheffield Gas Co
Elizabeth	Blencowe	Daughter-in-law	Female	1901	20	Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England	–	–
May	Blencowe	Granddaughter	Female	1920	–	Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England	Day Cyril	Private
Emily M	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1906	14	Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England	–

 

1939 Census

116 Adrian Crescent, Sheffield

 

Death 1951 age 52

Sheffield, Yorkshire Volume 2D page 193.

GALLERY

Note: there are 5 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.