SYdney Fenner Blencowe [9773]
Killed in Action 11th April 1917.
1889-1917
Father Nm: Francis Blencow [3584] born 04 Nov 1846 in Peckham, Camberwell D.Q.mother Coldman died on 16 Feb 1917 in 171 The Grove, Denmark Hill, Surrey.: oldest known ancestor – Thomas Blencowe c. 1475 Marston St Lawrence.
Mother Nm: Elizabeth Martha Fenner [5357] 1858-1896.
Marriage Dt:
K comments: Half brother to Francis Drake who served with County of London Regt. and Royal Army Medical Corps was wounded in WW1. Francis Drake was to lose his son Arthur in WW2. Cousins; Charles Edward Blencowe who he was travel companion in the early 1900s died in the war in Clytte Belgium in 1918; John Frederick Blencowe who served in the Merchant Fleet, Arthur James Blencowe who served with the Royal Artillery; Thomas Horn Blencowe served with the Royal Engineers in East Africa
Spouse Comments:
Children:
(Research):GR[B] Camberwell Dec 1889.
1891 Census 100 Rye Lane, Camberwell
- Francis Blencowe 44
- Elizabeth M Blencowe 33
- Sydney Blencowe 1
- Daisy Irene Cooper 12
- Major W Oden 24
- Anne Sprowart 58
- Stephen M Sprowart 20
- Alfred C D Irey 14
- Edward Smith 17

1901 Census 28 Lordship Lane, Camberwell. Sydney and sister with new step Mother
- Francis Blencowe 54 Hatter and Hosier
- Mary Maria Blencowe 41
- Sidney Fermer Blencowe 11
- Mary Lizzie Blencowe 7
- Maria Pitt 78

1906 Bradings Hse Alleyn’s School, Dulwich


1908 Age 18 Emigrated to North West Territories Canada
1909
Crossed from Canada to USA heading for Spokane Washington.
Gives father as Frank of Dulwich, London. On the listing next to him is cousin Charles Edward Blencowe who was son of Franks brother John Blencowe of Dulwich London.
Census 1910 United States Federal Census
Address: Nehalem, Tillamook, Oregon, with cousin Charles Edward Blencowe both to be killed in WW1. Gives occupation as Hired Man.
1911 Census ?
No appearance in England. was in USA or Canada as records show traveled to Liverpool in December 1911.
- 22 Dec 1911. Ship Travel, St John, New Brunswick, Canada to Liverpool England. Ship “Corsican”. Occupation: Labourer.
1914. Perth Australia
- 9 May. Sydney arrives as an immigrant to Sydney Australia on SS Beltana 9 May 1914
- Sat 12 Sep 1914 [Issue No.71] Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Page 2159 The Commonwealth Public Service results show prior to this date Sydney say the examination for entry his score is 5th overall of 34 applicants and shows he was much stronger in Maths than English as a subject.
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Australian Imperial force | 16th Battalion Patch. | 48th Battalion Patch. |
WW1
Blencowe Sidney Fenner, 1889, Camberwell, Private, 2863, 16th Bn. 9th Reinforcements, 48th Bn. AIF
1915
- 3 May. Sidney applies to enlist in Perth but is seemingly initially rejected because at 32 inches his chest size is under regulations. This then get turned over by the Army and he joins two months later.
- 22nd Jul. Enlisted in Perth Western Australia. Sidney was in the employ of the Post Office in Perth at this time as a letter carrier.
- 22 August. Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1915) despite having now joined the AIF Sydney is publically confirmed a Post and Telegraph employee
Note: Sydney was to be a reinforcement for the 16th Battalion (Western Australia) that was already in the Gallipoli Peninsular. He was part of the 9th Reinforcements to be raised for the 16th Battalion.
- 5th Oct. Part of the 9th Reinforcemenets that embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A20 Hororata.bound for Alexandria, Egypt
1916
- 9th Jan. Joined the 16th Battalion in the field in Egypt.
- 10th Mar. Transferred to the 48th Bn. The 48th Battalion was raised in Egypt as part of the “doubling” of the AIF. Roughly half of its new recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 16th Battalion, and the other half, fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 16th, the men of the new battalion hailed mainly from regional South Australia and Western Australia. The new battalion formed part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.
- 2nd/3rd Jun. Transported on HMT Caledonia from Alexandria, Egypt to Marseilles, France .1
- 8 Jun. Arrived Marseilles.
- 9 Jun. Transported to Hazebrouck.
- 12 June. Bailleul.
- 14 June. Merris and visited front line trenches on the 22nd.
- 3 July. Moved to Fleurbaix.
- 8 July. Fleurbaix. Heavy enemy shelling and the 48th Bn sustained their first casualties. 1 man killed several wounded.
- 18 July . Pommera near Bertrancourt
-
Chalk Pit, Pozieres. Australian Army The 48th Bn. was tasked with defending ground captured in earlier attacks by the 2nd Division in the front line on these dates. Endured what was said to be heaviest artillery barrage ever experienced by Australian troops and suffered 598 casualties out of a total complement of 1000 men.1
- 12-15th Aug. Pozieres. The 48th Bn. was in the front line again on these dates.1
- Aug. Battle of Moquet Farm.
Trench map showing location of Moquet Farm Mouquet Farm was located about 1.7 kilometres north-west of the high ground near Pozières. Following the action at Pozieres the Bn. undertook a defensive role around Mouquet Farm, before being moved to Flanders where they rotated with the other three battalions of the brigade to man a sector of the line south of Ypres. No major attacks occurred in their sector during this time, and although there were a few casualties, the battalion was able to replace some of its losses, reaching a strength of around 700 men.2
1917
- Mar. The battalion followed up the Germans as they withdrew towards the Hindenburg Line.
- 8th-10th Apr. Bullecourt – Noreuil. The 48th Bn of the 12 Bde relieved the 52nd Bn. heavy shelling on the 8th. 9th a quiet day. On the 10th the 48th and 46th Bn. ordered to attack but Yorks Regt. Failed to support and Bn. retired under fire, 10 Other Ranks killed and 17 wounded.
THE BATTLEFIELD OF BULLECOURT,SHOWING THE SITUATION AT ABOUT
9.30 A.M. ON I I T H APRIL, 1917, AFTER THE CAPTURE OF PORTION OF THE
HINDENBURGLINEBY THE 4TH AUSTRALIANDIVISION
The tanks are shown in the positrons In which they were put out of action. - 11th Apr. The Attack on Bullecourt. Killed in Action. The attack took place in the morning assisted by tanks which were late getting away and slow-moving delaying movement. Heavy enemy machine gun and rifle fire casualties 14 officers and 414 Other Ranks . 132 battalion men were killed this day one of which was Sidney KIA.

There appears to have been no positive identification of Sidney’s death , Red Cross report in 1919 confirms his death after the search of German records for POW’s. Upon his death, Sidney’s effects are returned to three people. Some effects were sent to Francis Blencowe father in England who was dead most likely recorded died 1st Qtr. 1917.
- July 17th 1917. A receipt for 6 letters, the receipt is from a Beryl Hedley of 3 Beresford Rd.,. Hornsey, London, this may have been a girlfriend from whom the letters were sent to Sydney.
- Aug 7th. Other effects sent to Mary M Blencowe (step Mother) Denmark Hill, London.
Note: Memorial Plaque and Scroll was also sent in 1922 to step mother Mrs Mary Maria Blencowe (Pitt)
Sources
- Australian War Museum.
- Wikipedia.
- 48th Bn. War Diary.
- Complete Service Record.
Notes
- Alexander Howard Blencowe (not directly related) was killed on 31st Aug at Moquet Farm served alongside Sidney Fenner Blencowe in the 48th Bn. at Pozieres.
- Sidney Blencowe (not directly related) 23rd Bn. AIF was killed at Bullecourt one month before Sidney Fenner.
- The Battle of Pozières Ridge is the official name for the military operations which took place between 23 July and 3 September 1916, in the area from Bazentin-le-Petit to Contalmaison and onwards north-west towards the River Ancre. It included the many ‘subsidiary’ attacks towards Munster Alley (to the south-east of Pozières), High Wood, Guillemont and Delville Wood. Source Imperial War Museum
Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France
Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground (‘Hill 104’) behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial 45.
Medals
1914-15 Star (130940), British War Medal(18870), Victory Medal (18801) with Sidney’s actual medal numbers