Thomas Blencowe [4604]
1898-1954
Father Nm: Reuben Blencowe [1722] 1873; Oldest known ancestor Thomas Blencowe,1803, Bishops Itchington.
Mother Nm: Ellen Elizabeth Parker [1502] 1875.
Marriage Dt:
- 1927 Portsmouth to Margery Louisa Simpson
- 1946 to Elsie Jeffs, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Volume Number: 3a, Page Number: 3164.
Kin comments: Twin of Joseph who served in the same regiment.
Father Reuben served with Oxford and Bucks and Durham LI was wounded in 1915 and discharged.

The extended family was part of a large commitment to the war. Uncles John and Edward also served with Oxford and Bucks. Cousin Albert was KIA with the Oxford and Bucks and cousins Harry RGA, John Royal Navy, and William Royal Engineers also served.

Spouse comments: Elsie Florence Jeffs. born 8 December 1913 Aylesbury and died 25 August 2000
Children:
- Barbara Blencowe was born Mar Q 1929 Cuckfield mother Simpson
- Betty P Blencowe was born Mar Q 1930 Portsmouth mother Simpson
- June M Blencowe [9052] born Jun Q 1946 Aylesbury m.1962 Aylesbury David A Lane one child.
- Janet L Blencowe [9056] born Mar Q 1948 Aylesbury m. 1966 Aylesbury John Withey 2 children.
- Peter Blencowe [5123] was born in 1949 in Aylesbury m m. 1976 Aylesbury Elizabeth M Mann, is this Elizabeth Hawkins Landlord ot the’ Exeter Arms’ in Rutland
- Adrian Mann stepson
- Jessica L Blencowe [6464] born 21.11.1977 Stamford
- Nathan J. Blencowe [6465] was born on 20.10.1978 in Stamford
- William Lewis Blencowe [6862] was born on 9.11.1997
(Research): GR[B] Banbury March 1899 Transcr Banbury, Parish Register GR[D] Brackley vol 3B p 562, March 1969.
BORN 8 December 1898
(Reference twin brother Joseph travel doc 1959 and WW2 record MOD).
1901 Census 5 Union St Neithrop
- Reuben Blencowe 28 Bricklayer
- Ellen Elizabeth Blencowe 26
- Reuben Blencowe 4
- Joseph Blencowe 2
- Thomas Blencowe 2
- Bertie Mafeking Blencowe 10 Months
1911 Census 5 Union Square Neithrop Banbury Oxfordshire
- Blencowe Annie May Dau F 1907 Banbury 4
- Blencowe Alfred Son M 1905 Banbury 6
- Blencowe Bertie Mafehing Son M 1901 Banbury 10
- Blencowe Charles Son M 1909 Banbury 2
- Blencowe Ellen Elizabeth Wife F 1876 Ireland 35
- Blencowe Ellen Elizabeth Dau F 1911 6 Weeks
- Blencowe Joseph Son M 1899 12
- Blencowe Reuben Head Bricklayer M 1873 38
- Blencowe Reuben Son News Boy M 1897 14
- Blencowe Thomon Son M 1899 12
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Duke of Cornwall’s LI |
WW1
Blencowe Thomas, 1899, Banbury, Private,29939, 5429601, 6th and 7th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
A twin with Joseph and he was likely conscripted on the same day and while they served in the war with separate battalions after the war seemingly they served together in the 2nd Bn. DCLI.
Thomas served for three periods in the Army
1916-1918 DCLI Private
1919-1923 DCLI L/Cpl.
1939-1945 RAMC.
1916
- Feb. Enlisted with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
- 3rd Aug. Placed with the 6th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry as part of the 43rd Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division, note at this time the 6th Bn. had been on the Western Front since May 1915. From Hugo White ”His original number was allotted on or about 3rd August 1916. In the Attestation record, it is a number that was part of a large block bracketed together under the heading of “Allotted to Records, 3rd August 1916”. During the latter part of the Great War, a high percentage of men initially joined Training and Reserve battalions. It was only after they had completed their basis recruit training that they were allotted to regiments.
- 5th-27th Aug. The Battle for Delville Wood.
- 12th Aug. The 6th Bn. marched to Montauban, relieving the 6th Somersets in support trenches. 4
- 13/14th Aug. Both nights saw carrying parties from the Cornwall’s journeying up the line with water, rations, and ammunition for the Somersets in Delville Wood. The enemy’s shell fire at this period was intermittent, but even so the 6th Bn. lost three other ranks on the 13th and twenty on the 14th.
- 15th Aug. The 6th Battalion relieved the Somersets, “B”, “C” (less two platoons), and “D” Coys taking over the front line in the Wood, “A” Coy. in Longueval Alley and two platoons of “C” in Trones Wood in support. By the middle of August, the Germans were back again in portions of Delville Wood and the struggle for possession of it was still going on. 4
- 18th Aug.
The Battle of Delville Wood
The objectives allotted to the 6th D.C.L.1. were from the north-eastern corner to the northern edge of the Wood.An attack by the 43rd Bde. on the right and the 4Ist Bde. on the left of the 14th Division were to capture the enemy’s trenches opposite the south-eastern corner of the Wood, i.e.Beer Trench and Ale Alley, the whole of the northern portion of the Wood and trenches to the north-west of it. The objectives allotted to the 6th Bn. were from the northeastern corner to the northern edge of the Wood. Before going over the top the casualties in the previous hour were forty. 4 The Bn. advanced through a heavy barrage and counter-attacks, taking after time the Sap and then advancing further to the final position occupied and held which was the junction of Hop Alley and Wood and Devil’s Trench, the Bn. being reduced to 150. A large number of German prisoners were taken.
- The 6th Bn. had lost heavily:7 Officers and 69 ORs had been killed; 7 Officers and 233 OR’s were wounded and 50 OR’s missing.
- 26/27th Aug. A battalion of the 43rd Brigade made a surprise attack, took the rest of Edge Trench and barricaded Ale Alley, taking about 60 prisoners from Infantry Regiment 118 of the German 56th Div. which eliminated the last German foothold in Delville Wood.
- 15th -22nd Sept. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The third British general offensive during the Battle of the Somme continued the advance from Delville Wood and Longueval. The battle was notable for the first use of tanks and the capture of the villages of Courcelette, Martinpuich, and Flers. In the XV Corps area, the 14th Division on the right advanced to the area of Bull’s Road between Flers and Lesboeufs.
British infantry take a break by a D17 Mark 1 heavy Tank during the Battle of -Flers Courcelette- in September 1916. - 16th Sept. The 6th Bn. entered the battle and were ordered to support the two forward Battalions by moving up to Gap Trench SE of Flers village. The Gap trench couldn’t be occupied it was partially destroyed and so the Bn. dug in at the vicinity.4
- At 9.25 a.m. (zero hour) on the 16th, the Battalion was ordered to advance over the open and occupy the line of the Bulls Road, the Durham Light Infantry and the Somerset’s were then advancing to the attack. The objectives of the 43rd Brigade were Gird Trench and Gird Support. These two trenches covered all approaches to Gueudecourt from the west. The Bn advanced in one wave. The enemy, spotting the movement, immediately opened fire with machine guns and “whizzbangs”, there were big losses sustained by the Durham Light Infantry and Somerset’s. Two companies of the Bn. due to the bombardment then advanced in waves of platoons at 100 yards distance. These also suffered heavily but reached the front line. Another advance was tried from the front line but it after moving forward 200 yards, melted away and the survivors crawled back to the “jumping-off” line.4 The Cornwall’s, Durham’s and Somerset’s (they were very much intermingled) now established a defensive line of all units along the Bulls Road.4
The objectives of the 43rd Brigade were Gird Trench and Gird Support shown on the trench map - 17th Sept. The division was relieved by the 21st Div. which took over the line and the 6th Bn.-moved back to Pommiers Redoubt and later to Becordel and Ribemont. 4
- 22nd Sept. Bn. marched to Sus St. Leger. Casualties in the Battle had been very heavy:15 officers out of 20 had been killed or wounded and the losses in other ranks were 294 out of about 550 who “went over the top”.4
- 27th Sept. From Sus St. Leger the 6th Bn. moved to Arras in motor lorries, and went into brigade support. The new sector taken over by the 14th Division was in front of Achicourt Agny, with Beaurains in the German lines.
- 3rd Oct. Arras Sector. The Bn. took over front-line trenches in the “H” Sector but here also along the Arras front the enemy showed little signs of activity.4
- 31st Oct. End of the month the 35th Div. relieved the 14th and the 6th Bn. marched to Izel Les Hameau, the Cornwall’s billeting in that village.4
1917
- 18th Mar-7thApr. The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The 6th Bn. was out of the front line, quartered in the Beaudimont Barracks, Arras. At this period all infantry battalions out of the front line were engaged in work of some kind in preparation for the spring offensive due to begin in April along the Arras front.4
- However, on this day the Somersets had gone through the front line at Beurains and discovered that the Germans had withdrawn the 6th Bn. immediately sent two Coys to assist in the occupation of Beurains.4
- 19th Mar. The 6th Bn. relieved the Somersets in the old German trenches some bombardment from enemy artillery still in range. They were there for 2 days before being relived themselves again.4
- 3rd-7th Apr. The 6th Bn. went back into the front line in Prussian Weg (east of Beaurains).4
- 9-12th Apr. The First Battle of the Scarpe at Arras.
Modified map from The History of The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry 1914-1919 by E Wyrall 1932 - 9th Apr. Undercover of a most effective barrage the attack was launched. Two hours after the attack started the 6th Bn. ( held in reserve) was ordered forward to support the 6th Somersets. The Brown Line was reached and entered, but the time of its capture is not given. Meanwhile, the 6th Bn. (less one company and one platoon) had advanced and were in position in F and E Lines by 2 p.m. Orders to advance in the direction of Niger Trench (Brown Line)and assist the 6th Somersets who had been held up about 1,000 yards from their objective. At 5 pm they attacked but no sooner had the advance begun than the German machine guns opened heavy fire on the leading companies: the fire came from behind the Brown Line from the high ground north of Wancourt and from a sunken road just in the rear on Niger Trench. So severe was it and so serious the casualties that the attacking troops were forced to fall back to the line which had been held by the Somerset’s before the advance began.4
- In the operations which began on the 9th Apr. the 6th Bn. lost 4 Officers wounded and 96 OR’s killed, wounded or missing.4
- 3-15th May. The Third Battle of the Scarpe at Arras.
- 3rd May. The Bn. based at Nepal Trench (in the Cojeul Valley) in reserve.4
- 4th May. The Bn. again “stood to arms” during the day but at night the 43rd Bde. relieved both the 41st and 42nd Bde’s along the Div. front: the 6th Bn. were in support of the 6th K.O.Y.L.I.4
- 7th May. 6th Bn. relieved the 6th K.O.Y.L.I. in the front line, i.e. Jackdaw and Heron Trenches. But with the exception of several casualties from shell fire the tour was without incident and shortly afterwards (on the 15th) the Battalion moved out of the front line.
- 14th Aug. (two days before the Battle of Langemarck) the 6th Bn. provided a large working party, consisting of 16 officers and 500 other ranks, they travelled from Hazewinde to Caestre Station, whence motor buses carried them to the Infantry Barracks, Ypres.they then carried gas cylinders to the front line. The work was in progress when the parties were caught by a hostile barrage put down in the neighbourhood of Sanctuary Wood. One other rank ‘was killed, ten wounded and one missing.
- 17th Aug. Orders arrived for the Bn. to move at once to a camp near Dickiebusch to “standby” for orders.
- 22nd -24th Aug. The Attack on Inverness Copse. In the attack on the 22nd, the 6th Bn. was engaged with the enemy, south of St. Julien. The Bn. had relieved the 7th King’s Royal Rifles in the front line on the night of the 20th/21st. Operation orders were issued on the 20th which stated that the 14th Div. had been ordered to capture the general line Jasper Trench-Inverness Copse-Harenthage Chateau-Fitzclarence Farm and the western portion of Glencorse Wood: the 43rd Brigade was to attack the right and the 42nd Brigade on the left.
- 22nd Aug. At zero hour the advance began, but when only 50 yards from their own front line the leading wave was held up by violent machine gunfire from both flanks and Glencourse Wood. This check resulted in touch being lost with the barrage and the advance of the whole Bn. stopped. A tank appeared and did good work enabling the capture of enemy machine guns (one German officer and twenty other ranks were killed).
- 23-24th Aug. Both these day counter-attack and attacks were experienced. The 6th Bn. holding their line they were relieved on the 24th. The losses of the Bn. in this attack were very heavy: 7 officers and 55 other ranks were killed, 8 officers and 252 other ranks wounded, and 28 other ranks were missing-a total of 350.4
- 12-19th Oct. The Second Battle of Passchendaele.
- While not in combat in this battle the Bn. was involved in the dangerous work of “carrying” ie to keep up the supply of machine-gun and trench-mortar ammunition etc.4
- 12-14th Oct. The 6th Bn. (with the exception of certain carrying and working parties) remained in the neighbourhood of Bedford House.4
- 15th Oct The Bn. relieved the 10th Durham Light Infantry in Bde. Support in Sanctuary Wood. The Durhams had taken over the front line and “B” Coy of the 6th Bn. went up with them as far as Cameron Covert where they remained in local support. The remainder of the Bn was in dug-outs and shelters. At night heavy bombardment with gas shells and high explosives.4
- 16th Oct. “Carrying” duties. The day’s casualties (extraordinarily light considering the heavy shell fire) numbered four other ranks killed and seven wounded.4
- 17th Oct. A similar day but the casualties were heavier: 8 other ranks were killed, 2 officers and 12 other ranks were wounded and 3 other ranks were missing.4
- 18th Oct. The Bn. relieved the Durhams in the front line. Before the Bn. moved off the day’s casualties had been 1 officer and 5 other ranks killed, 2 officers and 8 other ranks wounded. The relief was completed by 8.45 p.m. Shelling heavy at night.4
- 19th Oct. More shelling of the Bn’s sector.4
- 31st Oct. Arrived at Berthen (No 10 Area) to be billeted in reserve.
1918
- 2nd Jan. The 6th Bn. marched from Bodhinghem to St. Omer railway siding and entrained for the Somme.
- 3rd Jan. Bray-sur-Somme billeted and in training until the 21st. 4
- 22nd Jan. The Bn. began to move forward to the front line, the 14th Div. being then engaged in taking over a portion of the line between La Fere and St. Quentin from French troops. Marching via Wiencourt d’Equipee, Carrepuits, Quesmy and Remigny the Bn. finally went into the line at Moy on the night of the 26th. In this position, the 6th D.C.L.I. remained until the 1st Feb., when the 6th K.O.Y.L.I. took over the line. The tour had been quiet and uneventful without casualties.4
20th Feb. The 6th DCLI was disbanded in France. It is most likely that at this time Thomas was transferred to the 7th Bn. DCLI who was with the 20th Division.
The 20th Division was withdrawn after the heavy fighting of the Somme battles, moving on 20 April 1918 to an area southwest of Amiens. During the summer months, it received many new drafts of men.
- 3rd -8th Oct. Camp near Lechelle, moved on the 4th to Haut-Allaines and on the 8th to another camp near Heudecourt. 4
- 9th Oct. At night, in wet and stormy weather, the 7th DCLI took over front-line trenches from the 13th Green Howards.4
- 16th Oct. The 7th Bn. were relieved by the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. and moved back to support. 4
- 9th Nov. The 7th Bn. marched to Fins and entrained for Bray the next day.4
The Division was in the area between Bavay and Maubeuge when the Armistice came into effect at 11 am on 11th Nov. Later in the month, the units moved to the Toutencourt-Marieux area. demobilisation began on 7th Jan. 1919 and the final cadres crossed to England on 28th May 1919.4
- Thomas was probably discharged at the end of 1918 as he re-enlisted in early 1919.
After the War
Re-Enlisted 1919-1923
Date: 20th January 1919, Regiment or Corps: DCLI, Place: Vancelles, Age: 20 years 6 months, Occupation: Valet, Place of Birth Banbury, Oxfordshire, NOK: Father, Mr R Blencowe, 3 Union Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, Discharge 1923.
Note: A military service record is available from DOD for 30 pounds reference:
Name: | T Blencowe |
---|---|
Birth Date: | 8 Dec 1898 |
Service Number: | 5429601 |
Rank: | Army Other Ranks, Discharges for 1939-1971 |
Additional Regiment: | Royal Army Service Corps |
Reference Number: | ADH000281224 |
Unlike brother Joseph, Thomas did not re-enlist for an extended period and was discharged on 31st March 1923, Rank: Lance Corporal, Conduct: Exemplary, Address on discharge: The Fur Tree Inn, Nort-Bar, Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Hugo White from the DCLi museum writes;
“He would have had an interesting time with the 2nd Battalion. In June 1919 the 2nd Bn. was deployed in Transcaucasia, a highly volatile part of the world following the Russian Revolution. In August of that year, it returned to England, being stationed at Crownhill Barracks, Plymouth until 26th September 1919 when it set sail in the troopship China for Bombay. From Bombay, it moved to Calcutta to begin what was hoped to be a tour of many years in India.
However, the Iraq rebellion broke out on 30th June 1920. Many infantry battalions, including the 2nd DCLI, were hurriedly moved to Iraq. The 2nd Battalion sailed from Bombay on 17th September in the troopship Concordia. The Battalion was stationed at Nasiriyeh, from where it took part in various local operations.
On 26th February 1921, the Battalion embarked in the troopship Huntsend bound for Malta, where it was hoped that it could find stability after so many moves. Their hopes were thwarted because a British coal miners’ strike was called in the Spring of that year. This was very serious indeed. It was the first national coal strike and could have brought the country to a complete halt very quickly.
On 5th April 1921, the Battalion re-embarked on its old friend Huntsend and sailed for Devonport.2
The Battalion was not employed in strike duties, and their time at Raglan Barracks, Devonport, came as a welcome relief. It was during this period that brother (Joseph) Blencowe took the opportunity to marry Letitia West.
The situation was too good to last. Later that year the Irish Rebellion broke out, and the 2nd Battalion was moved post-haste to Dublin. There, until the declaration of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Battalion carried out internal security duties in and around Dublin.
They were the last British unit to leave the Irish Republic. On the evening of 30th January 1922 the Union Flag was hauled down over Dublin Castle, and the following morning the Irish tricolour was hauled up in its place. The Battalion marched down to Dublin docks that morning and left for Tidworth.
There it remained for a very short time before being posted to Cologne as part of the British Army of Occupation of the Rhine. Even there they were not safe from the hands of the Staff intent on keeping everybody on the move. No sooner had the Battalion arrived in Cologne, then it was moved to Silesia to oversee the plebiscite to determine whether this rich coal mining area should be returned to Germany.”
The 2nd Bn.. was on the Western Front 1914–1915; the Macedonian Front 1915–1918 and in 1920-1921 the Iraq campaign.1
Medals
Awarded the British and Victory Medals 1914-18 and the General Service Medal and clasp Iraq 1920.
- The Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, or the 1920 Iraqi Revolt, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations by Iraqis, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the British occupation of Iraq. The revolt gained momentum when it spread to the largely Shia regions of the middle and lower Euphrates…….Great Britain was awarded the Mandate for Iraq, (called Mesopotamia in the Western world at the Pari 1919 peace conference)…Discontent with British rule materialized in May 1920 with the outbreak of mass meetings and demonstrations in Baghdad…6,000 -9,000 Iraqis and around 500 British and Indian soldiers died in the revolt…….The revolt caused British officials to drastically reconsider their strategy in Iraq. Source Wikipedia
- The DCLI 2nd Battalion was in Nasiriyeh Iraq, losing two men killed and five wounded.
- GSM medal award identical to twin brother Joseph.
- Criteria for IRAQ clasp All officers, men, and nurses who served at Ramadi, or north of a line drawn east and west through Ramadi between 10th December 1919 and 13th June 1920, both dates inclusive, or were present on the establishment of a unit or formation within the boundaries of Iraq between 1st July 1920, and 17th November 1920, both dates inclusive.
Sources
- Cornwall Regimental Museum.
- Notes from Hugo White at Cornwall’s Regimental Museum provide the movements of Joseph and Thomas between 1919-1926
- From Hugo White on service periods; “At this period, conscripts did not enlist under the standard engagement (7 years with the Colours and 5 years on the Reserve) but under an emergency war-time engagement for “Duration of War”. Joseph Blencowe would, therefore, have been released in 1919.
- The History of The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry 1914-1919.
Like many soldiers who were demobilised at that time, and found it impossible to obtain a job, it would appear that Thomas and his twin Joseph rejoined the DCLI in 1919. Thomas (from his Regt number) joined before Joseph who joined in June 1919. The twins would have enlisted for the standard engagement of 7 years with the Colours and 5 years on the Reserve. We know that Joseph was finally discharged on 25th June 1926 and we can presume Thomas shortly before.
1927 Marriage Cuckfield Sussex
It seems that Thomas married Margery Simpson Portsmouth this year. Two girls born in Sussex in 1918 and 1930 indicate he was living there for a period. However, the relationship broke down and after the second world war, both Margery and Thomas remarry
WW2
Enlisted Date: 29th September 1939 Royal Medical Army Corps.
Regiment or Corps: Royal Army Medical Corps.


Most likely Thomas was home-based during the war and earned these medals.
1946
At 48 Thomas married an Aylesbury woman Elsie Florence Jeffs 15 years younger age 33 who may have volunteered in WW2.
Death 1954
He died on 7 Aug 1954 at the age of 55 years in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.
GALLERY
Note: there are 2 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons. Some photos of Mesopotamia were found in a car boot sale by a Rootsweb member