James Thomas Blinco  [4335]

1890-1967

Father Nm: James Thomas Blincs [1692] c 20.4.1862 Wrexham -1925: Oldest known ancestor William Blincko 1635 Hedgerley.

Mother Nm: Harriett Chapman [1843] born c 1867 Langley Marish died 1951 Eton

Marriage Dt:

1. 1916 to Florence L Gear Marriages Dec 1916 Eton 3a 1859.

2. 1931 to Emily Sparks.

K comments: Brothers

1. Albert Edward served with the RFA and was awarded the Military Medal.
2. James Thomas with the Royal Fusiliers pre-war and the RGA in the war.
3. William served with RGA.
4. Charles William served with 2nd Ox & Bucks Light Infantry, Army Cyclist Corps.

Cousin Randolph Joseph also served with the 5th Battalion Royal Fusiliers before the war and then served with the REs and RFA.

WW2 . Nephew Albert Dennis was KIA in 1944.  Nephew Charles JF served with RAF

Spouse comments: Florence Louisa Gear 1887-1918, Emily Sparks 1893-1977.

Children:

(Research):GR[B] Eton Sept 1890 1891 Census*, GR[D] Windsor vol 6A p 254 Dec 1967.

1901 CENSUS LANGLEY BUCKS

1. Blinco Harriet Wife F 1867 Guildford 34
2. Blinco James T Head Market Gardener M 1862 Langley 39
3. Blinco Albert Son M 1893 Langley 8
4. Blinco Charlie Son M 1897 Langley 4
5. Blinco Lily Dau F 1900 Langley 1
6. Blinco William Son M 1898 Langley 3
7. Blinco James T Son M 1891 Langley 10
8. Blinco Moses Son M 1895 Langley 6

1907

• Enlisted 1907 5^thBn. Royal Fusiliers
• First name(s): James Last name: BLINCO
• Calculated year of birth: 1889 Parish of birth: Stoke Town of birth: Slough County of birth: Buckinghamshire
• Age at attestation: 18 years 1 month
• Attestation date: 28 August 1907
• Attestation Corps: 5th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
• Attestation soldier number: 7242 Discharge rank: Discharge Corps: Royal Fusiliers (City Of London Regiment) – 7th Foot Discharge soldier number: The National Archives reference: WO96

1908

• Granted free discharge 16 Aug 1908

1911 CENSUS ETON BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

1. Blinco Harriet Wife Housekeeper F 1866 Guildford 45
2. Blinco James Head Farm Labourer M 1862 Wexham 49
3. Blinco Albert Son Bread, Biscuit,Cake Maker M 1892 George Green 19
4. Blinco Charlie Son Engaged In-Service M 1896 George Green 15
5. Blinco Lily Dau F 1900 George Green 11
6. Blinco William Son M 1898 George Green 13
7. Blinco James Son Builders Labourer M 1891 George Green 20

Royal Garrison Artillery

WW1

Blinco James Thomas, 1890, Eton, Gunner, 110816, 277^th Siege Battery, 36^th Coy. Royal Garrison Artillery

1915

• 10^th Dec. James enlisted age 25. in the 277^th Siege Battery RGA. But may not have been mobilised right away or may have served in England until 1917.

Note: The 277th was a Howitzer Siege Battery. The battery would include;

• Personnel: 5  officers and 177 other ranks
• Horses: 17 for riding, 6 draught and 80 heavy draught
• Transport: 3 two-horse carts, 10 four-horse wagons

The battery would normally be with three others, under command of a Siege Brigade. The brigade would also include an Ammunition Column of:

• Personnel: 3  officers and 104 other ranks
• Horses: 13 riding, 2 draught and 72 heavy draught
• Transport: 1 two-horse carts, 16 four-horse wagons

1917

• 7^th Jan. 277^th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery. Embarked for France. This is evidenced by Army records an extract below from Medal Roll.

• 7^th Jun. Battle of Messines Ridge. On this day the large mines were exploded under enemy trenches and simultaneously the Artillery was opened up, The 277^th  SB while presumably targeting enemy lines was itself targeted and hit. Four men of the Battery were killed.

  

• 28^th  Jul. Ypres. In more action, the 277^th  suffered two fatalities this day.
• 31^st Jul – 10^th Nov. The Third Battle of Ypres.

  

  The 277^th S.B. Took part in this battle for Ypres or Passchendaele until the end of September losing six men in that time.⁴

• Oct. The 277^th S.B. move to the Pas-de-Calais region near Bapaume.
• 25^th Nov. The Batteries suffered four more fatalities operating just east of Bapaume in the direction of Cambrai. There doesn’t appear to have been any battles at this time so could have been an incoming artillery strike or even a gun accident that caused these deaths.

Note: In 1917 James was admitted to 139th Field Ambulance (the 41st Divisional Ambulance) for either a  wound or some sickness. It would appear that this is the point when he is hospitalised and after recovery transferred to the 36th Company. The date for the transfer is unknown, proof of the transfer is the Silver War Badge record. Extract below.

While we can’t be certain that this is the time in the war James is moved to a reserve unit like the 36th Coy but it does seem likely. In this interest of ‘what if’ he continued on with the 277th their movements in 1918 below.

1918

• 21^st -24^th Mar. The German Spring Offensive. The German spring offensive broke through the 277th Guns guns in the surprise attack. “March 21^st found 277^th S B as the further most battery in 907^th Bde, in an exposed position 2000 yards in front of Morchies, north of the Bapaume-Cambrai Road. In danger of being completely surrounded, they made an orderly retreat at the last possible moment. On the 24^th this 6-inch Howitzer battery, was still part of the general retreat along the Achiet-Le-Grande road to Bucquoy, constantly harassed by enemy shell fire and stopping on occasion to fight rear-guard actions. One such action on the 22^nd earned them a mention in the Times of the 29^th March 1918, when along with another 6 in Howitzer battery of the Brigade (299^th SB) they completely broke up a heavy German attack, firing in the open at very short range.”¹ The 277^th S B lost three men on the 21^st and one on the 24^th in this retreat .⁴
• Apr. The 277^th S B moved north to the Bailleul area the photo below evidence that they were near Merris 12^th April.² 
• 22^nd Oct. James Discharged. The last regiment recorded on medal card roll is the 36^th Coy which was based at the Citadel Plymouth. James was injured or wounded  during service, and was discharged unfit to serve and awarded the Silver War Badge

Sources

1. War Forum.
2. Imperial War Museum.
3. The Siege Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery.
4. CWGC Casualties at www.hut-six.co.uk.

Medals

Victory and British medals and Silver War Badge awarded.

After the War

2 Nov 1918 Widower

Florence Louisa Blinco nee Gear died on 2 November 1918 in Queens Road, Slough, Bucks

1931 2nd Marriage to Emily Sparks

Registration District: Windsor, Berkshire, Volume Number: 2c Page Number: 1240

Death 1967 age 77 years

Windsor, Berkshire, Volume: 6a Page: 254

Gallery

 

There are 4 Pre War records and 3 WW1 records in the National Archives for this man. For copyright reasons, they cannot be re-published.