Moses Henry Blinco  [4446]

Killed in Action 14^th Jan. 1916

1893-1916

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 1867 Langley Marish-1951.

Marriage Dt:

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 5^th 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:

Children:

1900’s

Volunteered prior to 1911 to join 5th Bn. Royal Fusiliers

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

1911 Census in Brentford

Blinco Moses Henry, Army Private, 5^th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, M 1893 Wexham 18 Hounslow Brentford Middlesex

Royal Fusiliers	Oxford and Bucks LI

WW1

Blinco Moses Henry 1893 George Green, Lance Corporal, 9662, 5^th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, 1st Bn. Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry.

1914

• Enlisted at Reading in the 1^st Bn. Oxford and Bucks.
• 5^th Dec. Moses joined the 1^st Bn. Oxford and Bucks in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Given the timing i.e. initial training and shipping he likely arrived to be part of the battalion in its attacks against the Ottoman forces in Iraq.

The timeline for the activities leading up to the fatal day 14^th Jan. 1916 when Moses died of wounds

1915

• The 1st Oxford and Bucks, as part of the 17th (Ahmednagar) Brigade, 6th (Poona) Division, left India for Mesopotamia (now Iraq) in November 1914; there, the Battalion took part in the campaign against the Ottoman forces that ruled the country.
• The Battalion marched towards Kut-el-Amara with the intention of capturing it from the Ottomans.
• 25^th Sept. “About 4.30 this morning, while we were standing-to fire. suddenly opened on us from guns apparently close to the opposite bank. For about five minutes the fire was brisk, direction good, but the range (luckily for us) about 100 yards over. I counted 7 shrapnel bursting together, which looks like Q.F. guns. All tents were struck at once, but it was most difficult to get the men down. They all wanted to stand up and have a look. Later in the morning Sir J. Nixon and Headquarter Staff arrived, also some motor ambulances, and machine guns mounted on motor-cars.”⁵
• 26^th Sept. The battle for Kut began and raged for a number of days until the Ottomans went into retreat .”We started at 5 a.m. and marched, on the right bank, for about two hours, when we reached Chahela Mounds, about 6,000 yards from the enemy’s position. The march was quite uneventful, except for two land mines exploding, one of which killed a sergeant of the Dorsets! We could see our planes being shelled but without effect. At 2.30 p.m. they started shelling our camp. We are evidently a bit too near. They put several shells into the 22nd Punjabis, and went precious close to some of the ships, especially the old “Comet.” One 15-lb. shell fell just short of our mess, and just missed Munton (103rd), who was walking towards us. Fortunately, it was a “dud.” Soon afterwards a 40-lb. shell burst right over us, but, though bits flew among the dinner, it did no harm.”⁵
• 28^th  Sept. Battle of Es Sinn. Kut was captured but with a terrific fight .”The total casualties in the Regiment are supposed to be about 85 (Moses may have been one these).”⁵ The Bn. had 5 men killed on this day.⁴

  

• Oct. The 1^st Bn. was proceeding towards Aziziyeh this was 30 miles from Ctesiphon which was held by Turks in a strong defensive position across the Baghdad Road. It appears while no major fighting took place in this period Moses was involved in some combat.
• 5^th Nov. Moses reported wounded by Northampton Mercury and given timeframe to get incidents reported back to Britain it may well have been in the 28^th Sept. attack on Kut or Oct. journey to Azizyeh (Aziziya).
• 22^nd – 24^th Nov. The Battalion then took part in the Battle of Ctesiphon, during the pursuit of the Ottoman forces and in the effort to capture the capital Baghdad, which ended in the 6^th Poona Division being defeated by the Ottomans. It is unlikely Moses took part in this battle in which 65 of the battalion’s men were killed.⁴
• The Division subsequently retreated to Kut, reaching it on 3^rd December.
• 7^th Dec. Garrison of 10,000 Britons and Indians. besieged by the Ottomans.
• The Ottomans launched numerous attempts to take Kut, all of which were repulsed by the defenders, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The British launched numerous attempts to relieve Kut, all of which failed with heavy losses.

1916

• Injured in September/October 1915, Moses was shipped to Cumballa Hill War Hospital in Bombay. Located on Malabar Hill above the harbour, Cumballa had 600 beds for British casualties from Mesopotamia (Iraq).
• 14 January. Died at Cumballa Hill War Hospital.

From the circumstances and date its likely he would not have been besieged in December at Kut. He would have been part of the relief force to the siege at Kut, the 1^st Bn. OBLI was attached to the 28^th Indian Brigade under General Aylmer. His burial in India also supports the fact that he was attached to the 28^th Bde 6^th Poona Division when killed.

• 13^th-14^th Jan. Battle of Wadi-The Relief of Kut. The relief battle to lift the siege in which Moses was killed. The 28^th Bde began operations on 13^th January 1916. Meeting little opposition, at least initially, British infantry advanced in thin numbers. So thin indeed that in many places the British advanced directly past Turkish posts, exposing themselves to withering fire from behind. Quickly becoming bogged down as the element of surprise was lost – 28^th Brigade’s frontal attack was entirely repulsed – and forced to deal with the unusual circumstances of having to defend from behind, the British advance rapidly slowed. Now aware of British plans Khalil’s force swiftly redeployed from a north-south facing position to east-west to avoid being outflanked. The attack was called off by Aylmer as the day closed. Despite having secured control of the Wadi the Turks remained in thorough command of the Hanna Defile.³ Moses was one of two battalion men killed this day.⁴

The attack is generally considered as a failure, as although the 28^th Bde. managed to capture the Wadi, it cost 1,600 men. The British failure led to Townshend’s surrender, along with 10,000 of his men, in the largest single surrender of British troops up to that time. However, the British recaptured Kut in February 1917, on their way to the capture of Baghdad the following year. ¹

Sources

1. Wikipedia.
2. The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War, 1914-1918. 
3. Siege of Kut.
4. CWGC casualties www.hut-six.co.uk.
5. Light Bobs.

Medals

Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British and Victory medals

Death 1916

Name: BLINCO, Moses H

Station : Ahmednagar Country: Indian Subcontinent Year: 1916 Page: 187 Age at death: 22

Record source: GRO Army Death Indices (1881 to 1955)

Cemetery

Kirkee 1914-1918 Memorial, Poona, India

Langley Memorial

Gallery