Thomas James Blinco  [4566]

1897-1985

Father Nm: Father : John Thomas Blencoe [437] born Dec Q 1849 Brixworth -1924:Oldest known ancestor – John Blinco 1660 Whilton.

Mother Nm: Ellen Celia Watson Britten (Nellie)1863-1949.

Marriage Dt: 3^rd Jul. 1920 to Alice May Martin at Hucknall Torkard.

K comments: Even though the same age  John Thomas was a nephew who served with the Notts and Derbys.

Spouse comments: Alice May Martin born 16 Nov 1900, Basford, Nottingham  died 4 Q 1987 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Children:

Alice May Blinco (Musters) b.3.07.1920 Hucknall Torkard
Frank Blinco b. 16.02.1922 Hucknall Torkard
Doreen M Blinco b. 1924 and died 4Q 1924 Hucknall TorkardJames A Blinco b. 2.04.1930 Hucknall Torkard

Born 25th July 1897 Hucknall

1901 Census Hucknall Torkard Notts

1. Blinco Gertrude Dau F 1899 Hucknall Torkard 2 .
2. Blinco Thomas James Son M 1898 Hucknall Torkard 3
3. Blinco John Thomas Head Coalminer M 1851 East Haddon 50
4. Blinco Thirza Dau F 1890 Hucknall Torkard 11
5. Blinco Nellie Wife F 1863 Spittlefield 38
6. Blinco Harriett Dau F 1893 Hucknall Torkard 8
7. Blinco Nellie Dau ? Servant F 1886 Rushden 15

1911 Census 59 Building St Hucknall Torkard Notts

1. John Thos Blinco 61
2. Nelly Blinco 47
3. Thurza Blinco 18
4. James Blinco 13
5. Gertrude Blinco 12
6. Clarres Ivy Blinco 4
7. Stephen Burton 19

Kings Royal Rifles	Royal Flying Corps	Royal Air Force

WW1

Blinco Thomas James, 1897, Hucknall, Private, Telephone Operator R/11899,135929, ‘D’ Coy. 21^st Bn. (Yeoman Rifles) King’s Royal Rifle Corps, RAF.

Thomas served in both World Wars and with three regiments.

1915

• 19^th Apr. Enlisted with KRRC age 19 and occupation a Miner. His medal card indicates overseas service, medal roll battalion 21^st KRRC.

Note: The 21^st Bn. formed in September 1915 from volunteers from the farming communities of Yorkshire, Northumberland and Durham by the Northern Command. They trained at Duncombe Park, Helmsley, moving to Aldershot to join 124^th Brigade, 41^st Division for final training.

1916

• 19^th Sept. Thomas landed in France to join 21^st Bn. KRRC.
• 15^th -22^nd Sept. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette.

  

  Most probably Thomas was not involved in this battle as he had only just arrived in France. The action at Flers Courcelette was the first time that tanks were used in battle. Few in number, mechanically unreliable and as yet without proven tactics for their best use, the small numbers of tanks that actually went into action had an important positive effect. High Wood and Delville Wood were finally cleared and a deep advance was made to Flers and towards Combles. The 41^st Division led the charge into Flers along with several D-17 tanks, which easily drove over barbed wire protecting the village and took out German defenders with their mounted guns. The 41^st Div suffered 3000 casualties and a monument to the division stands in Flers. The 21^st KRRC lost a devastating 129 men in this battle.

• 1-9^th Oct. The Battle of the Transloy Ridges The 2121^st KRRC part of the 124^th Bde. supported the attack to take Bayonet Trench this was it turns out a most difficult target and not achieved. The opening British artillery barrage was met with heavy and accurate counter fire from the German positions. This greatly reduced the effectiveness of the British artillery and left a significant proportion of the German Machine gun positions unscathed. It is one of the possibilities where Thomas could have been wounded in late 1916 causing him to be sent back to England in the spring of 1917. The 21^st KRRC lost 14 men in this battle.  Of note is one time British Prime Minister, Anthony Eden was serving alongside Thomas in the 21^st KRRC as an officer. His account of the action describes an advance over gently sloping ground into “a valley of dead ground for at least 100 yards” (Eden, A , Another Country 1897-1917) towards the heavily defended German positions. 

1917

• 18^th Mar. Admitted to 139^th Field Ambulance attached to the 41^st Div. he was suffering from Pyrexia (fever) of an unknown type. His condition must have been serious as transported two days later to another hospital and his records show he was invalided to England 10 days later.¹
• 30^th Mar. Returned to England from France sick and subsequently was awarded the Silver War badge in 1920 an indicator that he had to leave the KRRC Regiment. The RAF records seem to indicate that Thomas was at home with the KRRC Reserves after Mar. 1917 and until the beginning of 1918.

1918

• 12^th Feb. Transferred to the Royal Flying Corps.

  

• 1^st Apr. Transferred from RFC to RAF. His rank was given as A. Mech.2 His trade classification with the RAF given as Telephonist/Telephone Operator. Further evidence of a war wound is this post ie a desk role.
• 8^th Nov. Transfer to RAF Reserve.
• 14^th Dec. Discharged as surplus to requirements.

His RAF and Royal Artillery record from 1926-1940 states total service for this period was 3 years and 240 days.

Note: A military service record is available from DOD for 30 pounds reference:

Name:	Tj Blinco
Birth Date:	25 Jul 1897
Service Number:	769233
Rank:	Army Other Ranks, Discharges for 1939-1971
Additional Regiment:	Royal Artillery
Reference Number:	ADH000859487

Sources

1. First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen NA MH106/165.

Medals

Awarded Victory and British medals for his service with the KRRC in 1916-1917 and the Silver War Badge 10453 (RAF records refer) an indication of honourable discharge from the service.

After the War

1921 Census

41, Betts Street, Hucknall, Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire

Thomas J	Blinco	Head	Male	1897	23	Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England	Coal Miner Surface Banksman	Sherwood Colliery Co
Alice May	Blinco	Wife	Female	1901	19	Nottinghamshire, England	Home duties

1939 CensuS

While Thomas is serving somewhere with the Royal Artillery, Alice and three children are living at 39 Brookside, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

 

WW2

Blinco Thomas James, 769233, Royal Artillery.

Served from 7^th Apr 1926-11 Nov 1940 discharged unfit to serve.

Thomas entitled to these medals The War and Defence Medals and possibly 1939-45 Star medal if he entered the combat zone before discharged.

 

Death 1985 age 87 years

Nottingham, Volume: 8, Page: 786.

Gallery

There are records in the National Archives for this man. For copyright reasons, they cannot be re-published.