Harold Francis Blincoe [911]

1895-1947

Father Nm: Francis Blincoe [9911] born 20 Mar 1867 Nelson died 26.2.1940 Nelson: Oldest known ancestor – Francis d.1756.

Mother Nm: Ruth Mary Packer [9912] born 18 Sep 1870 Hope, Nelson, New Zealand died 22 Jun 1915 .

Marriage Dt:14 Feb 1895.

K comments: Brother Leslie Clarence served with the 12th Nelson Infantry.

WW2 Brother Kenneth Howard a Pilot was killed on an RAF mission in 1943

Spouse Comments:

Children:

Birth 1896

26 Nov 1895 Nelson

1896/3474 Blincoe Francis Harold Ruth Mary Francis

1910-1915 Nelson College

1916

On the roll of 1st division NZ Reserves occupation Clerk of Nile St. Nelson

Royal New Zealand Artillery

WW1

Blincoe Harold Francis, 1895, Nelson, Gunner, 17172, 16^th Reinforcements, New Zealand Royal Artillery, 1^st Brigade, 7^th Battery.

1916

• 3^rd May. Attested in Nelson, occupation a Clerk. He had served a year with H Battery of the NZA Reserves.
• 20^th Aug. Embarked on HMNZT 61 with the 16^th Reinforcements, New Zealand Field Artillery.

  

• 25^th Oct. Dis-embarked Devonport England.
• 26^th Oct. Marched to Sling Camp.

1917

• 13^th Jan. Embarked for Etaples, France. Marched to Division camp 22^nd Jan.
• 26^th Jan. Taken on strength 1^st Brigade 7^th Battery.

  

• 5^th Jun. English gunners attached to the 1^st Brigade Group received unwelcome attention. Their positions were in an open field, and the artificial camouflage, erected over the guns, instead of concealing them, actually attracted notice in aeroplane photographs. The camouflage caught fire, and 13,000 shells and 5 guns were destroyed. It was at this time that a gallant action was performed by Lt. C. T. Gillespie, of the 7^th Battery, assisted by Fitter H. Selby and Gunner L. D. Belton. A shell struck a pile of boxed ammunition at the gun-pit, and the boxes caught fire. Gillespie, with these 2 men, taking no heed of the bursting explosive and shrapnel, separated the burning boxes and extinguished the fire.¹
• 7^th-14^th Jun. Battle of Messines Ridge. The battle for the Messines Ridge was an attempt by the Allies to capture land to the south-east of Ypres to gain control of the higher land in the Ypres Salient. Following the detonation of 19 massive mines under the German lines, the Artillery and Infantry would have taken full advantage of the disarray in the German lines. The line was advance to capture Wytschaete and Oostaverne.Overall losses. 1^st Bde NZRFA took part in the second phase of area bombardment as the NZ Infantry went forward. See barrage map of the area
• 27^th Jul. – 4^th Sept. La Basse Ville.
  • Early July 1^st and 3^rd Artillery Brigades had reoccupied their old positions about Ploegsteert.³
  • From the 20^th onwards the artillery programme was accentuated. Night firing was especially intensified. While a quarter of the ammunition allotted for harassing fire was used in daylight, three-quarters were expended in the hours of darkness. One or other of the rear towns or villages, Comines Deulemont or Quesnoy, was daily subjected to a devastating bombardment.³
  • At 2 am on July 27^th troops of the 1^st Infantry Brigade attacked La Basse Ville, which had been heavily shelled by the artillery at intervals during the previous week. The infantry attacked under cover of a barrage which the infantry commanders described as entirely satisfactory.¹
• 19^th Sept. – 2nd Oct. Leave to England. After this battle, Harold deserved a break he may even been wounded or sick from the combat.
• 6^th Oct. Rejoins 1^st Brigade.
• 14^th -15^th Nov. The New Zealand Division relieved the 21^st Division in the line at Ypres, on a sector extending from the Reutelbeek, northwards to Noordemdhoek. ³

1918

• Winter – Ypres Salient.

  

  • 24^th Feb. the New Zealand Division (less Artillery), was relieved in the line. The 1^st Brigade, N.Z.F.A., remained in the line under the orders of the C.R.A. 49^th Division. Four days later the Divisional sector was extended northwards to a point approximately one thousand yards north of Noordemdhoek.³
  • The New Zealand Field Artillery moved into the line in support of their own troops in the first week of December. Batteries being still without guns, the gunners were taken up from Boeschepe in motor lorries and took over the guns of the artillery then covered the Division. In this manner, the 1^st Brigade relieved the 14^th Brigade RFA³
  • Batteries of the 1^st Brigade were situated about the slopes forward from Hooge Crater.³
• 22^nd -27^th Mar. German Offensive -Amiens. The 1^st Brigade moved to the front at Amiens, the train journey occupied about twelve hours, following a somewhat indirect route running north through St. Omer towards the coast, and thence through Calais, Boulogne, Etaples, and Abbeville, to the de-training stations south of Amiens.
• 27^th Mar. The 1^st Brigade detrained at St. Roch. After watering and feeding the horses the 1^st Brigade marched right through to Hedauville, where batteries bivouacked, while the Brigade and Battery Commanders went forward to the vicinity of Mailly-Maillet to reconnoitre positions. The 1^st Brigade, less the 15th (Howitzer) Battery, moved up from Mailly-Maillet after 1 p.m. on the 27^th, and by 5 p.m. was in action in positions which had been reconnoitred on the northern edge of the village. The 1^st Brigade moved up from Mailly-Maillet after 1 p.m. on the 27th, and by 5 p.m. was in action in positions which had been reconnoitred on the northern edge of the village. ³
• 6^th Apr. Discharged to Area Command.
• 13^th Apr. Rejoined the unit in the field, his battery now positioned behind Mailly-Maillet.³
• 21^st/22^nd Apr. The 1^st Brigade, exchanging positions with the 232nd Brigade, R.F.A., moved from the outskirts of Mailly-Maillet to the north of Beaussart.³
• 7^th Jun. the New Zealand Division was relieved by the 42^nd Division and withdrew from the line for a period of rest and training. The relief did not extend to the New Zealand Brigades of Artillery, which remained in action in support of the 42^nd Division.³
• 13^th Jul. To Hospital sick
• 20^th Jul. Rejoined the unit and by August was in Puisieux area of the Somme readying for another battle.
• 17^th Aug. At dawn, the enemy counter-attacked at Puisieux, but without success. His artillery, which had been quieter than usual during the few days preceding his withdrawal, became very active again, and in addition to shelling the roads and forward areas, he engaged several of the new battery positions. A section of the 7^th Battery in front of Hebuterne was heavily shelled on the morning of the 17^th and had both guns put out of action.
• 24^thAug. -2^nd Sept. Battle of Bapaume.

  

  For this attack the 1^st Brigade, N.Z.F.A. were placed at the disposal of the G.O.C. The 1^st Brigade batteries occupied positions east of Achiet-le-Petit.³

  • 25^th Apr. At 4 p.m., 1^st Brigade batteries occupied positions immediately to the north of Loupart Wood.³
  • 29^th Apr. At noon the 1^st Brigade moved forward to positions south-west of the town, covering the high ground beyond Fremieourt and Bancourt. A section of each of the 1^st and 3^rd Batteries was attached at the same time to the battalions in the line, their task being to deal quickly with enemy machine guns and assist their troops wherever they encountered any serious resistance.³
  • 2^nd Sept. The 42^nd Division was to take Villers-au-Flos and the spur in front with exploitation towards Barastre and Haplincourt Wood as a second objective. The 1^st Brigade supported the 42^nd Division. The barrage opened up at 5.15 a.m., and the enemy replied about five minutes later with a heavy counter-barrage. During the forenoon, the 1^st Brigade moved forward to positions in front of Riencourt, the guns being in action in the new area about 1 pm. ³
• 21^st Sept. Sent to rest camp. An indication of ill health?
• 5^th Oct. Rejoined unit which was deep in operations supporting the 42^nd Div. on the Hindenburg Line. But Harold spent just 7 days with his regiment before being sent on leave to England probably because he was sick.
• 12^th Oct. On leave to England, note no record of return to the Western Front.

1919

• 10^th May Embarked on NZ Waimana London. Disembarked Auckland 28^th Jun.

Sources

1. New Zealand Artillery In The Field, 1914-18
2. Complete Archive NZ records
3. The New Zealand Division 1916 – 1919: Author: Col. H. Stewart

Medals

Awarded the British and Victory medals.

After the War

1930

• 14 March. Harold a sergeant still with the Army 1st Battalion Machine Gun Coy A Nelson and winning a Machine Gun competition as announced by Nelson Evening Mail

1941

On the WW2 ballot for soldiers occupation Market Gardener 43 Nile St.

1946

1919-1963 Electoral Role 53 Nile St East Labourer

Death 5 Oct 1947

GALLERY