Henry Gonza Blincoe [8916]

1895-1960

Father Nm: Benjamin Joseph Blincoe [7791] born 8.4.1864 Daviess Ky. died 18 Jan 1938 Jefferson, Kentucky; Oldest known Ancestor: James Blincoe C1646 England.

Mother Nm: Anna Mendoza (Dodie) Boone, b. 1868, Kentucky died. 24 Apr 1907

Marriage Dt:

K comments: Brother Benjamin Berkeley “Bert” served with the 9^th Infantry. Son William Douglas served with the US Army Signals Corps in WW2

Spouse Comments: Ethel Vera Coin 1899-1958.

Children: William Douglas 1921.

Born

16 September Curdesville, Daviess county, Kentucky

1910 Census Magisterial District 4, Daviess, Kentucky

1. 1. Ben J Blincoe 45
   2. Vera M Blincoe 20
   3. Archie Blincoe 18
   4. Gonza Blincoe 14
   5. Benjiman B Blincoe 11
   6. Medora Blincoe 4

 

	US Engineers	89th Division

WW1

Blincoe Henry Gonza, Pvt 155458, US Army, 116^th Engineers, 41st Division and Coy D. 314th Engineers, 89th Division

1918

• 16^th Jul. The records of Kansas, Camp Funston Military Records, 1914-1919 show that on this day he was posted to the 116^th Engineers. The 116^th Engineers were a unit of the 41^st Division.¹

  

• The designation of the 41^st Division as a replacement division meant it had primarily a training purpose and resulted in a transfer of the enlisted personnel of the regiment to various units of the First Division immediately upon their arrival in France; therefore the men who comprised the 1^st and 2^nd Engineers³ participated in building defensive and offensive structures for the battles.
• 25^th Jul. After training Gonza was transferred to Coy D. 314^th Engineers, 89^th Division. On the roster of the 314^th Engineers History but strangely initial A. Blincoe instead of H.G. It’s his occupation and distinct surname (plus Camp Funston card above) that identifies him positively.²
• Note: The 314^th Engineers had already gone overseas on 28^th May 1918 and were training in the Reynel area of France when Gonza joined them.
• Last week of July the 314^th received 56 well-trained men (including Gonza) from the Engineers training base (116^th) at Angers France.
• 5-6^th Aug. Departed Humberville and moved up by American truck transportation to Lay St. Remy west of Toul in the Lucey sector. The next
  the night we went to Ecrouves and on the next night moved to Manon-
  Ville, on trucks and then, marched three miles to Montjoie in the
  woods, relieving Company D 307^th Engineers, taking over their work
  on the position of Resistance or Second Position. ”

  

  We proceeded with the work of building and repairing dugouts and trenches, assisted by the Infantry, in the front and support lines, being subjected to several gas-shell attacks, and at infrequent intervals, to artillery fire. The last few days before the drive were spent building “Bangalore torpedoes” (used to blow up enemy barbed-wire) and mobile charges, barbed wire entanglements, roads and the methods of crossing and cutting entanglements and obstacles.”²

• Aug.-Early Sept. During this month or so at Montjoie casualties of the 314^th were 8 wounded and 8 men gassed.²
• 9^th-11^th Sept. “We moved to Noviant and on the 10^th received an order for the rush job of preparing a dugout …Despite the downpour of rain, the work was completed on time… We also made sixty Bangalore torpedoes for use in cutting the German wire. In the offensive, two companies of our Battalion were assigned to the 177^th Infantry Brigade, and we were in the Division Reserve, subject to the orders of the Division Engineer and moved’ up to
  Bernecourt under cover of darkness the night of the 11^th, joining
  Company C there.”²
• 12^th – 16^th Sept. St. Mihiel. The 89^th Div. went over the top in its first offensive, in company with the 1^st, 2^nd, and 42^ndDivisions, the three most experienced fighting Divisions in the A. E. F., capturing all of its objectives and establishing its record as a reliable
  fighting Division. The 314^th was in reserve until the afternoon of the 12^th when it was put to work.” to shell-torn Limey, where we spent a week building and repairing roads for the heavy, congested traffic following the drive, and then to Euvezin, spending three days more on road work.”²
• 26^th Sept. “From Euvezin we went to Bouillonville, billeting there in houses, relieving Company E, on front line work in and around Xammes, building dugouts and barbed-wire entanglements. Here we suffered our first death casualty.

  

• 8^th Oct. 89^th Div. Relieved by 37^th Div of the St Mihiel front.”We marched from Beney to Bouillonville before daylight the morning of October 8^th, and ..that night left Bouillonville for Euville, 47 kilometres away.”²
• 9^th-10^th Oct. “Here we thought we were back for a rest, having been continuously in the lines for two months. But these thoughts were soon dispelled, for after a one day’s rest we were loaded on trucks and in the
  course of a few hours found ourselves just in the rear of the battle
  line again, the scene had shifted from the St. Mihiel Salient to
  the Argonne. Leaving the trucks near Parois, and billeting at Camp Demejon.”²
• 13^th Oct. “We left camp and moved North, …on to the Bois de
  Montfaucon, where we pitched a shelter tent camp that night and
  the following day, in the afternoon, moved to Eclisfontaine, three
  kilometres from Epinonville, Division Headquarters. Here we camped
  in pup tents for ten days, the first two of which we were “Division
  Reserve”, held on the alert.”²
• 23^rd Oct. The Company moved from Eclisfontaine to Cierges,
  billeting there, to be nearer the work, which was
  repairing the main road from Cierges to Romagne, repairing the
  Romagne-Sommerance road and building a new road leading
  toward the Bois de Hazois, so that Artillery might cross to the
  main Landees St.Georges-Bantheville road in case of an offensive.

  

• 1^st Nov. Final drive Meuse-Argonne Offensive. It was at this last battle in the Argonne Forest that Gonza is reported by family to have been gassed.⁴
• Note: there is no mention in the History of the D Company of any gas casualties in this battle.
  

• 1-11^th Nov. The 314^th on the morning of the 1st Nov. was used to clear and repair a return ambulance route road from Bantheville to Romagne-sous-Montfaucon. Once this work was done the Company went on to Tailly, where it billeted until after the Armistice.
• Post Armistice. The war was over, but work for the Engineers had only begun.
  “November 12^th, D Company marched from Tailly to Pouilly to begin the construction of a …two-way wagon bridge and a two-way road from the Beaumont-Laneuville road on the left bank to the main Stenay-Mouzon road on the right bank, over which the 2^nd Division was to march into Germany.”²
• 24^th Nov- 9^thDec. The march to Germany as Army of Occupation. 314 Engineers, with Company D in the lead, left Pouilly on the 24th and the following route was taken to Pelm in Germany.
  • down the Meuse to
  • Inor
  • Villers-Devant-Orval, where (314^th) crossed into Belgium
  • Gerouville
  • Vance stayed for three days.
  • Stockem then into Luxembourg
  • Sauel
  • Larochette
  • Beaufort crossed over the Sauer River into Germany into the Rhineland at Dilligen, December 4^th.
  • Kruchten
  • Fliessem
  • Densborn
  • Gerolstein reached Pelm December 9^th.

    

• “December 14th we moved thirty-seven kilometres back to Pronfeld, going on to Lunebach the next day, and December 21st on to Nattenheim through which we had marched coming into Germany. ..then went over to Fliessem on Monday, December 23rd, staying there over the holidays and with the Battalion going to Oberkail January 4th, 1919.”²

1919

• 16 May. Gonza returns to the USA on the Ship Montana.

Name: Gonza Blincoe
Departure Date: 16 May 1919
Departure Place: Brest, France
Arrival Date: 26 May 1919
Arrival Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Address: 822 South 22nd. Street
Residence Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Father: Benjamin Blincoe
Ship: MONTANA
Military Unit: COMPANY D 314TH ENGINEERS
Rank: Private
Service Number: 1555458
Notes: COMPANY D 314TH.ENGINEERS

• 29^th May Gonza was transferred to Camp Taylor KY. for discharge.

Sources

1. Camp Funston Military Records, 1914-1919.
2. History of Company D 314^th Engineers.
3. 41^st Division History.
4. Muriel and Bill Bourke (relatives).
5. The National WW1 Museum and Memorial.
6. U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939

Medals

Gonza was awarded the US Victory medal with St Mihiel, Argonne Meuse and Offensive clasps and the Army of Occupation medal

Gonza would have received these medals with the clasps shown except the defensive could have been replaced with the offensive depending on his role at the time with the Engineers.

After the War

1920 Census Akron Ward 7, Summit, Ohio

1. Gonz H Blinco 25 Steam Fitter Rubber Company
2. Ethel B Blinco 20

1930 Census 38 W 28th Covington, Kenton, Kentucky

1. Henry G Blincoe M 34 Kentucky Pipe Fitter Steel Mill
2. Ethel V Blincoe F 30 Kentucky
3. William Blincoe M 9 Kentucky

1940 Census 2 Greenup Street, Covington, Henton, KY

1. Henry Blincoe 44 Pipe Fitter Steel Mill
2. Ethel Blincoe 39
3. William Blincoe 19

1948 936 Glenway av, Covington, Kentucky

1. Henry G Blincoe
2. Ethel V Blincoe

1958 408 Auburn III – 5 Covington, Kentucky

1. Henry G Blincoe
2. Ethel V Blincoe

Death 02 OCT 1960 Age 65 years

Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio.

Burial: Oak Hill Cemetery, Livermore, McLean County, Kentucky

Gallery