Blencowe Charles W 1889

Charles William Blencowe [6987]

1889-1967

Father’s Name: Charles Blencowe [3279] born 2.3.1845 Chislehurst Horsham died 1937 aged 91 nr Horsham; Oldest Known Ancestor – Thomas Blencowe abt 1475 Marston St Lawrence.

Mother’s Name: Mary Jane Johnson was born in 1868 in Horsham, Sussex and died on 13 April 1945 in Horsham.

Marriage Dt:24 Apr 1915 to Antonina Orlando, Catholic Church Woking.

Kin Comments: Father Charles was in South Africa with the 58th of Foot and was discharged unfit after the battle of Ulundi 1879.

WW2: Son Antony served in WW2 in the RAF. Daughter Antonina served as a Red Cross Nurse in India and was Mentioned in Despatches for her bravery in WW2. Grandson Chris served in 2008 in Afghanistan with the Canadian army, he served with the 48th Highlanders and the Royal Canadian Regiment. He also served with the British Coldstream Guards.

Spouse Comments: Antonina Orlando 1892-1992

Children: Antonina Maria Assumpta 1916-1946, Antony Orlando 1923-1994, Veronica Audrey 1933.

(Research): GR[B] Horsham Sept 1889 JD GR[D] Surrey NW, vol 5G p 199 Sept 1967.

21 July 1889

Source 1939 Census

1901 Census Rothesay Villa, Kempshott Rd Horsham

1. Name: Charles W Blencowe
2. Father’s Name: Charles Blencowe
3. Mother’s Name: Mary J Blencowe

1911 Census 20 Kempshott Rd Horsham Sussex

1. Blencowe Charles M 1846 65 Horsham Sussex
2. Blencowe Charles William M 1890 21 Horsham Sussex
3. Blencowe Mary Jane F 1868 43 Horsham Sussex

 

	Household Battalion	Grenadier Guards

WW1

Blencowe Charles William, Trooper, 2246, 30535, Household Battalion, 3^rd Bn. Grenadier Guards.

1915

• Charles initially is excluded from war service, the Woking Military Service Tribunal show his employers behind a bid for him to remain with them, and they do succeed to get him about 9 months of exemption through the process of requesting and appealing decisions.
• 22^nd Mar. Charles a “Confidential Clerk. Draughtsman” of 10 The Rise, Kingsway, Woking and his employer Messrs Brewster & Co, Arthurs Bridge Wharf, Woking requests and seems to be rejected initially. Letter from Tribunal “The Military Representative will object to the application (a) upon the ground that the man’s principal and usual occupation is not in fact one of the certified occupations (b) If the man’s principal and usual occupation is one of the certified occupations, it is no longer necessary in the national interests that he should continue in civil employment. 29 March at 3 pm”
• 3^rd Apr. Charles writes requesting exemption “Exemption for the period of six calendar months from the 29th March 1916. that serious hardship would ensue if he were called up for army service owing to his exceptional financial obligations and domestic position” This appears to have been granted,
• 4^th Nov. Employers appeal is dismissed.

  

• 9^th Nov. Tribunal Letter stating “conditional and temporary until the 8^th December 1916. Conditions:- That this certificate of exemption shall not be renewable or open to variation except on an application made with the leave of the Woking Local Tribunal.”
• 10^th Dec. Enlisted with the Grenadier Guards, Occupation: Cashier and Accountant. The address was given as 20 Kempshott Road Horsham, Sussex. Charles was 6 feet tall and the ideal size for the Grenadier Guards. Charles was in Reserve until 1916.

1916

• 7^th Dec. Mobilised with the Grenadier Guards. and then quickly transferred the next day to The Household Battalion, which was a recently formed new Battalion (1 Sept 1916).

• The Household Battalion had already embarked for the Western Front and Charles would have joined them in France in late 1916.
• 9^th Nov. Landed in France as a unit and shortly afterwards was posted to join the 10^th Brigade of the 4^th Division, an experienced formation of the regular army that had been in France since August 1914.
• 8^th Dec. The Somme Valley.

  

  Most of the men had merely 99 days of service when The Household Battalion manned trenches for the first time on 8th December 1916 at Sailly Sailliesel, east of Combles and Morval in the Somme Valley. The Somme battles had petered out five days earlier but German artillery still rumbled and the sticky, red, Somme red mud was just as deep. Over forty men had to be dug out and there were cases of total exhaustion during the period December –

1917

• • January, after which The Household Battalion moved to other trenches at Bouchavesne and went into the ‘rest area’ of Arras in mid-February.
  • Apr. Charles also appears to have been appointed a Platoon Trumpeter in April 1917.
  • Apr-May The Battle of Arras. North of the Scarpe, the Household Battalion, as part of the 10^th Brigade in the 4^th Infantry Division was allotted the task of advancing along the swampy banks of the muddy little river on the hamlet of Fampoux, (formerly pop. 1,015 but now flattened and enemy-held).

    

    It took the Brigade 11 days to take Fampoux and The Household Battalion lost 9 Officers and 166 Non-Commissioned Officers and Men killed in action. Ahead was the smaller but even more formidable German defence at Roeux at a bend in the river, one mile from Fampoux and 6,000 yards from the Hindenburg Line itself.¹

  • 3^rd May. Roeux. “Roeux cemetery, 50 yards north-west of the village, must have been among the least attractive pieces of land in northern France in 1917. Packed with Germans, well-entrenched, it was even less desirable when The Household Battalion attacked on 3^rd May. With the Irish Fusiliers, who had attacked the village. The Battalion was forced back with above 230 casualties.
  • 12^th/13^th May. Roeux.The attack was renewed on the 12^th of May, with the same battalions taking the same objectives. Smoke shells gave a screen which prevented a clear picture of the attack from Battalion Headquarters, but overnight, and in the early hours of the 13th May, The Household Battalion won one Military Cross and nine Military Medals and forced the Germans out of Roeux at bayonet point. The squalid little villages of Fampoux and Roeux cost The Household Battalion nine Officers killed and a total of nearly 500 casualties, that is to say, more than half the original strength of The Battalion. The remnant moved to the cellars under the old city of Arras, ruined and bleak. They rested here for some days while their losses in manpower were made good by new faces – recruits from Windsor.¹

• Oct. Third Battle of Ypres – Passchendaele.
  • “Losses to the Household Battalion were particularly severe on 9^th and 10^th October 1917, when the battalion attacked near Poelcapelle.”¹
  • “.Early in the morning of the 12^th of October…The Household Battalion also came under heavy fire from Poelcappelle which contained the enemy. Part of a company of The Household Battalion was able to get into Roquette Farm, capture its machine gunners and guns and hold it. Their hold was tenuous since no runner, (the only means of communication with Battalion HQ), could get by Poelcappelle on account of snipers. Nonetheless, this dwindling remnant of a company of cavalry-cum infantry held out until the late afternoon. The men …..were utterly exhausted and not a single non-Commissioned Officer above the rank of Corporal remained. In the dark of the small hours of the 13^th of October, the 3 rifle companies still left at the rear had to be taken up in relief.
    The attack on Passchendaele failed and wounded men, and some able, drowned in the mud beneath floating duck-boards. There was a withdrawal along with the whole sector of the Poelcappelle – Passchendaele Front. The reckoning for The Household Battalion was a loss of over 400 men for a temporary gain of 600 yards.”¹

1918

• 25^th Jan. It was at this time the Household Bn. was disbanded and on 25^th Jan 1918 Charles was transferred back to the Grenadier Guards to maintain his household cavalry rate of pay. He was given a new Regimental number 30535 and joined the 3^rd Bn. Grenadier Guards.

As part of the 2^nd Brigade of the Guards Division, Charles would have been involved in the following battles with the division.

• • 21^st -23^rd Mar. The Battle of St Quentin.
    • 21^st Mar. The German attack began at 5.15 am and Arras was bombarded. During the morning the Bn. received orders to be at 2 hrs. notice to move. Several shells fell near billets at Levis Barracks and No 1 Coy suffered 4 casualties as they were marching to the training area.³
    • 23^rd Mar. Boyelles. (6.5 km south of Arras. The 3^rd G. Gds. moved to relieve remnants of 93^rd Bde in line South of the line held by 1^st Coldstream Guards; 2 Coys.to be NE, 2 Coys. SW of Railway. On reaching Boyelles it was found that the 93^rd had only just taken over the line and required no relief. The Commanding officer at once withdrew No 1 & 4 Coys. by small parties from the front line…..That evening No 2 & 3 Coys. relieved the West Yorks in the front line. No 1 & 4 Coys. moved into trenches vacated by them. ³
  • 28^th Mar. The First Battle of Arras. In the vicinity of Hamelincourt and Boyelles. A heavy barrage was put down on support Coy (No 2) and the enemy attacked posts of No 4 Coy & of 13^th Y & L Regt. The strength of the enemy was about 200 advancing in 4 to 5 waves. Our posts gave, but the counter-attack ejected Germans from our line.³ Casualties following 8 officers wounded, 30 O.R. killed 98 O.Rs. wounded and 4 ORs missing.
  • Jul. The first week of July was spent by 3G.GDS at Labazeque and on the 7^th proceeded to Ransart to the front line. On the 10^th moved back into support and on the 15^th into the divisional reserve. 19^th-24^th back in the front line. Fifteen Officers, 30 Sergeants and 55 corporals from the American army were attached to the Bn.
    Aug. The front line near Adinfer. On the 20^th the Bn. debussed between Blaireville and Heudecourt and took up positions southeast of Boiry.
  • 21^st-23rd Aug. The Battle of Albert.
    • 21^st Aug. The attack was made in foggy conditions but progressed as the fog lifted.^.4 At least 4 OR were killed on this day.^.
    • 22^nd Aug. Heavy hostile barrage came down on the whole position but the counter-attack crumbled away. known the Guards division helped the 18^th Div and US II Corps in the capture of Albert .^.4
    • 23^rd Aug. After taking place in battle relieved by 2^nd Scots Guards and moved back to dugouts & shelter in Ayette. ³

      

  • 31^st Aug – 3^rd Sept. The Second Battle of Bapaume
    • 2^nd Sept. Marched to Hamelincourt then marched to L’Homme Mort (near St Leger). ³
  • The Battles of the Hindenburg Line.
  • 12^th Sept. The Battle of Havrincourt
  • 27^th Sep – 1^st Oct. The Battle of the Canal du Nord.
    

    

    • The Canal du Nord defensive system was German’s last major prepared defensive position opposite the British First Army. The Guard’s Divison objectives were to capture the high ground above Premy Chapel and cross the unfinished Canal Nord.
    • 1 Officer and 7 men near Kangaroo Trench. During the action, one of the parties of prisoners taken ..turned around and threw a bomb at our party after he had been sent back. This partly accounted for many Germans after the incident, with 26 dead Germans being counted ..after the operations. No 3 Coy took 83 prisoners (including wounded) & 23 M.G. casualties were 12 Wounded, 2 Missing, & 3 Wounded but remaining at duty owing to a pocket of Germans holding out in the Brigade area. In the evening verbal orders were received to move back to the Doignies area.³
  • 8-9^th Oct. The Battle of Cambrai
    • 8^th Oct. Attack by 62^nd Division. The Bn. moved to Masnieres and marched off to the assembly area for attack. Outpost Line after dark with Coys. E. of Cambrai-Beauvois Road and 2 Coys. in green dotted line E. of Estourmel.18:30 Warning order received of probable further advance in the morning.³
    • 9^th Oct. Forenville Wambaix Copse. Advance successful and objectives occupied with casualties only coming from own artillery fire on the advance. Outpost Line after dark with Coys. E. of Cambrai-Beauvois Rd and 2 Coys. in green dotted line E. of Estourmel. At 18;30 Warning order was received of probable further advance in the morning.³
  • 9^th -12^th Oct The pursuit to the Selle
    • 10^th Oct.1^st Bn. Gren. GDS. passed through 3^rd Bn. line and Bn. in support of the attack.The 1^st Bn. Scots Gds. held up W of St. Hilaire.³
    • 11^th Oct. The 3^rd G. Gds. was ordered to concentrate in area W. of St Vaast. The 3^rd Guards Brigade was held up by M.G and the situation at St Vaast was obscure. The C.O. concentrated the Bn. in the N.W. portion of St Hilaire.
    • 12th Oct. Battalion relieved the 2nd Bn Scots Guards in the front line along the Selle River. Second Lieutenant Gunther with a patrol of eight men crossed the river and surprised German whom he gagged and brought back.
    • Estimated casualties up to this point from the morning of the 9^th – 4 Killed, 51 Wounded, 2 Gassed.³
  • 14^th Oct. Order received to establish a Bridgehead across the River and No 4 Coy was warned for this operation. 0400 Bridgehead established with 2 platoons dug in on E. Bank of Selle River, & 2 platoons and Coy. H.Q. at (map ref V29.d.8.8.) & 2 remaining platoons and Coy.H.Q. of No 3 moved up to Rly. No 4 Coy moved to the mainline of resistance.³
  • 15^th Oct. Heavy enemy barrage (Gas & H.E.). Patrolled to a northernmost house in St Python, found it empty, and occupied it. 2/Lieut. Donnison and 2 sections then proceeded Southward down St Python-Haussy Rd, but met with heavy M.G. and rifle fire and bombing, and were unable to progress, 2 men were wounded and could not be brought back. Casualties:- 2 Wounded and Missing & 3 Wounded.³
  • 16th Oct. Heavy barrage as on the previous day. Front Coy reported enemy massing on St Python-Haussy Rd. Casualties 1 O.R. Killed 4 O.R. Wounded.
  • The Battle of the Selle (17-25^th Oct)
  • Orders received that Bn. would be relieved by 1^st Bn. Scots Gds that night. Bridgehead withdrew and wired after dark. Relief complete. Bn proceeded to St Vaast. Comfortably billeted in cellars and houses. There was Gas shelling in the night.³
  • 4th Nov. The Battle of the Sambre.

• 2^nd/3^rd Nov. Bn. moved forward and bivouacked in the Capelle area. Orders were received for an attack by Gds Div. on the 4^th O.O.86 was issued. Battle stores were drawn during the day.
• 4^th Nov. The Bn. moved off. The approach march was much hampered by the crowded state of the roads. On reaching Villers Pol the Bn. was forced to halt as the bridge across the Rhonelle had been destroyed. The whole of the Bn. had to cross the River over a single plank. The Bn. was shelled with H.E. & Gas whilst crossing the stream. Assembly positions in the rear of La Flaque Wood were reached left Coy now advanced, capturing Preux-Au-Sart together with some prisoners, and dug in on a line E. of the village. In the meantime the Right. Coy was in some German trenches. By this time all the Officers of the R. Coy had become casualties and LT. F. Anson M.C. was sent up to take over command. The R. Coy was ordered to clear the M.G out of houses on St. Hubert-Gommegnies Rd. This was done & the houses were occupied. Casualties during the 4th were:- 2 Officers & 15 O.R. killed, 3 O.R. Missing, 3 Officers & 91 O.R. wounded.
• 5th Nov. During the morning the Bn. moved into Preux-Au-Sart and spent the day in salvage work and resting.
• 9^th Nov. Maubeuge. The march of the Bn. was hampered by mine craters. However the Bn. reached Mauberge by 04:00 hrs. & No 3 Coy occupied the Town & Citadel.

1919

• 4^th Mar. Embarked from Dunkirk with 3^rd G. Gds. on 4 Mar 1919 for England
• 10^th Dec. Discharged to home address 10 The Rise Kingsway Woking.

Sources

1. Household Bn. History – 1916 to 1918 by Squadron Corporal Major C W. Frearson Esq.
2. The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War, 1914-1918.
3. The 3^rd battalion Grenadier Guards War Diary for 1918.
4. Vol 3. The Grenadier Guards in the Great War 1914-1918 Frederick Ponsonby.
5. History of the Grenadier Guards WW1

Medals

Awarded British and Victory medals

After the War

1921 Census 10 The Rise, Elm Road, Woking

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship to head	Sex	Birth year	Age in years	Birth place	Occupation	Employer
Charles W	Blencowe	Head	Male	1889	31	Horsham, Sussex, England	Book Keeper	Wilney Hine & Co Ltd Timber Importers
Antonina	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1892	29	Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales	Home Duties	–
Antonina M	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1916	4	Woking, Surrey, England

 

1939 Census 1 Meadowside Ashwick Rydens Road , Walton and Weybridge U.D., Surrey, England

Charles W Blencowe 21 Jul 1889 Male Timber Merchants Manufacture Married
Antonina Blencowe 06 Jan 1892 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married

Note 3 people not disclosed probably Antonina Maria Assumpta 1916, Antony Orlando 1923, and Veronica Audrey 1933.

Death 1967 age 78 years

Surrey North Western, Surrey, Volume: 5g, Page: 199

 

Gallery

Note: there are 9 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.