Blencowe Edward H 1895

Edward Henry Blencowe  [4484]

Died of Wounds 24^th June 1915

1895-1915

Father’s Name: Thomas [355] c 24.3.1867 Mixbury buried 3.7.1918 Mixbury : Oldest Known Ancestor – William Blencowe abt 1729 Mixbury.

Mother’s Name: Hannah Hayward [358] 1868 buried. 10.1.1918 Mixbury

 

Marriage Dt:

K comments:

Spouse comments:

Children:

1901 Census Mixbury

1. Thomas Blencowe 34 Thrashing Engine Driver
2. Hannah Blencowe 33
3. Mark Blencowe 8
4. Edward Henry Blencowe 6

1911 Census Mixbury

1. Blencowe Edward Henry 16 Labourer On Farm
2. Blencowe Hannah 43
3. Blencowe Thomas 44 Carter On Farm
4. Blencowe Mark 18 Labourer On Farm

Oxford and Bucks LI

WW1

Blencowe Edward Henry, 1895, Mixbury, Private, 10695, 5^th Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. 42^nd Brigade, 14^th (Light) Division.

The 5th (Service) Battalion was formed at Aldershot from a cadre of 2 Officers and 150 men from Cowley Barracks, Oxford. It was placed in the 42nd Infantry Brigade, together with 5th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (5 KSLI), 9th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (9 KRRC), and 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (9 RB) as part of 14th (Light) Division and was destined to fight all of its war on the Western Front. Its training was largely based in the Cranleigh and Witley areas of Surrey and at Aldershot.

1915

• 20^th May. Edward landed in France with the 5^th Bn.
• May. Action in the Ypres area. Here the newcomers were gradually and progressively introduced to the realities of trench warfare. They began in the second-line trenches, and furnished strong working parties by night, thus receiving their baptism of fire, though not subjected to intense shelling. Next, each company was attached for instruction to an experienced battalion in the front trenches for a 48 hours’ tour of duty, when all ranks learned all that there was to learn of trench routine in the face of the enemy. This was followed by a few days training behind the line and by digging communication trenches and dug-outs. After which, within a month of leaving Aldershot, the Battalion took its place in the trenches.
• Late May-Jun. It is at this time Edward was fatally wounded we don’t know when exactly but the location seems clear. The War diary doesn’t record any major action but the trench duties as described below and combat incidents recorded between 19^th–24^th June are most likely.
• 19^th-24^th Jun. Mortally Wounded – Railway Wood Trench, Hooge.
  • 19^th Jun. 23:00 hrs. The enemy started shelling the communication trenches with lachrymatory shells and shrapnel. This went on all the time the relief was taking place; the low-lying ground was thickly covered with gas fumes, which made breathing difficult and the eyes very painful. The relief was completed by 0300 hrs. Casualties. Lieut. Crawford was severely wounded; 2nd Lieut. Clarke was slightly, by a shell that burst on the railway; other ranks, 6 killed, 7 wounded.¹
  • 20^th Jun. Spent the day in surveying our position, which is a pretty unhealthy one. (No other matters of combat recorded)¹
  • 21^st Jun. At dawn, about 40 enemy soldiers advanced against our barrier but were bombed back, leaving behind them two dead, if not more. Casualties today. Other ranks: wounded, 13; suffering from gas, 3.¹
  • 22^nd Jun. Tonight we were ordered to attack the enemy redoubt opposite C. 5. .. some five batteries carried out a bombardment. Two platoons of C Company in two columns were ordered to carry out the assault,….both columns headed by a party of bomb-throwers. The bombardment was tremendous while it lasted, our guns pounding the Germans, and their guns pounding us. At 20:00 hrs the bombardment ceased; but, as we had to evacuate our front trenches during our bombardment, there was some delay in getting the assaulting columns up into position again, ready to advance. This, unfortunately, enabled the enemy to reoccupy their doubt, and when our columns moved forward they came under very heavy fire. 2^nd Lieut. Davies and a few men of No. 2 column reached their doubt, which proved to be strongly held. In the meanwhile No.1 column had been checked by the heavy fire. Then someone was heard to shout out “Retire”; and although the men had been warned of this German trick, some of them forgot the warning, and began to retire. By now 2^nd Lieut. Davies had, it is thought, been killed, and 2^nd Lieut, Jackson severely wounded, but Lieut. Barleven, of the 62^nd Company R.E., realising what was happening, shouted to the men not to retire and rallied those at hand, but in the end, was obliged to retire.
  • 23^rd Jun. The war diary records nothing other than a quiet day.
  • 24^th Jun. Edward’s death is recorded on this day. It is not certain which day he was mortally wounded the 19^th -22^nd all being possibilities, but the location seems clear and Edward is buried at Bailleul some 19kms SE of Hooge.  Edward was mortally wounded likely taken directly to one of three Casualty Clearing Stations based in Bailleul (No2, No3 and No 8. ) where he dies of his wounds.²

Sources

1. War Diary of 5th (Service) Bn. Oxford and Bucks LI.
2. Personal effects Army Record defines the death date and place.
3. Long Long Trail website

Medals

Awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British, and Victory Medals.

In about 1921-22, Edward’s mother Hanna would have received a Memorial Plaque (engraved with her name ) and a Scroll signed by the King.

Grave Bailleul Communal Cemetery

Blencowe, EH, Rank: Private Service No: 10695, Date of Death: 24/06/1915, Age: 21

Regiment/Service: Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 5th Bn.

Grave Reference I. D. 42., Cemetery Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord.

Memorial Mixbury

There is a war memorial at the All Saints Church in Mixbury and its likely Edward is commemorated there.

Gallery

Note: there are 4 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.