Blencowe Henry 1887

Henry (Harry) Blencowe [4235]

1887-1965

Father Nm: Henry [Harry] Blencow [3624] born 1850 Spratton (Brixworth) J.Q. died 1937 South Shields; Oldest known ancestor Benjamin Ward Blencowe 1776 Long Buckby.

Mother Nm: Eliza Collings [6439] born 13.7.1859 Lichfield Staffs, .she died 1934 in South Shields, Durham

Marriage Dt:1918, Spouse Surname: Kate Saunders, Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1918, Registration district: Kensington, Volume Number: 1a Page Number: 275.

K comments: Brother Joseph served and was wounded at The Somme.

Spouse comments: Kate Saunders b. 1883 Tattenhoe, Buckinghamshire,

Children: Kathleen Rose 1912.

(Research): GR[B] South Shields Sept 1887 1891 Census[*KB] Certificate[* KB] perhaps GR[D] Cleveland vol 1B p 564 Sept 1965.

Born 3 September 1887 at 5 Henry St, Marsden Colliery, Whitburn, Co Durham.

At 1891 Census living with parents at Whitburn.

1901 Census Bearpark, Durham

1. Henry Blencowe 45 Miners ?Worker
2. Elizabeth Blencowe 43
3. Henry Blencowe 13 Miners ?Worker
4. Elizabeth Blencowe 7
5. Joseph Blencowe 5
6. Elizabeth Blencowe 1

1911 Census Grey Horse Cottage Whitburn

1. Blencowe Eliza Wife F 1858 53
2. Blencowe Eliza Dau F 1894 17
3. Blencowe Elizabeth Dau F 1900 11
4. Blencowe Henry Head M 1850 61
5. Blencowe Henry son M 1888 23 Barman, Public House
6. Blencowe Joseph Son M 1896 15

	Royal Field Artillery

WW1

Blencowe Henry (Harry), 1887, South Shields, Gunner, 84927, 246^th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

Synopsis

Harry’s was a long war he was initially sent to France with the 9^th Divisional Artillery in the Bethune area. Harry was with the 9^th Division Artillery through major Somme battles in 1915-16. In 1917 he transferred to the 49^th Division Artillery and was sent to the coast near Dunkirk to take part in diversionary operations there. Later in 1917 he went to fight the battle for Passchendaele and then progressively south then west until in 1918 was at the battle of Valenciennes and by 11^th November was just north of Maubeuge when the war was ended. Returned home in December he was one of the earlier demobilisations maybe recognising the time he spent in battle. Harry also seems to have been lucky no indication of wounding/ill-health in his record.

1914

• 21^st Aug. Enlisted at Sunderland (age 25 yrs and 10 months ) occupation Miner from Marsden Durham.
• 5^th Sept. Posted to 52^nd Bde ‘A’ Battery (previously 166^th ).

1915

• • 18^th Jan. Moved to ‘D’ Batt of 52^nd Bde.
  • 12^th May. Harry landed in France with 52^nd Brigade RFA, of the 9^th (Scottish Division)
  • 25^th Sept.- 13^th Oct. Battle of Loos.The largest battle of WW1 and ultimately a very heavy defeat. General Haig mistakenly thought this would be a great victory (even one to end the war) but without the planning, adequate Artillery fire and specific target maps of advancement. Haig thought the first use of the gas by the British would devastate the Germans but it did not. The British had 60,000 casualties compared to the Germans 26,000 which in itself tells of the outcome. The BEF commander Gen. Sir John French lost his command as a result of the failure of the battle and Haig inherited the role from then on.³
    
  • 25^th Sept. The operations of 9^th Division on the first day of battle have been remembered largely for 26^th Brigade’s epic capture of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, an achievement that founded the excellent reputation that 9^th Division would subsequently enjoy within the BEF. The achievement of 26^th Brigade would prove, however, to be the high point for 9^th Division during the Battle of Loos and the attack of 28^th Brigade on the left was reminiscent of what had happened further north; the wire had not been cut (by the Artillery) and the infantry was unable to progress. The divisional history gloomily wrote that ‘before vicious machine-gun fire from Madagascar Trench, Railway Work and Mad Point, the attack melted away.³

A battery of a Royal Field Artillery Brigade

1916

• • 16^th Jun. Granted home leave note before the upcoming battles of the Somme.
  • 1st-13^th July. The Battle of Albert*
  • 14^th Jul. The Battle of Bazentin* in which the 9^th Division captured Longueval.”The advance started at 0325 on 14 July along a 4-mile front following only a five-minute barrage. Whilst the ensuing surprise allowed the lead elements of the 9^th Div to break through the sparsely populated first and second lines, the initial success could not be consolidated with swift and robust German counterattacks from heavily reinforced reserve trenches. By mid-morning, attempts by the Highlanders to clear the Germans from the town had run into stiff resistance not only from the defenders but also machine gun and artillery fire from Delville Wood”.¹
  • 15^th Jul. – 3^rd Sept. The Battle of Delville Wood*. The wood was attacked by the 9^th Div. and attempts to clear it of Germans made on 16/17^th at great cost. Heavy fighting continued throughout July and August to wrestle control of Delville Wood.
  • 1st-18^th Oct. The Battle of Le Transloy.*

The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916

1917

• • 5^th Apr. Transferred to 246^th Brigade in the 49^th West Riding Division. The 246^th was at Le Touret north-east of Bethune.²
  • May. Le Touret. Beginning of month Portuguese artillery joined the Brigade. 29^th May a raid took place on enemy trenches by 7^th West Riding Regt. the 246^th supported the attack with Artillery fire. 1 POW took, several killed and no casualties.²
  • 3^rd-13^th Jun. Loisne. Artillery operations in this area.²
  • 14^th Jun.- 9^th Jul. Vielle Chappelle. Artillery operations in this area.²
  • 11^th Jul. Relieved by 7^th Bde RHA, Preparing to move north to join the Fourth Army.²
  • 16^th Jul. La Gorgue complete move to Prazelles.²
  • 17^th Jul. Prazelles complete move to Wormhoudt.²
  • 18^th Jul. Wormhoudt complete move to Ghyvelde.²
  • 19^th Jul. Ghyvelde complete move to lines near Coxyde.²
  • 20^th Jul- Oct. Operations on the Flanders Coast (Hush) Operation Hush was a British plan to make amphibious landings on the Belgian coast in 1917 during World War I, supported by an attack from Nieuport and the Yser bridgehead.²
  • 22^nd – 26^th Jul. Nieuport 246^th Bde take over Artillery operations.²
  • 26^th -28^th Jul. Oost Dunkerque. Heavily bombarded on 26^th and on the 28^th the 146^th Infantry Bde. conducted a raid supported by 246^th artillery fire.²
  • Aug. Nieport Sector.
    • 1^st Aug. Heavy Bombardment of St Georges sector.²
    • 2^nd Aug. Heavy German retaliation.²
    • 3^rd/4^th Aug. Nieport heavily shelled with Mustard gas. Heavy casualties taken.²
    • 6^th -22^nd Aug. Artillery Activity continues. 246^th casualties considerable.²
  • 23^rd to end of Aug. The 146^th Bde gets a new CO and Bde goes to Wajm for a rest period.²
  • 8^th Sept. 246^th Bde moves to Frommelhoek.²
  • 10^th Sept. Bde moves to Wormhoudt.²
  • 11^th Sept. Bde moves the Croix de Poperinghe.²
  • 12^th Sept. Bde went into action at Vierstraat.²
  • 13th-18^th Vierstraat. Practise barrages and registration firing completed. Note: The Artillery needed to complete test firing/registration to calibrate their barrage so that fire accuracy was attained.²
  • 20^th Sept. The Battle for Menin Road.** 246^th Bde was part of Artillery support for 19^th Div. attack. The 23^rd, 39^th Div. gained objectives, 41^st Div. on the blue line and 19^th Div. gained objectives except for Hessian Wood. Casualties 4 killed 6 wounded. Horses; 14 killed and 9 wounded.²
  • 28/29^th Sept. Moved through Watou to Wieltje.²
  • 1^st Oct-2^nd Dec. The Battle of Passchendaele** Wieltje.
  • 4^th Oct. 246^th moves to Bank Farm and begins support of the 2^nd NZ infantry in the attack on Passchendaele. All objectives successful and then Artillery fire repulses German counter-attack. ²
  • 5^th Oct. Bde moves forward again and supports 49^th Div. attack.²
  • 11^th Oct. Bde moves to Toronto Farm to support NZ infantry again. Roads impassable because of mud etc.²
  • 12^th Oct. in support of NZ Infantry attack which was partially successfully capturing a line Wallemollen and west of Wolf Copse and Marsh Bottom.²
  • 13^th Oct. Bde ordered to rest Gunners.²
  • 28^th Oct. 246^th supports 3^rd Canadian Div to achieve its first objective Bellevue Spur. ²
  • 29^th Oct. Bde shelled in the night (few casualties).²
  • 30^th Oct. Attack began again and went well.²
  • 1^st -3^rd Nov. Bde shelled at night (some gas shells).²
  • 6^th Nov. Support of 3^rd Canadian Div. attack against Passchendaele. Objectives obtained.²
  • 10^th Nov. Support of another Canadian attack on Passchendaele, Brigade heavily attacked and sustains 12 casualties. Attack objectives gained.²
  • 11^th Nov-2^nd Dec. Wieltje. Continued enemy shelling and attacks all withstood. On the 2^nd Dec, the Bde supported 32^nd Div. attack that regained some lost ground.

** the battles marked ** is a phase of the Third Battles of the Ypres.²

• • 3^rd Dec. The 246^th Bde finally get to go to a rest position in NZAC sector Vieux Berquin.²

1918

• • Jan. In billets Noordpeene. ²
  • 22^nd Feb. Move to St Jans Cappel under orders of 49^th Division. ²
  • 23^rd Feb-31^st Mar. Mille Cappel Area. Operating in the areas of Broodiseinde Ridge and Zonnebeke, shelling given and taken some gas used. ²
  • 1^st Apr. Tuileries(Zillibeke). Took over from 37^th Div. Artillery. ²
  • 10^th– 12^th Apr. The Battle of Estaires^. Tuileries heavily shelled with HE and Gas 246^th moved to Dormy House and then withdrew on the 12^th.²

Note: While the 49^th Div was credited for its involvement of The Battle of Messines 10-12^th April and The Battle of Bailleul 13-15^th Apr. in which the Division defended Neuve Eglise. It appears the 246^th was not directly involved in these battles but operating in the Ypres sector until the end of June in supporting the line attacking and defending.

• • 23^rd Jul. Harry is attached to 49^th Division HQ role is unknown.
  • 10^th Aug. Harry returns to his 246^th Bde who are west of Ypres operating in that area.
  • 26^th-27^th Aug. Bde moved to Eblinghem then south onto Ames area on the 27^th.²
  • 2^nd Sept. The move continued south to just north-west of Arras at Acq. In the line until 23^rd Sept.
  • 24^th Sept. Relieved to Chateau Anzin.
  • Oct. Harry is sent to an Army rest camp (not known where). Could be wounded slightly or just fatigued. Returns to 246^th Bde after 18^th Oct. it appears.
  • 19^th-27^th Oct.Villers en Chauchy. 246th Bde is now part of a larger Artillery capability and preparing for a big attack towards Verchain. Moves to Saulzoir from 22^nd to 27^th Oct.
  • 29^th Oct. Suddenly ordered north towards Valenciennes, at Thiant, orders to take over from 51st Div. Artillery in action around Maing.
  • 30^th Oct-2^nd Nov. The Battle of Valenciennes. Maing in action supporting 147^th Bde Infantry (49^th Div.). Final objectives gained and over 1000 POW’s taken.
  • 4^th Nov. Saultain.
  • 7^th Nov. Angreau. Progressively pushing forward and in action each day.
  • 10^th-11^th Nov. Quevy le Petit. Armistice announced.
  • 16^th Dec. Discharged. Was based in Woolwich, London and had married in Kensington before being discharged back to Durham on this date.

Sources

• • Battle_of_Delville_Wood.
  • The war diary of the 246^th West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery.
  • Loos 1915 by Nick Lloyd.

Medals Card

Awarded 1914-15 Star, British, and Victory medals

After the War

1920 Census

The Paplars, Mutturs, Sunderland

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship to head	Sex	Birth year	Age in years	Birth place	Occupation	Employer
Henry	Blencowe	Head	Male	1882	38	Whitburn, Durham, England	Miner Underground	Harton Coal Company Out Of Work
Kate	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1883	38	Tattenhoe, Buckinghamshire, England	Home Duties	–
Kathleen Rose	Blencowe	Daughter	Female	1921	–	Whitburn, Durham, England	–	–
Eva	Gibbs	Visitor	Female	1863	57	Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England	Household Duties

1939 Census

249 Glebe Road, Letchworth U.D., Hertfordshire

	FIRST NAME(S)	LAST NAME(S)	DOB	SEX	OCCUPATION	MARITAL STATUS
	Henry	Blencowe	03 Sep 1887	Male	General Labourer Engineering Heavy	Married
	Kate	Blencowe	20 May 1883	Female	Unpaid Domestic Duties	Married

The 1939 Census shows a surprising location for the couple but cannot find any southern England locations for them after this.

Death 1965

Died probably 1965 Cleveland vol1B p 564 Sep 1965 aged 70

GALLERY

Note: there are 13 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.