Blencowe Thomas W 1893 – Blencowe Family in World War One

Thomas William Blencowe [4438]

1893-1971


Father Nm: Thomas William Blincowe [4907]^ born 3.1.1857 Bicester died 1928 St Olave.	Mother Nm: Mary Hannah Green [3337] 1892 nr Greenwich

Marriage Dt: 3^rd Feb 1917 to Florence Rosetta Tull.

Kin comments: Father Thomas William served in the Anglo-South African war with the 4th Battalion The West Yorkshire Reg (Price of Wales Own)

Richard Blencowe 1895-1962 – photo taken 1918-1919

WW1: Brother Richard (insert) served with the East Surrey Regiment and was wounded at Delville Wood in 1916 later he transferred to the Labour Corps. Sister Esther Maria a Laboratory Chemist in Manufacturing was killed on 21st September 1940 in a bombing raid on Llewellyn Street, Bermondsey. Sister Rose Jane married an Arthur Scanlan who served in WW1 both families emigrated to Australia after the war and were block settlers in Northcliffe WA.

WW2: Son Herbert John served with Australian army , Son William Thomas served with the RAAF. Sister May Edith served with the WRAF and brother James served with the Royal Artillery in WW2.

Spouse comments: Florence Rosetta Tull born 28 March 1894 Rotherhithe died Perth

Children: William Thomas 1918, Herbert John 1920 and Stanley William 1928.

(Research): GR[B] Greenwich Sept 1893.

1901 Census 23 Clarence St Rotherhithe

Blencoe Mary Wife F 1864 Greenwich 36
Blencoe May Dau F 1897 Rotherhithe 4
Blencoe Richard Son M 1895 Rotherhithe 6
Blencoe Rose Dau F 1898 Rotherhithe 3
Blencoe Thomas Head General labourer Gasworks M 1857 Bicester 44
Blencoe Thomas Son M 1894 Greenwich 7
Blencoe John Son M 1900 Rotherhithe 1

1911 Census 11 TemeraiRe Street St Olave (Bermondsey

Blencowe Esther Dau F 1907 Rotherhithe 4
Blencowe Florence Dau F 1903 Rotherhithe 8
Blencowe James Son M 1905 Rotherhithe 6
Blencowe Mary Hannah Wife F 1864 Greenwich 47
Blencowe May Dau F 1897 Rotherhithe 14
Blencowe Richard Son M 1895 Rotherhithe 16
Blencowe Rose Dau F 1898 Rotherhithe 13
Blencowe Thomas Head Gas Works Worker M 1857 Bicester 54
Blencowe Thomas Son M 1894 Greenwich 17

March 1911

Thomas leaves the employment of Felix Lowry. From grandson “Tom then travelled to NSW Australia and worked as a teacher, but returned to England to take part in the war”


Royal Field Artillery

WW1

Blencowe Thomas William, 1893, Rotherhithe, Bombardier, 94382, 63^rdand 351^st Brigade,(Howitzer) Royal Field Artillery.

1914

28^th Aug. Enlisted at Woolwich in 3C Reserve Brigade at No.4 Depot RFA.

1915

31^st May Embarked to France with RFA, landed Le Havre on 1^st Jun.
24^th Dec. Posted to F Battery 63^rd Brigade.

1916

30^th Aug. Posted 30 Aug 1916 to ‘C’ Battery 63^rd Brigade RFA under command of 12^th (Eastern) Division.
12^th Oct. Battle of Le Transloy. Thomas wounded GSW (shell) right foot, transferred to 47^th Field Ambulance (this was a mobile medical unit attached to 15^th Scottish Div.) then onto to 1^st Canadian General Hospital, Etaples. Thomas and 63^rd Brigade was in the vicinity of Butte de Warlencourt when the division had attacked Bayonet Trench on 12th October. The attack was unsuccessful as on previous occasions when it had tried.
17^th Oct. Invalided to the UK on Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen.
18^th Oct-25^th Nov. Admitted 2^nd Northern General Hospital, (Beckett’s Park Hospital) in Leeds, Yorkshire.
26^th Nov.-20^th Dec. Convalescence and then discharged to Duty.

1917

26^th Feb. Posted to Divisional Artillery HQ 357 Brigade.
Employed as Signaller.
4^th Apr. Promoted Acting Bombardier at Colchester.
1^st May. Promoted Bombardier at Colchester.
18^th May. Certificate – Signalling Examiners Badge
15^th Jul. Appointed Assistant instructor of Signalling with the 351^st Brigade RFA at Brentwood.

1918

25^th Feb. Posted to Larkhill.

1919

20^th Mar. Discharged from 351^st Brigade RFA, at Woolwich. Home address is given as 38 Seaford Buildings, London SE 16.

Sources

The family history/photographs collected by grandson Alan Blencowe of Perth Australia.

Medals

Awarded 1914-15 Star, British and Victory medals. Thomas entitled to wear one wound stripe on his dress uniform.

After the War

Royal Artillery 1919-1921

New RA number 1047997. Rank Gunner and final discharge 25th Apr. 1921.

1923 Emigrated to Perth Western Australia

From Alan Blencowe “Tom and Flo with their two sons migrated to Western Australia on the “Hobsons Bay”, leaving England on the 27th of November 1923 ” Note Toms sister Rose and husband Arthur Scanlan followed them out one year later.

Note: The family were part of a WA Govt group settlement scheme 4-5 families were allocated land together to clear of timber and turn into Dairy farmland. They were paid 10 shillings a day for the work and granted a 10-pound loan to buy the necessary things for settling as the photo below shows the location and dwelling were deep in treed land and shelter merely tin huts. The families were to take 30 yr mortgage for the land and repay that over that period becoming freehold owners. The family were allocated a block at Northcliffe 350kms south of Perth. The situation was very hard for families especially those from places like London where schools, shops, hospitals, public transportation were all close by.

From the left Tom the two boys and Florence and some of the other families on the block. Bote tin hut to left. Photograph from Alan Blencowe Grandson

Things didn’t work out. Florence was unhappy that the boys were not getting educated at s school (source Alan Blencowe) . Florence left Tom in Australia and returned to England with her sons but three years later returned to join Tom.

1927

9^th Jun. Florence and the two boys return to join Tom in Australia. Passengers Florence 33, William 8 and Herbert 7 is shown on the passenger schedule of the SS Balranald.
Birth of child Stanley William 1928.
Florence, Stanley and Herbert in Australia in the early 1930s