Blinco James D E 1893 – Blencowe Family in World War One

James David Eric Blinco [7925]

1893-1973

Father Nm: Henry Joseph Blinco [486] c 14.6.1863 Langley Marish ; Oldest known ancestor – William Blincko 1635 Hedgerley.

Mother Nm: Hannah Kate Webb [10390] 1867-1936.

Marriage Dt: March Quarter 1914 to Nellie Burrow. 1914 Maidenhead 2c 736.

K Comments: Daughter Betsey Kate was a Registered Nurse in WW2

Spouse comments: Nellie Burrow 10 September 1890-1974 Cheltenham

Children: Gordon Henry 1915, Betsey Kate 1920.

(Research): GR[D] Eton vol 6A p 1705 Sept 1973.

Born 1893 Langley Marish.

3 March 1893. Eton 3a 687, Baptised on 30 April 1893 in Langley Marish

1901 Census George Green, Langley Marish

Blinco James D Son M 1893 Langley 8
Blinco Hannah K Wife F 1868 Weston Super Mare 33
Blinco Edith F Dau F 1899 Langley 2
Blinco Henry J Head Labourer M 1864 Langley 37
Blinco Rosa J Dau F 1890 Langley 11
Blinco Elizabeth F Dau F 1892 Langley 9

1911 Census Langley Marish

Gardener in household with Edwin Charles Bailey at Langley Park Gardens,

Bailey Edwin Charles M 1885 26 Eton Buckinghamshire
Blinco James David Eric M 1891 20 Eton Buckinghamshire


Gallery	Bedfordshire Regiment.	Sherwood Foresters	Royal Army Medical Corps

WW1

Blinco James David Eric, 1893, Eton, Private, 7232, 103023, 146171, 5^th Bedfordshire Regiment, 2/6^th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derbys) Regt., Royal Army Medical Corps.

1915

James enlisted on 22nd Nov. Joining the Bedfordshire’s as a Territorial which would indicate the 5^th Bedfordshire Regiment. Initially, James may have declined to serve overseas in 1915 but in 1916 he would have been mandated to go. His Sherwood Forester’s regimental number is consistent with the batch allocated to the 2/6^th Bn. Also, it is 7 digits which indicates that it was after Jan. 1917 (Army renumbering of Territorials) when he transferred to the 2/6^th Bn. The 5^th Bedfordshire’s had three battalions only one the 1/5^th Bn. served Overseas in Egypt.

1917

The movements of the 2/6^th Bn. Sherwood Foresters

25^th Feb. The 2/6^thBattalion Sherwood Foresters landed at Boulogne 25 February 1917. suggesting maybe it was after this that James was transferred to the battalion. The 2/6^th part of 178^th Brigade in the 59^th Div.
3^rd Mar. The 178^th Brigade concentrated at Warfusee on the Amiens -St Quentin Rd. The Bde and 59^th Div. being posted to the 3^rd Corps of the Fourth Army.
15^th Mar. The 2/6^th moved into the trenches.
17^th Mar-5^th Apr. The pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. When the enemy began his strategic withdrawal east from the Somme area, 59^th Division was among the formations that followed up in cautious pursuit.
- 18^th Mar. The 2/6^th Bn. crossed the Somme at St Christ. ³
- 21^st Mar. Bn. occupying old German trenches on the plateau beyond Villers Carbonnel.³
- The lack of training began to be felt in this difficult tactical situation. Units of the Division captured Jeancourt but met a bloody repulse at Le Verguier. Divisional HQ was established at Bouvincourt in April 1917. Further attacks took place at Villeret and Hargicourt quarries.
  A group of Sherwood Foresters in April 1917. IWM Q 1637
  
  ^²
May. The 59^th Division relieved by the cavalry and moved for rest but after a matter of days moved back into the Cambrai front line at Havrincourt and Flesquieres, Divisional HQ being set up at to Equancourt.²
Jun-Aug. Relieved and moved for rest at Barastre. A lengthy spell here, being “fattened up” for the Flanders offensive. Received orders to move in late August and thence by train from Acheux to Winnezeele, arriving 1st September. ²
23-25^th Sept. The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. On 20 September 1917, the Division’s role was to relieve the 55^th (West Lancashire) Division after it had made an attack in the area of Gravenstafel. The Lancashires succeeded in capturing all objectives and the 59^th duly moved to relieve them. Assembling around Goldfish Chateau, just outside Ypres. The Division moved up into the salient on the night of 23/24^th September and completed the move into battle positions during 25^th and 26^th. Divisional HQ was set up in a pillbox on the eastern bank of the Ypres Canal.²
26-29^th Sept. The Battle of Polygon Wood.
Click map for larger view

The 2/6^th Bn. were forward of Wieltje.
- 26^th Sept. The 178^th Brigade on the left also had difficulty with Otto Farm, but by 2.50 pm the 59^th Division had taken all the objectives on its front. The battalion had attacked at 5.50 am on 26^th and took its objectives by 7.30 am. Another battalion then went through them to take the next objective. The 2/6^th relieved the 2/5^th in the new front line at 8pm on 27^th .¹
- The battalion sustained 11 officer and 220 other rank casualties. Many from continuous enemy shelling. The ANZAC (Otago Regiment) troops relieved them on the 29^th.
Oct. Relieved 1^st Canadian Division in the front line in the Lens sector, with Divisional HQ being at Chateau-de-la-Haie. Warned that it would be used to exploit the success expected in the forthcoming attack at Cambrai, the 59^th Division was relieved by the Canadians and began to move to Bapaume on 17^th November.
28^th-Nov. Cambrai-The capture of Bourlon Wood .
- After moving on 23^rdNovember to Etricourt, preparatory to taking over the line at Gouzeaucourt, orders were relived for the Division to switch to the northern flank of this operation, to relieve the Guards Division at Bourlon Wood. This took place on 29^th November,
30^th Nov – 3^rd Dec. Cambrai- The German counter-attacks
- On 1^st December, many casualties were sustained from German shellfire which preceded an enemy infantry counter-attack. This was beaten off by the Division. During the day, 470 Field Company RE, which was marching to the area of Gouzeaucourt, found itself caught up in the German advance in that area. Fighting as infantry, it assisted in the defence of the area until the Guards Division counter-attacked and retook Gouzeaucourt. 59^th Division was ordered to withdraw from Bourlon, which it did successfully, taking up a position at Flesquieres. On 16^th December, Divisional HQ moved to Ytres.

23^rd Dec. The 59^th Div. moved out for rest at Le Cauroy, where Christmas and all of January 1918 was spent.

Summary of the movements of the 59^th Div. in 1917.

1918

24-25^th Mar. The Battle of Bapaume. The next ten days were chaotic, as parties and individuals reassembled and the location of HQ meandered west, going via Bucquoy, Bouzincourt, Contay and Fienvillers to Villers-Chatel.
1^st Apr. The remnants of the 59^th Division moved by train to the Poperinghe area in Flanders, leaving its artillery behind. New drafts of men arrived and on 5^th April the Division took over the front line at Passchendaele, without having had any real opportunity to assimilate these drafts let alone train them.²
14-15^th Apr. The Battle of Bailleul. On the 13^th April, the 59^th Division was ordered to reinforce the Lys area that was under terrific enemy attack. 177^th Brigade was split off to reinforce 19^th (Western) Division north of Neuve Eglise (Nieuwkerke), while the rest moved to Westouter. A 6000-yard long line (that is, very thinly held) was taken over near Loker and here on the 14^th April, the units came under violent attack. The enemy broke through on the left and the British line crumbled.
Bailleul in the aftermath of the battle of 1918

Bailleul fell and 176^th and 178^th Brigades fell back in disarray on Mont Noir (Zwarteberg). Losses had been heavy.
17^th Apr. The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge. Back to a line, the Sherwood Foresters had been in 1915.
The miners from Notts and Derby would be very good at digging these trenches.

17^th April. In front of Kemmel. About 10 am enemy commenced heavy bombardment and attacked all along the line. Attack held up but gap discovered on left of Bn. front. This gap was filled by one Coy of 2/5^th S F. During the evening a party of the enemy advanced to within 100 yards of our line and on being fired on returned with the exception of an officer who remained sniping. 2 Lt R W Jackson went out and captured the officer single-handed in broad daylight. The diary mentions a map ref – N32 d 2 3 – N 33 C 9 1 and N 33 d 5 0 was a line they were supposed to reach during a French attack the day before but this attack did not take place.¹

26^th Apr. The 59^th Division was relieved. HQ moved to Vogelje Convent north of Poperinghe and the troops were engaged in digging new defence lines.
25th Jun. David is reported wounded in the Weekly Casualty List (War Office & Air Ministry ). Subject to some delay this may well be injuries sustained at Kemmel in mid-April or later.
31^st Jul. The 2/6^th Bn. disbanded in France. Likely then at this time, James transferred to RAMC. James is likely to have been a Stretcher Bearer in his new role.
RAMC stretcher-bearers lowering a stretcher case into an abandoned trench serving as a regimental aid post. Near Albert, 9 August 1918.

1919

1919 Absent Voters list Spring 1919 RAMC Watford division (Nascot).
24^th Jul. Discharged from RAMC but awarded the Silver War Badge in recognition of his service wound.