Blincoe Victor G 1895

Victor George Blincoe  [4489]

1895-1965

Father Nm: Thomas William Blincoe [3347] born 30.3.1870 Bottisham, Suffolk: Oldest known ancestor- Thomas Blinko Married 1767

Mother Nm: Ellen Mathilda Baker 10.2.1872.

Marriage Dt: 13^th Sept. 1919.

K comments:

• Brothers Tom (Thomas W.E.) served with the KRRC and was wounded in 1918. Aubrey and Edgar Clarence served in WW2
• Uncle Charles may have been the inspiration for Victor George to join the 2nd Bn. Suffolks in 1912 and they both served the regiment in WW1, uncle Charles being KIA 1918.
• Uncle Arthur was killed in Apr 1917 serving with Royal Fusiliers at Passchendaele.
• Uncle Frederick served with East Kents before being honourably discharged.

Spouse Comments: Ruth Ison 1895-1988.

Children: Joan Dorothy 1920, Sylvia J 1921.

(Research): GR[B] Newmarket March 1895 GR[D] Cambridge March 1965.

1901 Census Bottisham Cambs

1. Blincoe Prudence  5
2. Blincoe Thomas Head Groom on Stud Farm 31
3. Blincoe Thomas 1
4. Blincoe Victor  6
5. Blincoe Ellen  29
6. Blincoe Ethel  8

1911 Census Bottisham, Cambridgeshire

1. Blinco Stanley  6
2. Blinco Thomas Head Stableman Racing Stables 41
3. Blinco Thomas  11
4. Blinco Victor Son Farm Labourer 16
5. Blinco Edgar 3
6. Blinco Ellen 39
7. Blinco Esther 18
8. Blinco Marjorie  5
9. Blinco Mervyn Son  9

Suffolk Regiment

WW1

Blincoe Victor George, 1895, Newmarket, Private, 8434  2^nd Bn. Suffolk Regt.

Synopsis

There were two Victor George Blinco(e)s that served with the Suffolk Regiment in WW1 and beyond. Until the 1921 census was released this was not noted. The record for Victor George Blinco in 1921 census in India gives his birthplace as High Wycombe and gives definite proof of two soldiers with very similar names. Subsequently this page has undergone some editing as of October 2022.
Victor joined up before the war with the local Suffolk Regiment and was to be an army man for 10 years. After being mobilised for war in 1914, he was sent to Curragh Ireland. From there he went to France and within a few days of arriving was in Mons to defend Le Cateau a battle in which his regiment sustained great losses. In fact in the war the 2^nd Suffolks lost over 1600 men ie one and half the normal complement of a battalion. The battalion was operating in all the major war zones of the western front and while Victor most likely wasn’t in every battle (he would have had at least 1 home leave) he would have figured in most. There is a Casualty report that he was wounded dated Tuesday 11 June 1918 and given a delay to report these injuries expect the wounding is more like March or April.

C1912

• Victor George enlisted in about 1911 based on his Regimental serial number. Uncle Charles 8131 also joined about the same time but slightly ahead of Victor. Note Charles was in the Army by the 1911 Census date of 2^nd April.

1914

• 4^th Aug. He was mobilised and sent to Curragh, Ireland and then readied for war with the 2^nd Suffolks. The 2^nd Suffolk’s part of 14^th Brigade, 5^th Division.
• 15^th Aug. Embarked for and entered France just 11 days after mobilisation.
• 26^th Aug. Just 15 days after landing in France, Victor is engulfed in the Battle of Le Cateau.

  

  In this action, the 2^nd Battalion undertook a fierce rear-guard defence out-manned and out-gunned by superior numbers of the enemy. The 2^nd Bn. held their defensive position despite losing their commanding officer, Lt. Col. C.A.H Brett D.S.O., at the commencement of the action and they’re second in command, Maj. E.C. Doughty, who was severely wounded after six hours of battle as he went forward to take ammunition to the hard-pressed battalion machine gunners. Almost totally decimated as a fighting unit after over eight hours of incessant fighting, the 2^nd Bn. was gradually outflanked but would still not surrender. This was despite the fact that the Germans, knowing the 2^nd Bn. had no hope of survival, entreated them to surrender, even ordering the German buglers to sound the British Cease Fire and gesticulating for the men of the 2^nd  to lay down their arms. At length an overwhelming force rushed the 2^nd Bn. from the rear, bringing down all resistance and the 2^nd Bns. defence of Le Cateau was at an end. Some soldiers got away to Bohain, and mustered for a roll call in St Quentin which only showed 2 Officers and 111 Other Ranks left.¹ The casualties to the Suffolks in killed, wounded, missing and taken prisoner amounted to about 720 all ranks including Lieutenant-Colonel Brett DSO, the Commanding Officer, who was killed. Thus of nearly 1000 men who left Ireland less than two weeks before only some 300 remained. The roll call at dawn on the 27th August as the men struggled into St Quentin (20 miles to the south) was “A” Coy – 31, “B” Coy – 19, “C” Coy – 38, ”D” Coy – 16, although many stragglers would later re-join the battalion. Those remaining alive were taken captive by the Germans, spending the next four years as prisoners of war and not returning home until Christmas Day 1918.³ Victor doesn’t appear to have been one of these POW’s he may, however, have suffered injuries. The Red Cross POW files have no entry for him.

Note: Victors uncle, Sergeant Charles Blinco was not at this battle, joining later with many reservists in February 1916.

The following is the war history for the 2^nd Suffolks we can assume Victor was involved in these battles as he seemingly survived the war without any serious wounding or illness.

• 30^th Sept. Bn. transferred to GHQ after suffering heavy casualties at Le Cateau.
• 25^th Oct. Came under command of 8^th Brigade, 3rd Division.
• 22^nd Oct. Transferred to 76^th Brigade in same Division.
• 28^th Nov. 2^nd Suffolks (76th Brigade, 3rd Division)  moved into the front line trenches on The Bluff and spent the next weeks, including Christmas, improving the trenches and barbed wire defences. At the same time below ground, both British and German tunnellers were busy at work – the Germans were trying to
  tunnel under The Bluff and the British were trying to stop them.

1916

• 1^st-2^nd Mar. The Actions of the Bluff . “The bombardment eventually opened on 1 March, …..At 2.15 am on 2 March, Brigadier-General Ernest Pratt, officer commanding 76th Brigade, advised Divisional HQ that he would not require a planned extra 20-minute intensive bombardment. The leading infantry (right to left, the 2/Suffolk, 8/King’s Own and 1/Gordon Highlanders) began to move at 4.15 am and the assault was launched fifteen minutes later. British barrage fire began two minutes after that. The attack achieved complete surprise, ………. By 5.10 am, the infantry had captured all objectives.”⁴ 53 men were killed on the 2^nd Mar according to CWGC records.⁷
• Jan. In the third week of January 1916, the British became aware of increased German counter-mining and on the night of 21^st/22^nd, a thunderous explosion occurred. The ground shook violently and an immense column of earth shot into the air as the south-eastern face of the Bluff, the British earthworks and trenches and the troops who manned them were simply blown away.
  The mine charge was estimated to have been between six to seven tons of high explosive. Billy Congreve, the 76^th Brigade-Major described the scene…..”It’s the hugest thing in mine laying I have ever seen – about four Hooge’s rolled into one. It blew up 3,500 tons of earth. The crater is 60 feet deep (from
  the top of the Bluff) and 50 yards by 40 yards across. The actual depth from ground level is about 30 feet, and it blew the end off the Bluff”. Exact casualties are uncertain but nearly 100 soldiers were killed, disappeared and buried, SDGW recording 44 men of 2^nd Suffolks being killed in action, including 19 local Suffolk men.³
• 2^nd – 18^th Jul. Arrived Doullens from St Omer (2^nd) and from there marched to Longuevillette. To Naours (3rd), Coisy (4^th), Franvillers (5^th), Celestines Wood (6^th), Carnoy (8^th). Began tours of trenches around Bernafay Wood. Two companies to mine support and Breslau trench (12^th). Worked on filling in Mine Alley – improving Montauban-Carnoy Rd-dug new communications trench to Caterpillar Valley (14^th). Trenches SW of Trones Wood and near Maltz Horn Farm (15^th).Two companies in support of Gordon Highlanders during the attack at Longueval (18^th).⁵
• 20^th/21^st Jul. The Battle of Bazentin* in which the Division helped capture Longueval.

  

  Attack on Longueval advanced from Pont Street 3.35 am “with their right flank exposed pressed on with great resolution and were entirely lost” heavy mist caused 2nd line to lose direction. Machine Gun fire from the junction of Duke St and Piccadilly made movement across impossible. dug in along Duke St. Relieved and to Breslau trench (21^st). ⁵

• 11^th -18^th Aug. To Sandpit Camp (11^th) trenches SW of Trones Wood and near Maltz Horn farm (15^th). A successful attack carried out at 5.40 pm (16^th) – part of the enemy’s line at Cochrane Alley running as far as the Hardecourt-Gillemont Rd. taken. withdrawn after further operations to Happy Valley (18^th). Casualties 281of which CWGC records 75 killed. ⁷
• 21^st -25^th Aug. To Morlancourt (21^st). entrained at Mericourt for Candas (23^rd) and from there marched to le Meilland. Began to move to Bethune sector (25^th)
• 8^th – 29^th Oct. Entrained at St Pol (8^th) and via Arqueves took over billets at Bertrancourt. to Louvencourt (17^th), Courcelles (19^th). Two companies to Colincamps.Began tours in line Serre sector (23^rd). To Bus le Artois (29^th)
• 12^th – 15^th Nov. Front line Bus le Artois
  •  13^th Nov. The 2^nd Suffolks attacked Serre but failed, high casualties among officers (11).

    

  • 14^th Nov. The 2^nd Suffolks relieved and moved to Courcelles.
  • 15^th Nov. Back to the front line.  In this period suffered 272 casualties of which 84 were killed. ⁷

1917

• 9-14^th Apr. The First Battle of the Scarpe. The major British assault of the first day was directly east of Arras, with the 12^th Division. At the same time, elements of the 3^rd Division including the began an assault south of the road, with the taking of Devil’s Wood, Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines and the Bois des Boeufs as their initial objectives. The result of the battle was the capture of Monchy le Preux by the 3^rd Cavalry and 37^th Div. The 2^nd Suffolks had 54 men killed in this attack.⁷
• 23^rd-24^th Apr. The Second Battle of the Scarpe. The 3^rd Division participated but it seems not the 2^nd Suffolks.
• 26^th-29^th Apr.The Battle of Arleux. In trenches in front of Monchy Le Preux facing Arleux. Casualties from shelling 18 killed in this period.⁷

• 4^th May. The Third Battle of the Scarpe.

  

  In which the division helped capture Roeux. A day after the final large scale attack of the Arras campaign, 2^nd Bn. Suffolk Regiment (76^th Brigade, 3^rd Division) moved into the Monchy-le-Preux defences. The purpose of this attack had been to establish a sound defensive line on the Arras front before the British Army turned its attention to Flanders – Messines in June and the Ypres Salient in July. The British position to the east of Monchy was extremely vulnerable as the enemy held the high ground at Infantry Hill and the surrounding woods – the Bois du Vert and the Bois du Sart. The early morning attack in near-total darkness by the 8th Brigade of the 3^rd Division, 76^th Brigade with 2^nd Suffolks were in reserve, failed to rectify this unfortunate position with troops unable to breach the strongly held German front line. “The men took up positions in shell holes in front of the German lines and from this position, no movement was possible all day” and “practically the whole battalion remained all day in the open, lying up against the German wire, impotent to move owing to the enemy’s deadly sniping”. So 2^nd Suffolks came up from divisional reserve on the evening of 4^th May and by 10 pm had relieved the worn-out attacking troops in the British lines. The War Diary records no further attempts to improve the position of the front line and push it further east and the Suffolks stayed for the next six days manning and maintaining the trenches that had been damaged by shell-fire…..the War Diary again stating that shell fire was “sometimes continuous becoming a heavy barrage”³

• 14^th-18^th Jun. Defence of Hinges Ridge. The 3^rd Division defended the advance of the Germans about Locon (5 km north of Bethune) Casualties were heavy and over the period 76 men were killed in this action.⁷
• 26^th -.27^th Sept. The Battle of Polygon Wood. The main thrust of the attack this day was from the Australians towards Polygon Wood the 3rd Division was north of this attacking Zonnebeke. In this action on the two days, the 2^nd Suffolks suffered heavy casualties having 65 men killed.⁷  See a map of this attack

1918

• 21^st Mar. On the morning of 21^st March 1918, the Germans launched their great offensive, the Kaiserschlacht –“the Kaiser’s Battle” – when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak divisions of the British 3^rd and
  5^th Armies on the Western Front towards Peronne and eastwards to Amiens.
• 27^th-28^th Mar. Wancourt (First Battle of Arras ).

  

  2/Suffolk moved into the line on 27^th but took no casualties. On Day 8 of the battle, 28^th March, General Ludendorff launched Operation Mars to try to widen the breach in the allied lines and punch through and take the vital town of Arras. Defending the front line overlooking the village of Wancourt to the southeast of Arras was the 2^nd Suffolks who would face the full force of the attack which commenced with a violent bombardment at 3 am. In the morning light, the Germans were seen advancing along the line of the Rivers Cojeul and Scarpe – “the ground was thick with field grey uniforms” and despite a heroic stand the front two companies of the Battalion were outflanked, surrounded and forced to surrender. Soldiers Died Great War (SDGW) records 63 Other Ranks were killed in action. This is the most likely time for Victor’s reported wounding.³  

• 11^th  June.
  The  Weekly Casualty List (War Office & Air Ministry ) reported Victor wounded on this date and given the delay in this kind of casualty report likely it was at Arras in March 1918.  Victor may not due to his wounding taking place in any more action of the war but for completeness, the battalion actions are continued for 1918.
• 30^th Sept. Attack on Rumilly-En-Cambresis.(south of Cambrai)The Bn. moved up into trenches between Ribecourt and Marcoing in readiness for the attack on Rumilly on the following morning. The 2^nd Suffolks were on the left of the 76^th Brigade attack which was only partially successful. The front and support trenches were strongly held by the enemy with machine-guns. However, over 300 prisoners were taken and many Germans killed. The left Company of the Suffolks had heavy casualties from front and flank machine-gun fire and had lost the barrage. The right Company, shielded by the contours of the ground, was able to drive through the village to a trench beyond. They killed and captured many more enemies. Casualties suffered: about 180, including 1 Officer killed and 3 wounded. CWGC records show 46 men killed this day.³ 
• 8^th Oct. Tank supported the action. The Tank Corps  “C” Company was to support 2^nd and 3^rd Divisions. Specifically to cross the front line at Zero + 30 mins and mop up any machine guns missed by the 9^th and 99^th brigades in the dark; then, if needed, help establish the infantry on the final objective across the Cambrai – Esnes Road. CWGC records 19 men killed on this date.⁷ 

While 2^nd Suffolks certainly were in the final action of the war they suffered no great one day losses from Oct 8-10 onwards.

At the Armistice, the Division was in reserve near Bavai. Afterwards, it was selected to advance into Germany and form part of the Occupation Force.

Sources

1. Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_Regiment
2. The Great War Forum http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com
3. WFA Suffolk Branch Briefing, May 2012
4. The Long, Long Trail The British Army in the Great War, 1914-1918. -The actions of Spring 1916
5. British Battalions on the Somme: Battles & Engagements…. by Ray Westlake.
6. The Friends of the Suffolk Regiment
7. CWGC records from www.hut-six.co.uk
8. Movements of the 3rd Division

1920

• Discharged.

Medals

1921-22 Malabar clasp.

Entitled to the Silver War badge as wounded in 1918.

After the War

1919 Marriage

1932- 1939 London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 about Victor George Blinco.

County or Borough: Hackney then Islington.

Death 28 Jan 1965 age 69 years

Probate Date: 19 Mar 1965.

Death Date: 28 Jan 1965, Death Place: Cambridgeshire, England, Registry: Peterborough.

” Blincoe Victor George of 69 Jenyns Close, Bottisham, Cambs died 28 Jan 1965 at the British Legion Club Bottisham. Administration Peterborough 19 March to Ruth Blincoe BP375″.

Gallery

 

There are 25 records in the National Archives for this man. For copyright reasons, they cannot be re-published.