Blincow Allen H 1896

Allen Hodges Blincow  [2257]

1896-1973

Father Nm: John Thomas Blincow [3338] born 20.2.1869 23 Coomfield Tipton -1938.

Mother Nm: Elizabeth Ann Hodges [10878] 1869 Tipton Staffs-1908.

Marriage Dt:28 Dec 1923 Margaret Elizabeth Scott, Eastern Cadder Scotland.

K comments:

Son John Thomas served in WW2 as  Lieutenant HLI and was wounded. Nephew Harold was serving with Merchant Navy when sunk and died at sea in 1941. Son James Scott served with the RAF post WW2.

Spouse comments: Margaret Elizabeth Scott.

Children: John Thomas Blincow 1925–2005, James Scott Blincow 1932–1990, One other

 

1901 Census Gartcosh 5 Mckean Place Scotland

1. John G Blincow 32
2. Elisebeth Blincow 28
3. Louisa Blincow 7
4. Gertrude Blincow 6
5. Allen H Blincow 4
6. Francis Blincow 2

London (Scottish) Regiment	Labour Corps	Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

WW1

Blincow Allen Hodges Private 8195, 514019, 47281 14^th London (Scottish) Rifles Regiment, 889 Coy. Labour Corps, 13^th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Synopsis

Allen volunteered for service but didn’t go to France until later. Allen was wounded in the war we know this because of two reports; his Niece believes he lost a leg¹ and a casualty report published 08 October 1918 in the
Weekly Casualty List (War Office & Air Ministry ). The timing of these reports seems to be delayed by several months so early to mid-1918 is most likely. It’s likely though that Allen was with the14^th Bn. London Scottish Rifles when he was injured.

1914

• 30^th Mar. Volunteered as a Territorial Force soldier with 14^th Bn. London Scottish. He may not have signed the Imperial Service Obligation in which TF men agreed to serve overseas. (This was cancelled with the introduction of conscription when all TF men became eligible for service abroad). That would explain the gap between enlisting and going to France in 1916.

Note the Labour Corps number was allocated between Oct. 1917 and Feb. 1918.

1916

The year Allen likely was sent to Western Front the 14^th Bn. London Regiment was part of the 168^th Brigade, 56^th London Division which was reformed that year and took part in these battles.

• 1^st Jul. Attack on the Gommecourt Salient. The 14^th London Regt. part of the 56^th Div. used to strike Gommecourt along with the 46^th North Midland Div. Allen’s 168^th Brigade was on the front line and led the attack with the 169^th his 1/14^th Bn. in action with the assault on German trenches E of Hebuterne And 250 Yds N Of Sunken Road, Hebuterne – Puisieux. Forced to retire at the end of the days fighting with devastating casualties 14 Officers and 575 men.
  • • On the right, the London Scottish advanced under the effective cover of the smoke barrage and occupied Farm, Fall and Fate as far north as the Bucquoy Road.²

 

• 10^th Jul. The 168^th Bde. returned to the trenches at Hebuterne, relieving the 167^th Bde. The 168^th front was occupied by the 1/14^th Bn in the right subsector and the Kensington’s on the left.
• 17^th Jul. The Bn. relieved by the 1/4^th Londoners.
• 9^th Sept. Battle of Ginchy. The 1/14^th Bn in the front line at Leuze. The assault in the south by the 56^th Division and the 16^th Div. reached Bouleaux Wood but the attack in the centre was repulsed. Ginchy was captured by the 16^th Div. and several German counter-attacks were defeated.
• 15^th – 22^nd Sept. Battle of Flers-Courcelette, including the capture of Martinpuich.
• 25^th – 28^th Sept. Battle of Morval, including the capture of Combles, Lesboeufs and Gueudecourt.
• 1^st – 18^th Oct. Battle of Le Transloy, including the capture of Eaucourt l’Abbaye, Le Sars and the attacks on Butte de Warlencourt.

The map below shows the area between Guedecourt and Le Transloy. The Rainbow and Spectrum trenches are facing the German trench (red)

Wounded at Le Transloy?

Comments of his niece below are relevant.

Given the level of casualties his battalion suffered in this attack, it’s a strong possibility Allen suffered his wounding in early October. The appendix of the war diary for October lists 86 wounded and 12 missing and this is considerably higher than November’s totals of 7 wounded. The Battalion is out of the field in December. Furthermore for Allen to get treatment (that eventually resulted in an amputation apparently then he would have been 6 months at least in Gt Britain receiving treatment and convalescence before being assigned to the Labour Corps

1917

• Unknown whereabouts probably in hospital, and convalescence places.
• October . About this time Allen was transferred to the Labour Corps a likely place to send a man wounded for lighter duties.
• Later in the war transferred to the  13^th Garrison Bn. of the Inniskillings also for lighter none combat duties. 

1918

Discharged from the 13^th Inniskilling Fusiliers which was a Garrison Battalion 19^th Nov 1918 unfit to serve reasons wounds, honourably discharged and Silver War badge awarded.

Sources

1. From Jeanette Blincow Roper “Thank you for the information, Roger. Yes,  John Henry Blincow and his family moved to Gartcosh and also his brother, my grandfather, John Thomas Blincow whose father was John Blincow who married Mary Ann Hunt. Their brother Charles Blincow also moved to Gartcosh all from Tipton, Staffordshire. They went there to work at the Iron and Steelworks in Gartcosh. My brother Kent Blincow was married to a McKenzie. My dad’s brother, Allen Hodges Blincow was wounded in WW1 and lost a leg. He was awarded a medal.”
2. The war history of the 14^th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), by Captain F. Clive Grimwade.

Medals

British and Victory medals plus the Silver War badge awarded.

The medal card shows overseas service but from 1915 onwards ie No Star medal but British and Victory medals won with the 14th London Scottish.

The medal card shows that the medals were returned in 1922 as they had the incorrect initials and looking closely can see a letter erased. They were returned to Allen in 1923 adjusted correctly.

Wounded at least one Allen was entitled to wear wound stripe on his dress uniform as shown.

GALLERY

Note: there are 3 records that exist for this man that is not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.