Blincow Joseph 1879 – Blencowe Family in World War One

Joseph Blincow [4050]

1879-1950

Father Nm: Thomas [158] born 1851 Long Buckby –. BIRTH ABT 1851 • Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, England. DEATH Unknown: Oldest known Ancestor –

Mother Nm: Anne Astle 1853-1936. Abt.1853 • Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. JAN 1936 • Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Marriage Dt: July 1915 Derby to widow Millicent Wright (Hudson).

K comments:

WW1 Brother Arthur served from 1908 and through WW1 with the Grenadier Guards.

WW2. Nephew Arthur Douglas served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry and then the Royal Armoured Corps. Son Joseph Leonard was a skilled munitions maker.

Spouse comments: Millicent Hudson (Wright) 1877–1934. BIRTH ABT 1877 • Shirley, Derbyshire, England. DEATH JAN 1934 • Derby, Derbyshire, England

Children: Joseph Leonard 1908 , note 5 adopted children of Millicent Wright.

(Research): GR[B] Burton March 1879.

1881 Census 230 Dallow St, Burton

Thomas Blincow 30
Hannah Blincow 28
James Blincow 3
Joseph Blincow 2
George Draper 27

1891 Census with widowed Mother, Stapenhill St Peter

Anne Blincow 48
Joseph Blincow 22
Jane Blincow 17
Arthur J Blincow 24
Arthur Blincow 11

1901 Census

Anne Blincow 48
Joseph Blincow 22
Jane Blincow 17
Arthur J Blincow 24
Arthur Blincow 11

1911 Census27 Peach Street Derby

Joseph Head Paper Stainer M 1879 Burton 32
Joseph Leonard Son M 1909 Derby 2
Millicent Wife F 1877 Therley, Derbyshire 34

WW1

Blincow Joseph, 1879, Burton, Private, 16828, 4^th Bn. (Pioneers), 2^nd Bn. Coldstream Guards.

Synopsis

Joseph quickly joined the Pioneer battalion of the Coldstream Guards on arriving in France. Probably because of his age he was considered for the lighter combat role of making/repairing roads, bridges, trenches etc. The 4^th Battalion Pioneers had a very long war including the occupation of Germany in early 1919, however, casualties were relatively light some 97 were killed between 1^st Jan 1917 and the Armistice in November 1918. It seems that by early 1919 Joseph was after many years with the Army tired of the discipline and found himself 14 days in prison for insubordination. Right after this sentence was served he was transferred to the 2^nd Battalion and shipped home for a well-deserved discharge.

1915

July. Marriage to widow Millicent Wright (Hudson). and adopted 7 of her children.
28^th Aug. Enlisted into the 5^th Bn. Coldstream Guards, Occupation Labourer, Address 105 Ashbourne Rd, Derby. Trained at Caterham.

1916

12^th Jul. Joined 4^th Bn. (Pioneers) , 31^st Division. The 4^th Bn. was a Divisional Pioneer battalion ie they were responsible for removing obstacles, construction etc. but they also evolved into assault troops in times of need.
26^th Aug. Posted to France. Joseph’s posting to France coincided with the formation of a Guards Division which included the battalions of the Coldstream Guards.
15^th-22^nd Sept. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette*¹
Positions on the 15th September 1916
The Guards Div. positioned in the front lines about Ginchy. At dawn, the Guards went over the parapet and advanced on their objectives. The battle developed into a series of firefights with little progress as the Germans fought hard to hold the line. The Guards battalions came under heavy machine-gun fire losing the majority of their Officers, never the less they rushed forward with a bayonet charge and at 7:15 am captured the first objective. The Guards were then instructed to hold their ground so that fresh troops could resume the attack on the 16th of Sept.
25^th-28^th Sept.The Battle of Morval, in which the Division captured Lesboeufs*¹

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

Dec. The Guards Div. moved to Sailly-Saillisel and was part of the IX French corps. “The 4th Battalion (Pioneers) were employed on the roads and communications near the front line. The enemy appeared to show less activity than usual…..In the month of December however, losses of the Regiment were not inconsiderable and amounted to 210 all ranks.”²

Guards Division

This Guards Division has the unusual distinction of being formed in France in August 1915. The various Guards units that had been with other divisions were withdrawn to be brought together to create this fine formation. It remained on the Western Front throughout the rest of the war and was engaged in the operations listed below.

1917

Jan. The Guards Division was brought back into British Reserves to Corbie for a few days at the beginning of the month. On the 11th Jan resumed positions around Sailly Saillisel.²
14^th May. Moved to the Front line.
On the map of the June 1917 attack the movements of the 4th Bn.

The 4^th Bn. were required to help in the preparations for the attack on Messines Ridge. The Bn. left the Somme area before the Division and were taken by train to Bailleul on the 14th of May. The next day they marched to Locre and were employed near Wulverghem and Kemmel close to the front until 6^th June when they rejoined the Division.² Deaths (as per CWGC database) during the month of June for the battalion we 22.
Jul. The 4^th Bn. were employed during July at Boesinghe and neighbourhood preparing for the great push that was to take place it was a “hot corner” and a good deal of the work had to take place at night. The Bn suffered from heavy bombardment including mustard gas shells.²Deaths (as per CWGC database) during the month of July for the battalion we 12.
- 27^th Jul. The 4^th Bn. assisted the Royal Engineers to build and maintain bridges for a raid over the Yser Canal prior to the main battle of Passchendaele. Over the 5 days of action the Bn. lost 5 casualties.²
1^st-7^th Aug. Battle of Passchendaele. Continuing to keep roads and bridges open during the combat the 4^th Bn suffered 49 casualties in this period with 7 killed.²
10^th Oct. Battle of Passchendaele.The 4^th Bn. were occupied during the combat engagement and after it, in making the roads serviceable behind the line which had been gained up to and beyond Broenbek.^²
First Battle of Passchendaele. Guardsmen, including men of the 4th Battalion, Coldstream Guards, with a telescope and Lewis Gun resting on a wooden post about to open fire on a German Aeroplane 12th Oct 1917

The battles marked ** are phases of the Third Battle of Ypres

4^th -21^st Nov. Joseph was granted two periods of 7 days as home leave probably because his stay at the front was very long.

1918

27^th Sept.-2^nd Oct. The Battle of Canal Nord. The Canal du Nord defensive system was the German’s last major prepared defensive position opposite the British First Army. The Guards objectives were to capture the high ground above Premy Chapel and cross the unfinished Canal Nord. The 4^th Bn. were engaged during the 27th on the approach to the Canal and in helping to throw bridges over it. They capture 25 prisoners found in dugouts on the eastern bank.^²
19^th Oct. St Hilaire. The 4^th Bn. assisted the Royal Engineers’s making portable bridges with floats from petrol cans to span the river in preparation for the attack of the 20^th. Oct.^²
5^th-19^th Nov. Leave to England
28^th Nov. New rank of Guardsman created and Joseph is made one.

1919

Jan. Records show based in Cologne Germany in Jan. 1919, part of the Army of Occupation.
4^th Jan. Cologne. Sentenced to 14 days incarceration due to insubordination on the parade ground.
18^thFeb. Transferred to 2^nd Bn. Coldstream Guards.
26^thFeb. Joseph and his Bn. Embarks from Dunkirk for England
21^st Mar. Discharged

Sources

1. 4^th Battalion Coldstream Guards War Diary extracts for Sept.1916 and 1918.

Coldstream Guards 1914-18 by Lieut. Colonel.Sir John Ross.

Medals

British and Victory medals.

After the War

1921 Census

105, Ashbourne Road, Derby, Derbyshire
Joseph Blincow Head Male 1879 42 Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, England Labourer Rolls Royce Motor Car Manufacturer
Millicent Blincow Wife Female 1877 44 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England – –
Charles Hudson Brother-in-law Male 1875 46 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Labourer Mr Rs Carriage & Wagon
James William Wright Step-son Male 1897 24 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Labourer Mr Rs Carriage & Wagon
Charles George Wright Step-son Male 1899 22 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Labourer Mr Rs Carriage & Wagon
Francis Alfred Wright Step-son Male 1900 21 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Labourer Mr Rs Carriage & Wagon
Olive Emmie Wright Step-daughter Female 1901 20 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Cable Worker Mackintosh Cable Co
Albert Ernest Wright Step-son Male 1903 18 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Painter M R F Carriage & Wagon
Doris Millicent Wright Step-daughter Female 1906 15 Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England Cable Worker Mackintosh Cable Co
Reginald Wright Step-son Male 1906 15 Derbyshire, England

Death 1950 age 71 years.

GR[D] Derby vol 3a p278 June 1950.

Gallery

There are 10 records in the National Archives for this man. For copyright reasons, they cannot be re-published.

9193719969_437f118ddc_o — Grenadier in dress uniform

Coldstream Guards 1915 France — The Regiment suffered heavily throughout the War. On October 29, 1914 at Gheluvelt, for example, the 1st Battalion suffered such causalities that it had no officers left and only 80 men. Four days later, after reinforcement, it had once more been reduced to no officers and only 120 men.
The Regiment took part in many of the War’s most significant engagements, including the Retreat from Mons, the battles at Marne, Aisne and Ypres during 1914 – 15 and those at Loos, the Somme, Ginchy and the 3rd Battle of Ypres in the War’s latter stages.
The men of the Guards Brigade had always been called ”Privates” but on November 22, 1918, the King granted them the title of ”Guardsmen.…as a mark of His Majesty’s appreciation and pride of the splendid services rendered by the Brigade of Guards during the War.”
The soldiers in the photograph above are members of the 4th Battalion Coldstreamers, which was a Pioneer unit. Not only were Pioneers fighting men, but it was also their role to provide labour. Here in this photograph, I think they might be building a road. At any rate, for some reason, they appear to be moving quantities of earth.

Untitled image — Grenadier Guards Pioneers road making.
On 8th February 1918: Joseph transferred to the 4th Guards Brigade, 31st Division. The 4th Bn was a Divisional Pioneer battalion ie they were responsible for removing obstacles, construction etc. but they also evolved into assault troops in times of need.
copyright IWM

Sergeant Wall, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, in a communication trench, near Rue Petillon, near Fleurbaix, December 1914.
copyright IWM

4th Bn Grenadiers Guards at Poelkapelle — Battle of Poelcappelle, 9 October 1917: Four men of the 4th Battalion the Coldstream Guards perched on a wrecked gun outside a German concrete blockhouse on the outskirts of Houthulst Forest.
Image Q6046 copyright of the Imperial War Museum