Blincowe Frederick W 1890 MC

Frederick William Blincowe MC [4323]

1890-1970

Father Nm: Frederick Blincow [893] 1867 died 1895 Banbury: Oldest known ancestor – John Blinco 1660 Whilton.

Mother Nm: Elizabeth Berridge [6197] born 1857 Grimston Leics

Marriage Dt:1921 Banbury.

K comments:

Spouse Comments: Ethel Beatrice Claridge.

Children: Gerald Frederick 1926, David 1932.

(Research):GR[B] Banbury June 1890 1891 Census* FAHB GR[D] Banbury vol 6b p 2154

Sept 1970.

1891 Census 112 Merton St. Warkworth, Banbury

1. Frederick Blencowe 24 Railway Clerk
2. Elizabeth Blencowe 34
3. Frederick W Blencowe 1
4. Linda A Berridge 15
5. Maud M Berridge 7

1901 Census 39 Castle St Neithrop

1. Elizabeth Blencowe 45 Widow
2. Maud M Berridge 18
3. Frederick W Blencowe 11
4. Alice E Blencowe 9
5. James J Price 27
6. James Stanley 22
7. Samuel B Tonge 24

1911 Census 1 Merton Street Grimsbury Banbury

1. With Mother and Sister
2. Blincowe Elizabeth F 1856 55
3. Blincowe Frederick William M 1890 21 Law Clerk
4. Blincowe Alice Ethel F 1892 19

1911

• Amateur Football player with Northern league team Bishop Auckland who won the league that year.

  

The Rifle Brigade	East Surrey Regiment

WW1

Blincowe Frederick William, 1890, Grimsbury, Northants, Sergeant, 2nd Lieutenant, P/4006, 17^th (Reserve) Bn. Rifle Brigade, 8^th Bn. East Surrey Regiment

The P Prefix to his  Army serial number indicates Rifle Brigade, 16^th (Service) Battalion (St Pancras) and the 17^th (Reserve) Battalion which was a reserve battalion for the 16^th.

Synopsis

Fred was one of those people who excelled in practically everything they turned their hand to a good student and excellent sportsman and practising lawyer by 1914, whose war deeds make him the most recognised of the Blencowe family in WW1. After the war, he became a local Business leader and Town Councillor in his hometown of Banbury. In the war, Fred was only on the Western Front line for a few months, but the year was 1918 and he certainly made his mark. In September and October, Fred and his battalion took a very active part as the Allies thrust towards the Hindenburg Line and across the Selle River to eventual victory. His Military Cross recognised him officially for his deeds and he could have taken a back seat when the Second World War came around but again served the community as Captain of Banbury’s Home Guard.

1915-1916

Frederick likely joined the 17^th (Reserve) Bn. in 1915-16. In any event as a reserve, he would have been home-based and probably still working as a Law Clerk/Solicitor.

17^th (Reserve) Battalion

Formed at Charrington Hall in October 1915 from depot companies of 16^th Bn. Moved to Banbury in January 1916, then to Wimbledon in April. 1^st Sept. 1916 the 17^th was converted into 112^th Training Reserve Battalion of 26^th Reserve Brigade at Wimbledon.

1918

• 17^th Apr. Completed Officer cadet school and was discharged to 4^thReserve Bn. Coy ‘C’ East Surrey Regt.
• 16^th Aug. Posted to the 8^th East Surreys.⁴
• 21^stAug. Frederick landed in France to join the 8^th Bn. East Surreys and within days was along with the rest of the 18^th Division involved in the Second Battle of Bapaume 31^stAug. – 3^rdSept.1918.
• 1^st-4^th Sept. Attack on Priez Farm and St Pierre Vaast Wood.

  

  On this day the 8^th E. Surreys was to attack to the south of the village of Combles.

  

  Advancing along the southern side of the ridge running from Le Priez Farm to Rancourt, the Battalion was then to seize the line of the Peronne-Bapaume road on a frontage of 900 yards from the northern end of Rancourt.²

The attack, which proved to be one of the most successful in the Battalion’s history, companies were allotted the following task. ‘A’ Company were ordered to seize Le Priez Farm, which lies halfway between Combles and Rancourt and consolidate the ridge on which it stood. ‘C’ Company, avoiding as far as possible the fighting around the farm, was to work its way along the south of that position and seize the spur running north and south on the eastern side of the Combles-Sailly-Saillisel valley. ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies were then to pass through ‘C’ Company and seize the western edge of St. Pierre Vaast Wood, 400 yards northeast of Rancourt…………²

• “B” and “C” Coys. went through to the final objectives, meeting with considerable resistance around Rancourt and the trenches to the north of it. Officers and NCOs of these companies displayed great initiative in attacking isolated machine guns and pockets of the enemy, and finally reached their objectives on time and consolidated there, getting in touch with the 15th London Regt. on the right. During the advance, Captain Macan, commanding ” B” Coy., was mortally wounded in the stomach, and died at C.C.S. the next day. ……….When he became a casualty 2/Lieut. F.W. Blincowe took over the command of the Company, under the supervision of Lieut. Todd who assumed general control of the front line……It is difficult to estimate the number of prisoners taken by the Bn. as many of them were diverted on the way down for stretcher bearer work or to the 47^th Division cage, but the estimated captures are:-300 prisoners,1 77MM gun,10 Machine Guns,1 Motor Ambulance. Casualties during the entire operation were as follows:- 1 Officer killed, I Officer died of wounds, 3 Officers wounded, 10 ORs killed, 4 ORs died of wounds and 75 were wounded for a total of 97……………………. At 9 am on the 3^rd, it was reported the enemy was retiring very rapidly……..

• Between the 1^st and 4^th of September, the 8^th E. Surreys lost 25 men KIA. War Diary report here.
• 20^th Sept. An attack on the Hindenburg Line outposts.

  

  The Battalion overran the enemy and captured 3 Machine Gun Posts at Quenchettes only to be bombarded with Gas and High Explosives by the enemy Artillery. On the 21^st Sept., this continued as the Bn. retrenched further back in the line. Only 3 casualties occurred though from this action.

• 22^nd Sept.War diary entry 2^nd/Lieut. F. W. Blincowe takes over command of ‘B’ Company
• 24^th Sept. C deployed to Macquincourt Trench but after one day they were relieved and went to the Leuze Wood area for a rest.
• 1^st Oct -19^th Oct. After a period of rest in Oct. the Bn. travelled to Elincourt and onto Maurois on 19^th Oct 1918.
• 22^nd-27^th Oct. The Battle of the Selle. Operations around Bousies and Robersart.

  

  • The Bn. advance between the 22^nd and 23^rd Oct. suffering 85 casualties on their way. The CWGC record confirms 17 men KIA this day.
  • 25^th Oct. More attacks were attempted by ‘B’ and ‘D’ Coy’s one platoon led by 2^nd/Lieut. Stanley, all men were casualties and 2^nd/Lieut. Stanley killed. The CWGC record confirms 25 men KIA this day.
  • 27^th Oct. the Bn. was relieved at the front. The 8^th East Surreys. lost 53 men KIA in this battle. War diary report click here.
• 1^st -11^th Nov. The last few days of the war were spent in Billets in Pommereuil, on the signing of the Armistice the Bn. marched the 20 km back to Elincourt to parade and generally enjoy the celebrations by the people of that town.
• 4^th Dec. while still at Elincourt the Brigades were visited and inspected by King George V. During Dec. the Bn. moved to nearby Malincourt to billet and then onto Troisvilles by 18^th Jan 1918 to better billets.

1919

• 18^th Feb. Fred demobilised 18^th Feb 1919 while on leave.⁴

Sources

1. War diaries of the 8th Bn. East Surrey Regt.
2. The History of the East Surrey Regiment Vol. III (1917-1919) by Col. H. W. Pearce, D.S.O. & Brig-Gen., H. S. Soloman, C.M.G., D.S.O..
3. Linda Kinge, Senior Library Assistant, Banbury Library.

4. Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls, 1914-1947.

Military Cross Citation

Supplement To The Edinburgh Gazette, February 5, 1919. 659.

T./2nd Lt. Frederick William Blincowe.

Attached. E. Surr. R. (8th Bn.). For conspicuous gallantry and initiative near Rancourt on 1st September 1918. He commanded a company in the advance which, owing to no troops attacking his left, exposed that flank to sniping and enfilade fire. He overcame the difficulty by detailing Lewis’s guns to sweep the ground, reaching his objective up to time and re-organising. After this battle, Frederick was confirmed as ‘B’ Coy commander. Strangely the War diary does not refer to his award of the Military Cross and only in mentioning his demobilisation does the war Diary acknowledge his M.C.

Medals

Awarded the Military Cross and the British War and Victory medals.

War Medals were applied for 29 Nov 1921 and received 6 Jan 1922 at home address 1 St Leonards View, Banbury.

After the War

Resumed role as a Law Clerk or Solicitor and was eventually given a partnership in the Law firm Fairfax Barfield & Blincowe by 1960.

1927-1946

Banbury Town Councillor 19 years, Alderman 3 years and 1 year Mayor 1940/41. At this time Fred was on the same council as fellow war hero James Aubrey Blencowe see Banbury Advertiser from 1941.

1939

	FIRST NAME(S)	LAST NAME(S)	DOB	SEX	OCCUPATION	MARITAL STATUS
	Frederick W	Blincowe	16 Mar 1890	Male	Solicitor	Married
	Ethel B	Blincowe	25 Jul 1897	Female	Unpaid Domestic Duties	Married
	Gerald F	Blincowe	16 Jun 1926	Male	At School	Single
	David	Blincowe	28 May 1932	Male	At School	Single

Name: Frederick William Blincowe, Street Address: 44 Bloxham Rd.

Publication Title: 1939 Kelly’s Directory, County: Oxfordshire.

Occupation: Wm. Solctr. & Commissioner for oaths.

Firm Fairfax, Barfield & co 29 Bridge St. Banbury.

WW2 1939-1945

• 1st Feb. 1941. Captain of Banbury Home Guard and also served with one of Banbury’s Air Training Corps Cadets.

1943

• Evidence of the musical skills of both Fred and Ethel Blincowe

  

1960

Solicitor’s firm to become Fairfax, Barfield & Blincowe at 29 Bridge St. Banbury and 1970 at Linden house, the Cross Banbury.

Solicitor, and “Bridgemaster”.

Banbury 1949 – 1952.

Directorships

Director of Rugby and Warwick Building Society, Local Director Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company.

Death 1970 age 80 years

Banbury vol 6b p 2154.

GALLERY

Note: there are 13 records that exist for this man that are not shown in the Gallery for copyright reasons.