Blinko Roland G 1886-1917 – Blencowe Family in World War One

Roland George Blinko [4209]

Died of Wounds and Illness 6 Jan 1917

1886-1917

Father Nm: John Roland Blinko [310] born Dec Q 1861 Witney -1932: Oldest known ancestor – Thomas Blinko 1835 Camden Warwicks.

Mother Nm: Emma Large 1864.

Marriage Dt:19 Apr 1916 to Annie Christina Manson

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXI, Issue 16604, 27 April 1916, Page 4
Blinko-Manson-At Wanganui on April 19, Roland G. Blinko only son of Mr. R. G. Blinko, Staffordshire England to Annie C. Manson, daughter of Mr. N-.Peter Manson, of St. John’s Hill and late of Kai Iwi.

K comments: Uncle Alexander Blinko (1870-1913) served 12 years with the Royal Artillery and took part in the South African War

Spouse comments: Annie Christina Manson 1890-1923.

Children:
(Research): GR[B] Birmingham June 1886.

1901 Census 10 Victoria Terrace Goode St Birmingham Warwickshire

Roland with Mother in Birmingham. Father in Penzance,31 Mount St Penzance Cornwall.

Blinko Roland Boarder Great Western Railway Servant M 1862 Fulbrook Oxon 39
Blinko Emma Head Dressmaker on own account F 1864 Barford Oxon 37
Blinko Roland Son Metal Warehouse Boy M 1887 Birmingham 14

1911 Census 36 Goode St Hockley Birmingham

Blinko Emma Wife F 1864 Fulbrook 47
Blinko Roland Head Railway Servant Checker M 1862 Burford 49
Blinko Roland George Son Cabinet Maker M 1887 Birmingham 24

Emigrated to New Zealand

Sometime before 1912 (Cricket records record him playing then in NZ)
In New Zealand became a first-class cricketer

rg-blinko — Roland’s cricket career covered in the NZ Cricket Museum web site

From NZ Cricket archive;
Full name: Roland George Blinko
Born: 1st May 1886, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Died: 6th January 1917, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England
Batting: Left-hand batsman
Teams: Hawke’s Bay (Main FC: 1913/14)
Played against Australian touring team in 1914
18th February 1914 Australia in New Zealand 1913/14
Hawke’s Bay v Australians Nelson Cricket Ground, Hastings

NZ Rifle Brigade

WW1
Blinko Roland George, Lance Corporal, 22757, 13^th NZ Reinforcements 2^ndBn. F. Company, 3^rd Bn. Rifle Brigade C. Coy.

1916

8^th Feb. Enlisted as part of 13^th Reinforcements 2nd Battalion, F Company
28^th May. Roland departed Auckland on 28^th May 1916 on the Troopship Talune. Arriving in England 27^th Jul. 1916
28^th Jul. Taken on strength 5^th Res. Bn.
12^th Aug. Marched out for France
13^th Aug. Marched into base Etaples, France.
20^th Aug. NZ rifle Brigade battalions based at Huppy and in training, the whole division under command of XV Corps of the Fourth Army.
2^nd Sept. Joined C. Coy 3^rd Bn. NZ Rifle Brigade (3/N.Z.R.B).and commenced the move from Huppy to the Somme Battlefield, the various units marching by road and reaching Dernancourt, two miles south of Albert, on the 8^th.¹
9^th Sept. The Brigade having reached Fricourt Camp on the 9^th of September proceeded on the following day and night to take over trenches in the sector held by troops of the 165^th Brigade, 55^th Division, and of the 2^nd Brigade, l^st Division. Roland’s 3/N.Z.R.B. went into Carlton and Check Trenches.
12^th Sept. On the evening of the 12^th the four battalions were relieved respectively by other NZ Battalions of the 2^nd Brigade and went back for a short period of comparative rest, the 1^st and 4^th to Mametz Wood, and the 2nd and 3rd to Fricourt Wood.
14^thSept. Brigade orders were issued for an attack on Flers in connection with a general advance of the line on the following day.
15^th Sept. Wounded attack on Flers. The New Zealand Division had joined the XV Corps, Fourth Army, and in the operations on the 15^th Sept. was to have the 41^st Division on its right and the 47^th Division, on its left, and had four tanks allotted to it. Note this was the first time Tanks had been used in battle in WW1. The third objective, or Blue Line: A line running northwest from the extreme northern point of Flers to Abbey Road, and thence bending back as a flank line to the point where Flers Support crosses the Longueval-Factory Corner Road. The taking of this objective, which was from 900 to 1,000 yards in advance of the Brown Line, involved the capture in the succession of sections of Flers Trench, Flers Support, Fort Trench. Grove Alley, Abbey Road, and a strong-point where Fort Trench joined Abbey Road. The task was allotted to the 2^ndBattalion and the 3^rd Battalion. “On the left, the 3^rd Battalion found trouble at once. The wire in front of Flers Trench was practically intact, and, while held up by this obstacle, the leading companies suffered heavily at the hands of the German machine-gunners and snipers. Repeated efforts were made to break through the barrier.” “Bombing parties of the 3^rd Battalion had also been active, and presently, this section of Flers Trench being taken, the rear waves of the battalion advanced.” The Blue line was held and consolidated.¹
Wounded. Roland’s first and last major action was this attack on Flers which was a successful operation, but he was wounded on its first day 15^th Sept. 1916 sustaining wounds to the face and head.
16^th Sept. Roland admitted No 38 Casualty Clearing Station at Heilly some 23kms west of the battlefield.
Wounded men near Albert 1916 awaiting transport to Casualty Clearing Stations or Hospitals
16^th Sept.Transferred by train to Ablee
20^th Sept. Embarked on SS Aberdonian arrived 21^st Sept. 1916 England
22^nd Sept. Admitted to 2^nd London General Hospital Chelsea.
30^th Oct. 1^st Southern Gen. Hospital Bournbrook. Recorded that Roland was recovering though blind in one eye.
16^th Nov.Transferred to convalescent camp Hornchurch

1917

6^th Jan.
NZ General Hospital No. 2 Walton on Thames 1914-1918

Admitted to NZ General Hospital Walton on Thames, died of Pneumonia and Meningitis.
8^th Jan. Buried Walton on Thames Cemetery.

Source

The Official History Of The New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Author: Lieut.-Col. W. S. Austin, Publication details: L. T. Watkins Ltd., 1924, Wellington.
NZEF Journal Hospital visit 1916 and death notification.

Medals

Awarded British War Medal and Victory Medal

Entitled to British and Victory medals.

plaque-and-scroll — Grimly known as the death penny these plaques were kept by grieving families for many years some still turn up now in the possession of descendants of Blencowe’s.

The Kings scroll and plaque would have been sent to his wife Annie who was living at this time in Walton upon Thames. Sadly Annie died soon after in 1923 in Meridien, Warwickshire age just 33 years.

From NZ Cenotaph records (some information omitted seems to be incorrect)
Full Name; Roland George Blinko, Rank Last Held Rifleman, World War I, 1914-1918, Serial No. 22757
First Known Rank Lance Corporal, Occupation Before Enlistment Cabinetmaker
Next Of Kin Mrs A.C. Blinko (wife), Care Of Mrs N.P. Manson, Saint John’s Hill, Wanganui, New Zealand
Body On Embarkation New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Nominal Roll Number 33, Page On Nominal Roll 29
Last Unit Served New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, 3rd
Place Of Death United Kingdom To France, Date Of Death 6 January 1917, Age At Death 31, Year Of Death 1917
Cause Of Death Died Of Disease, Cemetery Name Walton And Weybridge (Walton-on-Thames) Cemetery, Surrey, England, Grave Reference 407.
Biographical Notes Husband Of Annie Christina Blinko, Of 512, Lyndon Road, Hastings.

Memorials at Walton on Thames, Hastings New Zealand.

The brass plaque at Walton upon Thames Parish Church and the Hastings Town War Memorial permanent memorials to Roland.

Gallery

wedd — Roland’s Marriage to Annie Manson 19 Apr 1916 just a month before embarkation.

Annie Christina (Manson) Kernick, Blinko later in life

Badges RG Blinko — Roland in his embarkation photograph wearing the Cap badge of the 13th Reinforcements of the NZEF.
In combat in Sept when wounded he would have had an issue of the Mk 1 steel helmet, which was ordered: “to be worn at all times in the front lines”.
The Rifle Brigade Shoulder Badge and Brass tunic buttons are shown.

AttestTION — First of the NZ army records for Roland. This is 1916 Attestation at Trentham Base.

Military history 2 — Embarked 8 Feb 1916 as part of 13th Reinforcements 2nd Battalion, F Company
Fathers and Wife’s particulars Annie Christina Manson Marriage 19 April 1916

Army Form B2090 — Army Record of Death at Walton on Thames, England

Talune-28-May-1917-Talune-142-535360 — Roland departed Auckland 28 May 1916 on the Troopship Talune. Arriving in England 27 Jul Roland departed Auckland 28 May 1916 on the Troopship Talune. Arriving in England 27 Jul
Details
Transport: Talune 28 May 1917
Embarkation: Reinforcements
Date of Departure: 28 May 1917
Port of Departure: Auckland, New Zealand
Port of Arrival: Apia, Samoa
Units on Board: Samoan Relief (Reinforcements) [Roll No. 63]
Embarked: 26
Vessel: Talune
Owner: Union Steamship Company of New Zealand Ltd
Gross Tonnage: 2,087

image(1) — Roland wounded on 15 Sep 1916 is reported in most NZ newspapers, this cutting from the Dominion on 20 Sept. 1916

New_Zealand_trench_Flers_September_1916 — New Zealanders in a Trench at Flers 1916.
2nd Battalion, Auckland Regiment, in the Switch Line after the battle.
Source Wikipedia

15 sep 1916 advance on Flers British troops — Roland wounded 16 Sep 1916 near Flers.
Extract from Operation at Flers, 15th September, 1916.
The morning broke in perfect Autumn weather, a slight mist lying in the valleys, the two Battalions of the Second Brigade and the Rifle Brigade were waiting the signal in their assembly trenches. At 6.30 a.m. the engagement opened, the intensive bombardment, and the creeping barrage crashed out from thousands of guns of all calibres. The two New Zealand Battalions advancing in waves passed over the Crest trench without difficulty, later suffering considerable losses from machine guns in the Highwood attained their objective beyond the Switch trench in 30 minutes and on time, but it was not until some hours later that they had completed the clearing out of desperately fighting fragments of the Bavarian Division who still clung to portions of the broken trench line. The Rifle Brigade was now pressing on to the second and third objectives.
…….Before ten o’clock, the 3rd Battalion of the N.Z.R.B. had been held up by uncut wire in front of their sector of the Flers trench and a considerable accumulation of wounded was growing in a position in the rear of the right flank of the Division…….
At 10.30 a.m. tanks came to the rescue of the 3rd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, and with their assistance, our line was able to advance;
Photo: British troops advancing on 15th Sep 1916 towards Flers

Flers Sep 1916 — Map of Flers, and surrounding places and the scene of NZ Rifle Brigade operation 15-16 September 1916.
15th Sept. The New Zealand Division had joined the XV Corps, Fourth Army, and in the operations on the 15th Sept. was to have the 41st Division on its right and the 47th Division, on its left, and had four tanks allotted to it. Note this was the first time Tanks had been used in battle in WW1. The Third Objective, or Blue Line: A line running northwest from the extreme northern point of Flers to Abbey Road, and thence bending back as a flank line to the point where Flers Support crosses the Longueval-Factory Corner Road. The taking of this objective, which was from 900 to 1,000 yards in advance of the Brown Line, involved the capture in succession of sections of Flers Trench, Flers Support, Fort Trench. Grove Alley, Abbey Road, and a strong-point where Fort Trench joined Abbey Road. The task was allotted to the 2nd Battalion and the 3rd Battalion. “On the left, the 3rd Battalion found trouble at once. The wire in front of Flers Trench was practically intact, and, while held up by this obstacle, the leading companies suffered heavily at the hands of the German machine-gunners and snipers. Repeated efforts were made to break through the barrier.” “Bombing parties of the 3rd Battalion had also been active, and presently, this section of Flers Trench being taken, the rear waves of the battalion advanced.” The Blue line was held and consolidated.1
Roland’s first and last major action was this attack on Flers which was successful operation, but he was wounded on its second day 15th Sept. 1916 sustaining wounds to the face and head.

Battle_of_the_Somme_1916_map — Map of the Somme shows the location of Flers the scene of the battle that resulted in Roland’s wounding in Sep 1916.

NZEF journal 30th Oct 1916 — 30th Oct. 1916
1st Southern Gen. Hospital, Bournbrook. Recorded that Roland was recovering though blind in one eye.

Blinko Roland Bournbrook — Bournbrook Hospital Birmingham. Photo Nurses outside the Southern General Hospital, Bournbrook, in 1914 (@birminghammail) @uhbcomms @SWBHnhs”

154107_456996069785_1494410_n — NZ General Hospital # 2 Walton on Thames 1914-1918

waton on Thames NZ gen hosp — 6 Jan 1919. Admitted to NZ General Hospital Walton on tThames died of Pneumonia and meningitis.
MWWI Postcard, the King & Queen Visit the New Zealand Military Hospital Walton on Thames, a historic & rare postcard image,

148374_456996104785_3658779_n — NZ General Hospital # 2 Walton on Thames 1914-1918
Roland died here on 6 Jan 1917

311171_10150297249394786_1231796336_n — A group of patients at NZ general Hospital #2 Walton on Thames sometime during WW1

Memorial panel, Walton-on-Thames churchyard. Image courtesy of Darren Bayley, Walton-on-Thames.org, 2011. — Memorial plaque in Walton-on-Thames Parish Church. Image: Courtesy of Darren Bayley, Walton-on-Thames.org, 2011.
The First World War brought a close association with New Zealand. Altogether 27,000 New Zealanders were nursed during that period at Mount Felix, which had been taken over as a hospital. A brass plaque near the West Door was put up in 1921 recording their stay in Walton and also commemorating seventeen members of the New Zealand forces who died there and were buried in St Mary’s Churchyard. Their memory is also honoured at the annual Civic Service on Anzac Day in the presence of the New Zealand High Commissioner.

image(3) — Roland is remembered at the Hastings Cenotaph and Hastings War Memorial Library

298486_10150297270444786_1259882140_n — Memorial plaque close up in Walton-on-Thames Parish Church. Image: Courtesy of Darren Bayley, Walton-on-Thames.org, 2011.

Honour Role Hastings — One more Hastings memorial the honour roll at Hastings Methodist Church

Clipboard scroll — 1920 the NZ Evening Post reports on a ceremony to honour Roland other comrades at Walton upon Thames Parish Church. Below the enlarged lower portion of Roll.