44531 PTE. S. BLINCOW. SUFF. R - wounded Battle of Canal du Nord, 27 September 1918
Sidney Blincow was a sheet iron worker from Tipton in Staffordshire. Born in 1899, he attested his willingness to serve aged 17 years 362 days at Tipton on 3 March 1917.
He was probably mobilised on or around 26 April 1918, shortly after turning 19. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Alice Blincow and his physical development was noted as 'good'. Having been seen by the recruiting medical board at Wolverhampton, on 27 April 1918 he was posted to the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. His regimental number at this time is not known.
After a period of training and conditioning, including dental treatment (one filling) on 25 May, on 3 September 1918 he was posted from the 5th Battalion at Sutton-on-Sea to the BEF. He travelled via Dover to Calais, disembarking in France on 4 September 1918.
Pte Blincow was posted to 1/5th South Staffordshires for records purposes, then at 'K' Infantry Base Depot on 6 September 1918 was compulsorily transferred to the 2nd Suffolk Regiment (then part of 76th Brigade, 3rd Division) and given the new regimental number 44531.
It is not recorded when he joined the battalion in the field but based upon his date of entry into theatre, it would have been some time after the battalion's costly but successful attack on Gomiecourt on 23 August, and possibly as a replacement for one of the battalion's casualties in this attack.
"The village [Gomiecourt] was at the apex of a deep salient in the German front line. The defensive ring of fortifications that the Germans had placed around the village, showed that they valued its commanding position high up on a cup-shaped valley, from where they could see for a considerable distance back into the Allied lines behind the railway line.
The position was considered by some to be impregnable, but as the Suffolks came close to the fortifications, the Germans, seeing that the situation was hopeless, started to turn and run, but not before some held on to the bitter end; keeping their forward machineguns firing against their attackers." (Source: https://www.friendsofthesuffolkregiment.org/operation-legacy/previous/3#)
It is likely that Pte Blincow joined 'Y' Company, which had been one of the rear companies in that day's attack.
He suffered a penetrating wound to the left shoulder on 27 September 1918, during the battle of the Canal du Nord. Having crossed the dry Canal du Nord before zero hour, his injury would have been incurred during his battalion's subsequent attack on Ribecourt and Flesquiéres. This involved passing through the 8th Brigade, who had spearheaded the attack in this sector, to take Flesquiéres with the 1st Gordon Highlanders, whilst 'Y' Company helped the Royal Fusiliers and 8th King's Own Royal Lancasters take the Brown Line south of Ribecourt.
Major Denys Reitz, then second-in-command of the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, traversed some of this ground after the battle and in 'The Great War - I Was There' commented "...I bore away towards Flesquiéres by way of the numerous rear trenches of the Hindenburg system. These had all been taken by the successive assaulting columns and each trench was occupied by the men who had taken it. Everywhere lay hundreds of khaki-clad and field grey dead, and everywhere improvised dressing-stations were dealing with the wounded."
Pte Blincow was admitted to 57th (?)* Casualty Clearing Station the following day and then from 5th General Hospital transferred home on 1 October 1918 via the Hospital Ship Guildford Castle. He subsequently appeared on the War Office daily List for 5 November 1918.
*at that time at Mingoval, close to Aubigny and 12 miles southwest of Arras
After a period at Western General Hospital and a week's furlough, he was subsequently posted to 3rd Suffolks, with effect from 31 October. His Army Form W.3016 notes that he had previously been on the strength of Y Company, 2nd Suffolks.
Having been hospitalised with influenza from 4 January 1919, he was discharged to Cambridge hospital, Aldershot for dispersal on 24 January 1919. His Soldier's Protection Certificate was issued at Clipstone on the same day. His address on discharge was 33 Bradley Lane, Coseley, near Bilton, Staffordshire and his medical category was given as A1.
For his service, he was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
