Evelyn Jill Blencowe (6523)

1916-2019

Father Nm: Sidney Blencowe 1879-1960

Mother Nm: Catherine Gough 1881-1969

Marriage Dt: 27th January 1944 at Caxton Hall Registry Office.

K comments: Husband William 2nd Lt Royal Engineers served in Burma. Father Sidney was a veteran of the Anglo African War.

Spouse comments: William Arthur Dudbridge 1910-2002

(Research): Ancestry

Oldest Known Ancestor:

Children:

Birth

9 Oct 1916 in Temperley, Argentina

Before the War

“Evelyn Jill Blencowe was born in 1916, to Sidney Blencowe and Catherine Gough, the girl he had met at a dance for the Devizes Yeomanry. Returning from the Boer War in 1901, Sidney took a job in Portsmouth and they married in 1904.

Sidney, not content with his dull civil engineering job in England, sought travel and adventure, applying to work on the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway (BAGS). He accepted a 6 months trial before sending for his wife Catherine and young family. It was a 30 year contact with 6 months leave every 5 years.

War was declared while the family was ‘on leave’ in England staying with Catherineís mother (Catherine Gough nee Schneider) in Wiltshire, and Joan was born. After Sidney returned to BA, his wife stayed behind until her baby was weaned. Leaving baby Joan with her grandmother and Dick (Harry) at a boarding school in Devon, it would be 5 years before Catherine would see these children again. Catherine and Betty (7 yrs) boarded the Highland Bray but the ship was captured by a German raider, the passengers taken onto the German vessel and the Highland Bray sunk. The passengers were treated kindly and finally deposited in BA.

Jill was born Temperley, Buenos Aires. Hers was an unusual childhood with her brother in England and her sisters taking turns to spend 5 year stints in England and BA. Dick rejoined the family in BA and being 12 years her senior, was more of a loving father to Jill than Sidney, who was often away on railway business and showed little interest or affection to his children when he was at home. Dick taught his sisters chess, introduced them to stamp collecting and was generally good fun.

Off to England

In 1932, at 15½, Jill travelled by herself on the cargo ship “La Paz” bound for boarding school in England. Much to the admiration of the crew, Jill swam around the whole ship while anchored in the bay of Las Palmas. After a brief stay with her aunt, Jill took herself to Bristol and enrolled at Redland High School.

In 1933 Jill passed her School Certificate. Holidays were spent with Cousin Millie, a spinster Head Mistress in Wiltshire. Jill’s school days effectively came to an end after developing Rheumatic Fever from not being allowed to change out of soaking wet clothes after a hockey game.

1934 saw the family back in Wiltshire, on ‘home leave’. Dick returned to Columbia and Sidney and Catherine returned to BA alone, leaving Jill in England.

Jill got a job as an au pair with a Jewish family in London. It was an intriguing situation. The mother was having an affair with a gentleman in Bournemouth. On an extended visit to her lover, she left Jill to look after her children and her husband. This was an awkward situation so Jill found rather wretched digs in Paddington and started nurses’ training at Dulwich Hospital. That winter, the Rheumatic Fever returned with a vengeance and she was forced to return to Cousin Millie to recuperate. In 1935, when recovered, Jill returned to Argentina.

In 1936, at the completion of the BAGS contract, Sidney and Catherine decided to retire in England returning the long way round seeing as much as they could on the voyage. Thus began the journey of a lifetime! By ship and by land they explored all the sights from Mendoza to Santiago; and Valparaiso to Lima. After passing through the Panama Canal Jill tasted her first Coca-Cola in Panama. After docking at Swansea, ‘The Cedars’ at Beckington, between Frome and Bath became the family home. ^1″

1939-1941

“Father Sidney arranged with BAG’s, a job as Secretary to the Chief Accountant in Buenos Aires so Jill returned to Argentina, submarines or no submarines, in Oct. 1939.

In 1941, Jill joined the Patent Knitting Company with a 50% pay rise and travelling expenses to cover the daily journey of 1¾ hours each way. She could now rent her own small apartment. The Patent Knitting Company manufactured the stockinette bags that covered the meat exported to England.

In 1941 world events escalated, including Britain’s “Darkest Hour.” Women aged between 20 and 30 were included in the call-up to release men. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Male volunteers from Argentina were charged a mere £10 by the Royal Mail Line for their passage to Britain which was paid by the Patriotic Fund.

Sidney had mentioned the call-up so when the Patriotic Fund extended their passage concession to women, Jill volunteered. The Company gave Jill and 15 other volunteers a grand Goodbye Party at the City Hotel in Buenos Aires. Jill embarked on the “Highland Patriot” to England. On board, she met Bill Dudbridge, her future husband. . ^1″

 

WW2

Blencowe Evelyn J. Radar Operator 2130266 WAAF

1941-1942

• At the recruitment centre, jill would have been tested and assessed for a suitable position. To be selected as she was for one of the most technical and responsible defence roles was a high honour and a testament to her undoubted intelligence and capability.

  

• Britain was at the forefront of the use of RADAR technology and by the time the war had begun set up a CHAIN system around the coastline to detect enemy aircraft approaching its shores.

  

• Jill was one can only assume rapidly trained to use and operate RADAR Cathode Ray Tube equipment. On completing this training she was posted to Hastings and to the  Fairlight Chain Home Low (CHL) Radar Station (05A in 75 Wing) which had been operational since September 1940. It was located on the north side of Fairlight Road to the west of Hastings,

  

   

• In her role tracing Bombers heading for London, she recalled this incident which Tricia Wales recorded. “One occasion on her watch with 3 other operators, a signal of one slowly moving plane appeared on her screen not showing “IFF” (identification friend or foe). Jill hesitated to report it to the Canadian gunners on the sea front, as they had the reputation of being rather “trigger happy!” When a Supervisor questioned her action, Jill explained her doubt that it was an enemy plane and not one of ours “coming in on a wing and a prayer.” At that moment a weak IFF signal came up which probably saved their lives. Jill’s delay had given them just enough time to repair their damaged equipment. ^1″

1943

• After one year in the RADAR Operator role Jill it seems, was technically gifted and selected to for technical training at the Communications Centre in London where amongst other things she was trained to strip wireless sets , sending and receiving by Morse code and cipher.

1944

 

“Jill and Bill were married on the 27th January 1944 at Caxton Hall Registry Office. They celebrated at the Savoy and spent the few daysí honeymoon in London. Jill was discharged from the WAAF under Clause Eleven (Pregnancy) and joined Bill in Chester. Sadly the baby was born dead. ^1″

Medals

We have no medal records, but Jill was entitled to the War and Defence medals for her service.

1945-46

• While husband Bill served as a 2nd Lt with the Royal Engineers in Burma,  Jill joined the Soldiers Sailors Air Force Families Association (SSAFA) volunteering her services in the nearest place to Bill in India.

After the War

• The Couple reunited in India but then  moved back to Argentina but Bill’s role with the Railways there ended and in 1954 they went to Nicaragua to run an import business, They survived two major earthquakes in the 1970s before returning to London to retire in 1981

Family history and Research

Jill began to research her family history her granddaughter Tricia Wells wrote “ Jill worked extensively on Blencowe Family History, researching at the British Library and other places, photocopying Wills, extracting information from Parish records and corresponding with numerous people. This interest had brought her in touch with such people as Jack & Peter Blencowe and Mike Walton. Mike translated the Latin and transcribed Jacobean and Carolian script. Much of our archived information is due to Jillís research” This work culminated in her contributing greatly to the Book ‘The Blencowe Families’ published in 2001.

Two more personal stories about Jills life and family

1. Article written by Tricia Wales –  BFA NL – November 2011 Page 2
2. Chapter that was written by Jill an experience traveling to Argentina –  With a Commerce Raider in the South Atlantic – A Blencowe Adventure in World War I

Died

• Died 11 November 2019 age 103.

 

Sources

1. Many thanks for a large part of the background detail on Jills life from Jill’s Story by Tricia Wales first published in the Blencowe Families Association Newsletter Vol. 26 No. 4 November 2011
2. Ancestry Military Tree of Blencowes ww2

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