| |
| Corps History - Part 16 The Corps and
the Second World War (1939-45) |
|
The Beginning and Overview
On 1 September 1939 German troops crossed the Polish border. In
response the British, who had a formal treaty with Poland, mobilized
their armed services and sent an ultimatum to the German Government.
No reply was received. At 11.15 am on 3 September 1939 Britain,
together with France, declared war on Germany. In a matter of hours
afterwards the British Dominions (Australia, Canada, South Africa
and New Zealand) followed suit. | | On 10 June
1940 when it was clear that France had fallen the Italians declared war on the
Allies. Japan entered the war on the side of Axis forces (Germany and Italy) on
7 December 1941. During the war the British Army and its engineers were
deployed to many theatres: |
Royal Engineers (George VI - 1936-52)
cap badge worn by Second World War Royal Engineers. |
| The challenges that faced the engineers were determined
by the terrain of the country and mode of operations in each theatre.
The open and largely featureless spaces of the Western Desert, ideal
for mobile armoured warfare, placed the emphasis on the laying and
clearing of minefields. In the mountainous terrain of Italy and
the jungles of Burma the emphasis was on bridging, made easier by
the introduction of the Bailey bridge (1942), and the maintenance
of road and rail links. The breaching of the German defences in
Normandy (Operation Overlord - 1944) saw the emphasis shift to the
use of assault (armoured) engineers, Hobart's Funnies. The need
to dispose of unexploded bombs led to the formation of the Bomb
Disposal Service. The introduction of airborne forces brought the
need to provide engineering support to them. The support of the
RAF saw the engineers constructing and repairing airfields. In the
lines of communication areas the engineers were actively engaged
in constructing bases, maintaining water and electricity supplies,
operating and repairing ports and railways, providing a mapping
and postal service, and organising the movement of troops and supplies.
Throughout
the war the Corps worked very closely and successfully with the engineers of the
Allies, the Dominions and Colonies. |
Strength of the Royal Engineers
- 1939-1946
The Corps expanded as it had done during the First World War (1914-18).
Its establishment increased by 37% from 89,301 in September 1939
to 280,632 in May 1945, the time of VE (Victory Europe) day.
Strength of the Royal Engineers 1939-1946
Date | Type | Officers | Other
ranks | Total |
| 2 Sep 39 | Regular Army | 1,270
| 11,755 | 13,025
| | TA and SR | 2,643 | 73,633 | 76,276 |
Sub totals | 3,913
| 85,388 | 89,301
| | 1 Jan 41 | All | 7,891
| 160,822 | 168,713
| | 1 Jan 43 | All | 15,584
| 199,682 | 215,266
| | 1 Jan 45 | All | 21,313
| 245,438 | 266,751
| | May-Jun 45 | All | 21,698
| 258,934 | 280,632
| | 1 Jan 46 | All | 17,008
| 209,044 | 226,052
| Source: History of the
Corps of Royal Engineers Vol VIII (p. 218) | The
1939-1945 Royal Engineers roll records the names of 10,839 men who were either
killed or died on service. |
The Home Front 1939-1943 United
Kingdom and Northern IrelandRE Works in the prelude to war - 1938-1939In
the 18 months before the outbreak of war, Royal Engineer Works staff were engaged
in a heavy national defence construction programme and other war related projects,
which included the construction of: | - Anti-aircraft
gun sites (complete with ammunition stores, billets, cookhouses etc) widely scattered
throughout the country.
- A vehicle depot at Chilwell, Nottingham.
- A
depot at Barry, Wales.
- An underground magazine at Corsham, Wiltshire.
The passing of the National Service Act (May 1939) and the introduction
of compulsory training in the Militia brought a requirement to provide
extra camps, the provision of which fell upon the shoulders of the
Royal Engineers. |
The threat of invasion - June-September 1940
There was a real fear of invasion by German forces after the fall
of Dunkirk (June 1940). In preparation the Royal Engineers hastily
constructed defences. Much of the construction work, such as erecting
concrete pillboxes, digging ditches, creating anti-tank obstacles
were contracted to civilian contractors under Royal Engineer supervision.
|
An example of a dummy pillbox erected as part of the defence
Britain in 1940 (Photo:IWM H4847)` | Royal
Engineer units laid mines (350,000 mines in approx. 2,000 minefields) and wire
obstacles along the coastline of east and southern Britain. The Royal Canadian
Engineers of the 1st Canadian Division assisted in this work. Royal Engineer
Train crews operated 4 artillery trains and 12 armoured trains; the latter were
manned by Polish troops and patrolled the southern coastline. A military
postal network was established by the Royal Engineers to provide added security
to military communications and to service the regional headquarters and military
units. |
Royal Engineers and the 'Battle of Britain' - June-September
1940
Part of the German invasion plan (Operation Seelöwe) was to gain
air superiority by immobilising the RAF, this they intended to do
by destroying the RAF aircraft and airbases.
|
| In May 1940 five Royal Engineer Airfield Construction Companies
were dispatched for airfield maintenance duties - they maintained
19 airfields. As the air battle, the Battle of Britain, intensified
more companies were raised and by the end of June 1940 no less than
134 airfields had had Royal Engineer maintenance parties assigned
to them. The German air campaign against the airfields was called
off in mid-September 1940. |
|
| It can be said that it was largely due to the efforts of the Royal Engineer maintenance companies, and their tenacity in keeping the airfields serviceable, that the RAF fighter squadrons were able to keep in the air and so win the 'Battle of Britain'. |
Bomb Disposal and the Blitz - September 1940-Summer 1943
Bomb Disposal
After the Germans' failure to gain air superiority, their hopes
of invasion receded and they changed their strategy to that of
forcing Britain into submission by bombing its major cities and
industrial areas.
|
The bombing campaign (the Blitz) highlighted the
need to dispose of unexploded German bombs (UXB) left in the wake
of the raids. Although the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) were
responsible for the disposal of artillery ammunition in peace time
it was decided that because the Royal Engineers had carried out
the task of disposing of unexploded German shells during the First
World War (1914-1918) that they should be responsible for the disposal
of their unexploded aircraft bombs.
The first Bomb Disposal sections were formed in May 1940. They
consisted of one officer and 15 other ranks, divided into two sub-sections:
one for 'removal' of the bomb and the other for its 'sterilization'.
|
Bomb Disposal team digging out a buried unexploded
bomb (UXB) |
In late summer 1940 as the German bombing campaign
intensified the demand for the new units became so great that seven
general construction and four quarry companies were converted into
Bomb Disposal units. By September 1940 the Royal Engineers had
440 Bomb Disposal Sections consisting of over 10,000 men under
the command of a Major General. |
The dangers and heroism of their work is reflected in the
fact that 13 members of the Bomb Disposal Service were awarded the
George Cross (3 of them posthumously).
After their formation Bomb Disposal units accompanied all the major
expeditionary forces to overseas theatres.
| RE Bomb Disposal Casualties -
1940-45
| |
Officers |
Other ranks |
Totals |
| Killed |
55 |
339 |
394 |
| Wounded |
37 |
172 |
109 |
Totals |
92 |
511 |
503 |
|
|
| WW2 - Sapper GCs
17 Aug 40 - Lt EW Reynolds (RE)
18 Aug 40 - LSgt WJ Button (RE)
24-25 Aug 40 - Lt EE Talbot (RE)
26 Aug 40 - 2Llt W L Andrews (RE)
2 Sep 40 - Lt BST Archer (RE)
11 Sep 40 - Lt Col AD Merriman (RE)
12 Sep 40 - Lt R Davies (RE)
12 Sep 40 - Spr GC Wylie (RE)
18 Sep 40 - Capt M Blaney* (RE)
21 Sep 40 - Lt JMS Patton (RCE)
17 Oct 40 - 2Lt AF Campbell* (RE)
18 Oct 40 - Sgt M Gibson* (RE)
22 Jan 41 - Capt HJL Barefoot (RE)
17-18 Jan 43 - Maj CJ Martin (RE)
24 Feb 44 - Sub Subramanyan* (Ind Eng)
* Posthumous award
|
|
|
|
Aid to civil authorities During the Blitz Royal Engineer units also assisted the civil authorities in repairing bomb damage. |
Box Girder Bridge constructed by 691st General
Construction Company, Royal Engineers London 1941 |
The most notable example was in London (January 1941) when the
691st General Construction Company built a box girder bridge across
a crater (18,000 sq. ft. in area) that measured 150 ft long by between
10-30 ft deep. It had been created by a bomb that had crashed through
the road into the underground ticket hall of the Bank Tube Station
below.
The completed bridge spanned the crater from
Queen Victoria Street to Cornhill and once constructed restored
the flow of traffic through the junction known as 'The Hub of the
Empire'. |
Organisation of the Corps - 1940-1945
Engineer-in-Chief and Director Royal Engineers
In October 1941 the post of Engineer-in-Chief (E-in-C) was established at the War Office.
|
|
The first holder of the position was Major General (later Lieutenant General Sir) Charles JS King, who held it until 1944. His principal duty was to advise the Chief of the Imperial Staff (CIGS), on all engineering matters. To assist him he had two Deputy Engineers-in-Chief (Brigadiers) and a Director of Works (DFW). In July 1943 he was given further duties and the title of 'Director Royal Engineers'. |
Lieutenant General Sir Charles King
Engineer-in-Chief and Director Royal Engineers |
|
Arrangements at Chatham
In 1940, due to the heavy bombing of the South East of England
and the Royal Navy's need for accommodation close to its Chatham
dockyard, the following Royal Engineer organizations were evacutated
from their Chatham barracks and were moved:
- School of Military Engineering (SME), Institute of Royal Engineers and the RE Band to Ripon, Yorkshire (see Part 6).
- RE Training Depot to Halifax, Yorkshire.
The Royal Navy occupied their vacated accommodation until 1948
when the original occupiers returned to Chatham.
Training arrangements
To cope with the primary training demands that the expansion of
the Corps had created:
- Ten training battalions were formed.
- Four Motor Transport (MT) training Depots were formed.
- Additional training organisations and facilities were also established
for personnel assigned to the Specialist units (e.g. Bomb Disposal,
Transportation, Survey, and Postal. After 1942 more were added
- Airborne engineers, Assault engineers and Movement Control).
|
Other Corps developments and activities at home - 1939-1943
Forestry
Thirty-nine Forestry Companies were raised from Britain and Dominions.
Those stationed in Britain were chiefly deployed in the north of
England and Scotland to provide timber for the war effort.
|
Movement Control
A facet of modern warfare is the mass movement of troops and quantities
of supplies. During the First World War (1914-18) elderly and medical
unfit officers usually acted as RTOs (Rail Traffic Officers) whose
job it was to organised and manage troop movements at railway stations
and sea ports. In 1938 Movement Control Group Royal Engineers (Supplementary
Reserve) was formed. Its members were drawn from the Army's General
List and they did two weeks training at No1 Railway Training Centre,
Royal Engineers, Longmoor. By September 1939 two more groups were
added, but the organisation, which was deployed with the BEF, proved
to be ineffective.
On 1 November 1942 the Movement Control Section, Royal Engineers
was formed from the Movement Control Group and all its members were
capbadged as Royal Engineers. They were generally selected on the
basis of their knowledge of railway systems and shipping services.
Royal Engineer Movement Controllers were thereafter deployed to
all theatres of war and were among the few British troops to serve
in the Soviet Union (now Russia). Their task was to manage the movement
of troops and supplies.
|
|
Postal (Army Postal Services)
After homes in Reading and Bournemouth, the Home Postal Centre,
Royal Engineers, the main postal sorting depot for the British Army
and training centre for the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) was
finally established at Nottingham in May 1941 where it remained
until 1947. |
ATS woman sorting airmail letters at the Home Postal Centre RE, Nottingham - May 1943 (Photo: IWM )
|
The Home Postal Centre requisitioned, for operational
and billeting purposes, a hundred and forty of Nottingham's buildings.
The city was ideally situated being located almost in the centre of
Britain well connected by rail links to all parts of the country.
In 1940 six Army Postal Distribution Centres were established around
the country to service Army and RAF units at the same time women
of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) began to be trained as
postal clerks and sorters and by the end of the war they made up
49% (1,484) of the total staffing (3,111) of Home Postal Centre.
Mail was distributed to the overseas theatres by sea (from Liverpool
and Glasgow) and air (from Eastleigh, Hampshire and airfields in
the Midlands). In 1944 473.8 million items of mail was dispatched
from the Home Postal Centre. |
| see more Army Postal Services 1939-45 |
| Survey |
- In 1936 as the threat of war grew the Treasury approved the
preparation of a series of maps of various scales to cover likely
theatres of operations in NW France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Maps were produced and stock-piled.
- In 1941 nine Survey companies served in the Home command.
- During 1942-43 six general survey companies were raised and
trained in air-photo mapping techniques.
|
|
| Transportation |
In 1940 as the ports on the south and
east of the country (being closest to the Continent) were in danger
of attack it was decided that two new ports for ocean-going ships
should be built on the west coast of Scotland at Faslane and Cairn
Ryan.
Royal Engineers Port construction companies built them, whilst
the Railway construction companies laid 50 miles of track in the
docks and connected them to the main lines.
In June 1943 in preparation for Operation Overlord work began on
improving and developing the Inland Water Transport (IWT) repair
depot at Marchwood, Southampton.
|
Faslane, now a Naval base, was built and operated
by the Royal Engineers Transportation Services (1940-46)
(Photo: Maritime Books) |
|
From late 1943 to June 1944 Marchwood was used for the
construction of parts of the Mulberry Harbour.
RE
Transportation Ports in Scotland
Location |
Construction period |
No of Berths |
Throughput up to 1945 |
| Faslane |
Dec 1940- Jul 1942 |
6 |
645,000 tons |
| Cairn Ryan |
Dec 1940- 1943 |
5 |
284,000 tons |
|
|
|
|
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) - 1939-40
France and Belgium
|
Tactical Overview - At the request of the French
Government the first contingents of the British Expeditionary Force
(BEF), under command of Field Marshal Lord Gort (1886-1946) landed
secretly at the ports of Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes and St Nazaire
on 10 September 1939. They assembled at Le Mans, before being deployed
to the Lille area to protect the northern flank of the French Maginot
Line. There they remained until on 10 May 1940 when the Germans
launched their invasion of the Netherlands Belgium and then France
(Operation Sichelschnitt), and the BEF was ordered north to the
Dyle Line. By 19 May the Germans had reached Amiens and thereby
severed the BEF's lines of communication. On 26 May the British
Government ordered the evacuation of the BEF by sea from Dunkirk.
The evacuation was completed by 2 June 1940. Meanwhile, British
forces in the Le Mans area fought on whilst at the same time were
also being steadily evacuated, a task that was completed by 18 June
1940. Unfortunately the 51st Division, which fought the rearguard
screening action were left to their fate and many of its personnel,
including its engineers, were captured and spent the rest of the
war in German prisoner of war (POW) camps.
The period from September 1939 to May 1940 is often referred to
as the 'Phoney War'.
|
|
Corps' activities during 'Phoney War' - September 1939 - May 1940
The BEF Engineer-in-Chief was Major General RP Pakenham-Walsh.
Divisional Engineers
- They were engaged in strengthening the defences in the Lille
area, which included the constructing of concrete pillboxes and
building a network of anti-tank obstacles.
- A new formation, 'X' Force, was created from the field companies
of the Territorial Army divisions to mass-produce the pillboxes.
- Tunnelling Companies constructed dugouts for principal headquarters.
The GHQ dugout was located 70ft under the old Citadel at Doullens.
By May 1940 it had 70 chambers with forced ventilation and anti-gas
protection.
- Areas for minefields were selected but no mines were actually
laid.
Works
- Established bases in Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes, St Nazaire, and Le Mans.
- A Medical base was constructed at Dieppe by 104th, 106th, 110th, 212th, 218th 290th, 291st Army Troops Companies.
- No 1 Engineer Stores Base Depot was set up at Rennes.
- Extra Artisan Works Companies were formed to assist with the construction work.
- A Camouflage factory was set up at Rouen.
|
|
Airfields
- The construction of aerodromes (airfields) became a new responsibility for the BEF Engineers.
- New companies were formed in late 1939 for this task and by May 1940 there were nearly 60 companies.
- Royal Engineer Quarry companies were reformed to provide hardcore for the runways.
Survey
The 13th, 14th 19th, 514th Field Survey Companies were deployed and began work
revising the existing maps. |
691 (Mowlem) General Construction Company, Royal Engineers constructing military airfields in France 1940
(Photo: IWM F4888) |
Transport
- Port Operating units conducted the unloading of equipment and
stores at the ports: Nantes, St Nazaire and Marseilles, Brest,
Cherbourg, Caen, and St Malo, Le Havre, Rouen and Boulogne
- Railway units (8th, 29th (Survey), 150th, 151st, 152nd) laid 141 miles of track with 665 turnouts and operated the trains on the mainline between St Malo and Rennes.
- Inland Water Transport barges were sent to France to assist in the bulk movement of petrol.
Postal
The British Army Base Post Office (BAPO) was established in Cherbourg,
mail was exchanged with Southampton. Postal units were deployed
with their respective formations and set up Army Post Offices (APO)
in their support.
|
Corps' activities during the 'Blitzkrieg' - May 1940 |
The speed and ferocity of the German's advance (the Blitzkrieg)
took the Allies by surprise and they were soon forced into retreat.
During the retreat the Divisional Engineers were engaged in 'an
orgy of regulated destruction'. The British Army official history
records that:
"The Royal Engineers had a busy time and the effectiveness of their demolition of bridges and river crossings as each line was evacuated helped considerably to delay the enemy advance."
|
The demolition of a bridge in Louvain, France
1940 |
The Corps at Dunkirk - May/June 1940
On 26 May the decision was taken for the BEF to withdraw to the
Dunkirk perimeter. Royal Engineer units were put to work preparing
the bridges over the canals and the causeways over the inundations
for demolition, and they were also allocated sectors of the front
to prepare for defence and to hold if attacked.
|
Meanwhile divisional engineers with the divisional rearguards were
destroying bridges and acting in an infantry role. The most notable
actions included:
- 23rd, 238th, 248th Field Companies (1st Division) - who successfully
held the sector at Escaut for 36 hours until they were relieved
(20-21 May).
- 7th, 59th and 225th Field Companies (4th Division) - who successfully
defended the Warneton bridge which also involved fighting an offensive
action against their attackers (26-27 May).
- 11th, 208th, 210th Field Companies (44th Division) - who held
for 30 hours the position on Mont des Cats until the rest of the
division had successfully been withdrawn within the Dunkirk perimeter
(28-29 May).
|
Within the Dunkirk perimeter Royal Engineer units continued their demolition work of bridges, equipment and stores. Works and Survey units took on a 'field company' role.
During the evacuation the boats of the Field Park Companies were
used to ferry men out to the rescue ships. 38th Field Company (5th
Division) built a 'lorry' pier, as did the divisional engineers
of 1st Division.
The victors inspect a British 'lorry' pier constructed by the Royal Engineers on the Dunkirk beaches - June 1940 (Photo: IWM HU1860) |
North-West Expeditionary Force (NWEF)
Norway 1940
Tactical overview - On 9 April 1940 the Germans
occupied Denmark and began their invasion of Norway, a neutral state.
Norway called upon Britain and France for assistance. It was decided
that two forces should be sent. One to recapture Trondheim and the
other Narvik. Both expeditions were ill fated from the start. The
force sent to Trondheim met with strong resistance and failed to
recapture the port. The Narvik force, after stiff fighting, managed
to get into the town, but almost immediately afterwards was recalled
because their success unfortunately coincided with the disaster
at Dunkirk. Both forces were evacuated back to Britain by the end
of the first week of June 1940.
|
The Royal Engineer units involved in these expeditions were:
- Trondheim force - 55th Field Company.
- Narvik force - 229th, 230th, 239th Field Companies and 231st Field Park Company. Members of the 230th Field Company were among the first British troops to enter Narvik on the night of 27-28 May 1940.
- Works staff, and Airfield construction, Transportation and Postal units provided support for both forces.
|
Special Forces - 1940
The series of military disasters in the late spring of 1940 forced
Britain to re-examine how they might strike back at Nazi Germany,
who were now the masters of Continental Europe. It was obvious that
Britain was not strong enough to mount a conventional attack, and
fell upon the idea of taking the fight back to the Germans through
a series of raids, using irregular tactics. Such operations required
specially trained troops and gave rise to the development of the
following types of special forces:
- Airborne forces - formed to bring whole units
into battle by parachute, glider and aircraft, using the enemy's
open flank, the sky.
- Commando forces - formed to conduct amphibious
raids against selected targets on the enemy's coastlines.
Royal Engineer officers played important parts in the development
of both of these types of special forces.
|
Airborne Forces |
On 24 June 1940, Major (later Lieutenant Colonel)
JF Rock, Royal Engineers, was ordered to take charge of the organization
of airborne troops and to collaborate with the RAF in their training.
By October 1940 the Central Landing School (CLS - later known as
the No 1 Parachute Training School), a parachute training centre,
was fully operational at Ringway airport, Manchester. Squadron Leader
Louis Strange DSO MC DFC of the Royal Air Force was appointed as
commanding officer and he arrived at Ringway on 21 June on the official
formation of the CLS.
By October 1942 another training establishment was set up in Netheravon,
Wiltshire. |
Paratroops on a training drop over Netheravon.
The aircraft is a Whitley - 2 October 1942
(Photo: IWM) |
In November 1941 the 1st Airborne Division was formed,
Lieutentant Colonel (later Brigadier Sir) Mark "Honker"
Henniker MC RE was appointed its CRE and its divisional engineers
were:
- 9th Airborne Field and 261st Airborne Field Park Companies (less
a bridging section).
|
|
More airborne engineer units followed:
- 1st Parachute Squadron (1942) - as part of 1st Airborne Division.
- 2nd Parachute Squadron formed from the Holding Company, Kent
Fortress, Royal Engineers. (1942).
- 3rd Parachute Squadron formed from 280th Field Company (1943) - as part of
6th Airborne Division.
- 4th Parachute Squadron formed from volunteers from the Corps (1943) - as part of 1st Airborne Division.
- 591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, 249th Airborne Field Company and 286th Airborne Field Park Company all formed from existing units (1943) - as part of 6th Airborne Division.
- 6th Airborne Division Postal Unit formed from volunteers from the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) (1943) - as part of 6th Airborne Division.
|
Paratroopers dismounting (24 June 1943) from
a Airspeed Horsa, which became the standard assault glider. The
9th Airborne Field Company, Royal Engineers was deployed in this
type of aircraft during the invasion of Sicily (10 July 1943).
(Photo: IWM) |
In 1942 the Glider Pilot Regiment (a fore runner of
today's Army Air Corps) was formed. Lieutenant Colonel JF Rock,
Royal Engineers was appointed its Commanding Officer, but unfortunately
the following year he was tragically killed in a glider accident. |
Commando Forces
The concept of a 'commando' force as an integral part of the British
Army was the brainchild of Major J C Holland, Royal Engineers, working
in the GS(R) branch of the War Office in 1940.
|
The commando units were drawn from volunteers, some from the
Royal Engineers, who were formed into what were known as 'Independent
Companies'. Their training in guerrilla tactics was carried out
in Scotland. |
WW2
- Sapper VCs
1 Feb 1941 - 2Lt PS Bhagat (Indian Eng)
28 Mar 1942 - Sgt TF Durrant (RE Cdo)
22 Mar 1945 - Lt C Raymond (RE) |
|
| As
the war progressed they specialised in combined amphibious operations.
The lessons learnt from their experiences provided the knowledge required
for the Allies to eventually mount a successful sea-borne invasion
(Operation Overlord) against the Germans in 1944 at Normandy. |
The European Raids - 1940-44
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Italy
In the period from 1940 to Operation Overlord (6 June 1944) members of the Royal
Engineers, usually trained members of the special forces and demolition
experts, accompanied these teams tasked with carrying out raids against
objectives in enemy hands, or in danger of falling into enemy hands.
The raids included: |
- Belgium, France and the Netherlands (May-June
1940) - to destroy the oil installations and other facilities
at the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Boulogne, Brest,
Calais, Dunkirk and Le Havre. It has been estimated that over
400 million gallons of oil were destroyed. This force was accompanied
by Kent Fortress, Royal Engineers, a unit specially trained for
these tasks.
- Apulian Aqueduct, southern Italy (February
1941) - to destroy an aqueduct carrying water to Taranto and so
to disrupt the water supply. This force was accompanied by airborne
trained Royal Engineers.
|
- Spitzbergen Islands, North Atlantic (July 1941)
- to destroy the port facilities. This force was accompanied by
3rd (Kent) Corps Troops, Royal Engineers and 3rd Field Company,
Royal Canadian Engineers.
- Bruneval, on the coast of northern France (28
February 1942) - to capture German radar equipment. The mission
was to dismantle the radar to bring back to Britain for examination,
but were to destroy the remains to give the Germans the impression
that the mission was to destroy the radar rather than steal it.
This force was accompanied by airborne trained Royal Engineers
from the newly formed 1st Airborne Division.
- St Nazaire northwest France (27/8 March 1942)
- an attack on the 'Forme Eluse' lock at the entrance of the St
Nazaire harbour. No Royal Engineer units took part, but Sergeant
TF Durrant, Royal Engineers; a trained commando was posthumously
awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery during the raid.
|
Bruneval Radar Station (radar in bottom left
of the picture). This was a very successful mission. Lt CD Vernon,
Royal Engineers commanded the engineer element of the raiding party.
The equipment that they dismantled and brought back to England proved
to be less technologically advanced than the British radar equipment.
(Photo: IWM D12870) |
- Dieppe, northern France (20 August 1942) -
No Royal Engineer units took part because it was a Canadian operation
and therefore the raiders were accompanied by their own Royal
Canadian Engineers. However, the experience of the engineers on
the raid taught valuable lessons about the need for protection
whilst assaulting prepared defences, which eventually led to the
formation of the Assault Engineers, whose training, tactics and
equipment ensured success on the Normandy beaches during Operation
Overlord (June 1944).
|
- Vermork, Norway (Operation 'Freshman', 19 November
1942) - to destroy the hydroelectric power station at Vermork,
in Telemark, where heavy water was produced for German atomic
research. Two gliders and an aircraft engaged in the raid crashed
in southern Norway. All those aboard, Royal Engineers of the 1st
Airborne Division (9th Airborne Field and 261st Airborne Field
Park Company, Royal Engineers) and members of the Commonwealth
air forces, were either killed in the crash or died later, at
the hands of their German captors. The heavy water plant was eventually
destroyed by a party of six Norwegians dropped by parachute in
1943.
|
One of the heavy water cells from the plant
at Vermork, Norway that had been the target of Operation Freshman
(19 Nov 1942). Now in the RE Museum |
Middle East Force (MEF) 1940-43
Egypt, Sudan, Abyssinia, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya
|
Background When General Sir Archibald Wavell (1883-1950) became
Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East Command in August 1939 his
command responsibilities, centred on Cairo in Egypt, covered the
security of Egypt, Palestine, Transjordania, Cyprus, Aden, Sudan,
and British East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and British Somalialand).
The immediate threat to the command was from the Italians based
in Libya (to the west) and in the Horn of Africa (to the south).
The threat became a reality when the Italians declared war on Britain
on 10 June 1940.
The Middle East forces were engaged in various campaigns:
On 5 July 1941 General Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981) took over
command of the Middle East. He was himself superseded by General
Harold Alexander (1891-1969) in August 1942. In the same month General
Montgomery (1887-1976) was appointed commander of the 8th Army,
which was formed from the original Western Desert Force.
|
Western Desert operations 1940-1943
Tactical overview - On the 13 September 1940 Italian
forces from Cyrenaica (now Libya) crossed the Egyptian frontier
and advanced 70 miles to Sidi Barrani where they halted to await
reinforcements before they resumed their planned advance on Cairo
and so began the series of campaigns that marked the three year
Western Desert war. For both sides the campaigns were a succession
of advances and retreats across open desert and along the coast
road. In the case of the British the campaigns were punctuated by
an initial victory over the Italians, then a reversal of fortunes
brought by the arrival of the German General Rommel (1891-1944)
and the Afrika Korps (March 1941), which continued until the tables
were finally turned at El Alamein (October 1942) when Montgemory's
8th Army seriously defeated Rommel's forces. After the victory and
hard fighting, the Axis (German and Italian) forces were finally
expelled from North Africa in May 1943.
|
Western Desert - Divisional engineers activities
Throughout the Western Desert campaigns the divisional engineers
were engaged in their usual role of providing bridging, constructing
defences and removing obstacles, but the peculiar conditions of
the desert meant that a lot of their energies and resources were
taken up providing a water supply, deception (camouflage), airfields,
and mine defences and clearance.
|
Water
One of the primary tasks of the engineers throughout the Western
Desert campaigns, fought in very arid conditions, was to provide
a water supply. This entailed locating water on selected routes,
boring for water, cleansing water, installing water pumps, water
storage facilities and laying water pipes. During the periods of
retreat the engineers were responsible for denying water to the
enemy, this involved dismantling or destroying water facilities
and pouring 'bone oil' into water wells. |
|
Deception (camouflage)
The vast open spaces of the desert made it difficult to conceal
forces and their activities; to over come this difficulty the engineers
were employed in creating appropriate deceptions. Notable examples
were: |
- At the very beginning of the campaign (December 1940) the Italian
forces that had invaded Egypt, out numbered the British. The only
way the British could vanquish the Italians was to take them by
surprise. To this effect the 2nd, 12th and 54th Field Companies
produced 80 dummy tanks, which were placed in the rear areas to
distract the Italian air force and to allow the main British force
to advance unnoticed. The ruse worked and the British defeated
the Italians at the battle of Sidi Barrani (11 December 1940).
El Alamein 1942 - Vast quantities
of stores were stock-piled in preparation for the battle
and were hidden under crude covers made to look like vehicles.
The Royal Engineers were responsible for constructing such
deceptions.
(Photo: Tank Museum) |
|
El Alamein 1942 - A dummy pumping
station with a dummy soldier looking as if he is operating
it. This was part of Operation Bertram, the deception plan
for the battle implemented by units of the Royal Engineers.
(Photo: Tank Museum) |
|
- During the build up to the final battle of El Alamein (October
1942) the deception plan required the engineers to build and place
dummy lorries on the sites where the tanks and guns would be finally
placed. The deception went further with dummy pipelines being
laid leading to dummy pumping stations and reservoirs, this work
was also conducted in such a way that it led the Axis intelligence
to believe that it would be completed long after the actual planned
date of the start of the battle (23 October 1942).
|
El Alamein 1942 - Lorry camouflage (split
in half) for a tank constructed in Royal Engineers workshops.
(Photo: TNA WO201/2841) |
Airfield construction
The growth in the strength of the RAF in the theatre made the production
of airfields extremely important. During the early campaigns (1940-41)
engineer field units were able to provide advanced landing grounds
for aircraft acting in close co-operation with the army, where the
requirement was to select a level area with a hard surface and clear
it of stones.
In June 1941 a Chief Engineer Works (Airfields) was appointed to
the staff of the Engineer-in-Chief, Middle East to take charge of
all airfield construction and maintenance. Special construction
units were allocated to each theatre and a better supply of stores
became available (e.g. Sommerfeld track and Army track, and by mid
1942 Pierced Steel Plank (PSP) and Pre-bituminized Surface (PBS)),
which were used to construct the surface of the runways.
|
Mines
Before 1941 mines played only a peripheral role on the battlefield,
but in the Western Desert massed armoured formations and largely
featureless terrain combined to create ideal conditions for the
use of mines in a defensive role. Across the coastal strip there
were few features that could be used for defence, so mines, along
with barbed wire, offered the only economic means of defence.
|
Royal Engineers of 51st (Highland) Division
disarming German S-mines. |
In the first campaign the advancing British troops met considerable
numbers of mines in the Italian defensive positions. These were
detected and located by the observation of disturbed soil and probing
with bayonets. After the Afrika Korps arrived (March 1941) and with
them the reversal of British arms in the Western Desert, the British
began to use mines to cover their withdrawals. Their mine stocks
were extremely low so the Royal Engineers used recovered Italian
and German mines, as well as, mines built in hastily established
factories in Egypt.
|
| The experiences of both laying and clearing mines during the early
stages of the campaign taught the engineers valuable lessons. Early
in 1942 a Royal Engineers School of Mine Warfare (Major P Moore,
Royal Engineers), was established near El Alamein. Its objectives
were:
- To find out the best way to breach or make gaps in minefields.
- To evolve and teach standard drills for clearing mines and recording the laying of minefields.
- To try out ideas, devices and expedients which might be proposed.
|
Sappers learning mine detecting and clearance
methods at the Royal Engineers School of Mine Warfare, Middle East
1942
(Photo: IWM) |
|
The drills taught at the School proved their worth. In preparation
for the battle of El Alamein (October 1942) the engineers used the
drills to lay minefields and during the opening phases of the battle
(Operation Lightfoot) they used them to successfully clear routes
through the Axis minefields, the 'Devil's garden', of about 500,000
mines laid in two major fields running north-south across the whole
front with a total depth of about 5 miles, to allow infantry and
armour formations to move forward and engage the enemy. |
|
|
Scorpion flail tank - 1942
(Photo: Tank Museum) |
Early in the campaign (1940-41) the engineers of the South African
forces (Lieutenant Colonel M Coleman SAEC and a civilian engineer
ASJ Du Toit ) experimented with flailing devices attached to the
front of vehicles (known as 'Scorpion') as a method of mine clearance.
The machines were used with some success during the battle of El
Alamein and led to the idea being generally adopted by other British
forces and was later incorporated in the designs and functions of
the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) developed for the Assault
(armoured) engineers for use in the North West Europe and Italian
campaigns (1944-45). |
| The first British electronic mine detector was designed
by Lieutenant JS Kozacki, a Polish signals officer who escaped to
Britain in 1940, and came into service in early 1942. The equipment
weighed just under 30lb and could be operated by one man. The Mark
4c version remained in service until 1995. |
| German mines encountered in the Western Desert 1941-43
German
Anti-tank Mines
Topfmine - round plastic mine
Panzerstabmine - cone metal mine with
tilt rod Riegelmine - bar mine
Tellermine - round metal mine with tilt
rod |
|
German Anti-personnel
Mines
Stockmine- mounted on a stake triggered
by trip wire Schrapnellmine (S-mines)
- can shaped triggered by trip wire or push device.
Schutzenmine - wooden anti-personnel
pressure mine Glasmine - round glass
mine. |
|
|
Siege of Tobruk - June-December 1941
|
Royal Engineers Transportation units unload
vessels in Tobruk docks
(Photo: IWM E8433) |
In September 1941 the Tobruk garrison (9th Australian Division),
which had held out against Rommel's army for over six months, was
relieved by sea by the 70th British Division commanded by engineer
Major General R Scobie MC (1893-1969).
The 2nd, 12th and 54th Field and 219th Field Park Companies
plus Transportation and Postal units accompanied the Division. A Polish
Field company was also attached. Their work involved strengthening
the defences, constructing an underground hangar for the RAF and
developing methods of dealing with mines, including the German Tellermine.
|
| In April 1942 the engineer Lieutenant
General Sir Philip Neame VC (1888-1978) was given the Cyrenaica Command,
he was instructed by Wavell that it was unlikely that the Germans
would be a position to mount further offensives until May. It was
probably for this reason that he and Major General RN O'Connor were
taken by surpise and captured by the Germans during the Australian
withdrawal from Tobruk. |
Battle of El Alamein - 23 October - 4 November 1942
The battle of El Almein, fought between the British 8th Army (Montgomery)
and the Axis forces under Rommel just west of Cairo, resulted in
victory for the Allies and was one of the turning points of the
war because it marked the beginning of the Allies successful march
to final victory. The British, Dominion and Colonial engineers played
an important role in that victory. The official Corps history lists
the engineering contribution as being:
|
- The thorough preparation of the defences and their completion
with tracks, water and other administrative necessities, helped
to provide the firm springboard from which the attack was launched.
- The efficient and patient clearing of gaps through the huge
minefields amidst the stresses and strains of the battle, enabled
the armoured forces to break through the enemy defences and to
rout his forces in the field.
- The destruction of disabled enemy tanks and guns prevented their
salvage and repair for further use against the Allied troops.
All these tasks, and many more, each comprising a number of small
operations often carried out by quite small parties of engineers,
constituted an important share in the effort of the 8th Army in
winning this decisive battle. |
Sappers breaching the Minefields at El Alamein - 1942 This Cuneo painting hangs in the HQ Officers Mess at Chatham (Painting: Cuneo) |
|
|
(Read General
Montgomery's personal message (jpg 120kb) to the troops issued
on the eve of the battle).
| 8th Army engineer units at the
battle of El Alamein - 23 October - 4 November 1942
Corps |
Division |
Engineers |
Corps |
Division |
Engineers |
| X
|
1st Armd |
1st, 7th Field Squadrons
1st Field Park Squadron |
XXX
|
51st |
274th, 275th, 276th Field Companies
239th Field Park Company |
10th Armd |
2nd, 3rd Field Squadrons
141st Field Park Squadron |
9th Australian |
2/3rd, 2/7th, 2/13th Field Companies 24th Field Park
Company RAE |
Corps Troops |
571st, 572nd, 573rd Field Companies
570th Field Park Company |
2nd New Zealand |
6th, 7th, 8th Field Companies
5th Field Park Company RNZE |
|
XIII
|
7th Armd |
4th, 21st Field Squadrons
143rd Field Park Squadron |
1st South African |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th Field Companies 19th Field Park Company
SAEC |
44th |
209th, 210th Field Companies
211th Field Park Company
11th Field Company (detached to 7th Armd Div) |
4th Indian |
2nd, 4th, 12th Field Companies Sappers and Miners
11th Field Park Company Sappers and Miners |
50th |
233rd Field Company
235th Field Park Company
2nd, 5th Free French Field Companies |
Corps Troops |
11th, 13th Field Companies SAEC
22nd Field Park Company SAEC |
Corps Troops |
577th, 578th Field Companies
576th Field Park Company |
~ |
8th Armd |
6th, 9th Field Squadrons
143rd Field Park Squadron |
| Army Troops |
295th Army Field Company
566th, 588th Army
Troops Companies
517th Field Survey Company
13th Field Survey
Depot
4th, 5th Mobile Landing Ground Construction Parties,
Det
114th Mechanical Equipment Workshop and Park Company
5th Boring Section
1st Camouflage Company
21st Mechanical Equipment
Operating Company RNZE
25th, 27th, 31st Road Construction
Companies SAEC
22nd Workshop and Park Company SAEC
36th
Water Supply Company SAEC
85th Camouflage Company SAEC
95th
Bomb Disposal Company SAEC
46th Survey Company SAEC
9th
Field Company Sappers and Miners IE |
| Other Royal Engineer units also present
in a support role but not listed above include: Works,
Transportation, Movement Control and Postal. |
Source: History of the Corps
of Royal Engineers Vol VIII (pp. 393-395) |
After the victory the 8th Army pursued the Axis forces back through
Libya and onto Tunisia, where in conjunction with Anglo-American
forces, sweeping east from Algeria, they finally defeated them on
11 May 1943.
|
Abyssinia - 1940-41
The Italians forcibly annexed Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in 1936,
and following their declaration of war in June 1940 invaded British
Somalialand in August 1940. During autumn 1940 the British built
up forces in Sudan and Kenya in preparation for the eviction of
the Italians from their territories in the Horn of Africa. In February
1941 the British counter-attack was launched - 4th and 5th Indian
Divisions from Sudan, and 11th and 12th African Division from Kenya.
Asmara was taken on 1 April 1940 and Addis Ababa was taken on 6
April. The two forces then combined and pursued the Italians into
the mountains, where they surrendered on 17 May 1941.
In September 1940 the 5th Indian Division was sent to Sudan, the
Division was accompanied by:
- 2nd, 20th, 21st Field Companies (Bombay) Sappers and Miners.
- 44th Field Park Company (Bombay) Sappers and Miners.
- 6th, 8th Army Troop Companies (Bombay) Sappers and Miners.
- 16th Workshops and Park Company (Bombay) Sappers and Miners.
|
2nd Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat VC Indian Engineers |
The field engineers' initial tasks were: to develop water supplies, improve
roads, fords and ferry crossings over the Atbara and other rivers.
At the same time the Army Troop and Workshop engineers improved
the defences (including constructing concrete pill boxes, laying
mines and preparing airfields to be cratered). They also constructed
bases and improved the railways and roads.
In February 1941 during the British force's advance into Eritrea,
2nd Lieutenant (later Lieutenant General) Premindra Singh Bhagat,
21st Field Company, Indian Engineers was awarded a Victoria Cross
for the coolness he displayed over a 96 hour period in leading the
Column and clearing mine fields. It was the first Victoria Cross
to be won by a member of the Indian Army in the Second World War.
|
In January 1941 the 11th and 12th African Divisions pushed
north from Kenya and was accompanied by East African, West African
and South African engineer units. |
Greece - October 1940-April 1941
On 15 October 1940 the Italians based in Albania launched an attack
on northern Greece. Their forces are repelled by the Greeks but
on 5 April 1941 the Germans began an invasion of Greece. In anticipation
of German involvement the Greek government requested assistance
from the British in March 1941. A force consisting of the 6th, 7th
Australian Divisions, 2nd NZ Division and two brigades (1st Armoured
and Polish) was sent to Greece to maintain a defensive line northeast
of Mount Olympus and hence northward to the frontier with Yugoslavia.
|
The Dominion forces had their own engineers, but the Royal Engineers
who accompanied this force were:
- 3rd (Cheshire) Field Squadron
- Section of 292nd Field Company
- Works, Survey, Transportation and Postal units.
The engineers were set to work improving the roads and setting
demolitions. During the withdrawal from northern Greece they demolished
bridges and created other obstacles. The King of Greece agreed to
the evacuation of the British forces on 19 April 1941. A force of
43,000 was evacuated from Peloponnesus - 16,000 to Egypt and 27,000
to Crete.
|
|
Crete - April-June 1941
42nd Field Company was already on Crete before the evacuees, among
whom were most of the Royal Engineers units, arrived from Greece.
The engineers arrived without their equipment and were therefore
chiefly used as infantry during the fight against the German airborne
invasion of the island on 19-22 May 1941.
After stiff fighting it was decided to evacuate the British forces
to Egypt. Those not evacuated, which included members of the Royal
Engineers, were taken prisoner by the Germans.
|
Iraq - March-June 1941
Iraq, formerly known as Mesopotamia, became a self-governing state
under a League of Nations mandate in 1932. After a period of political
instability Rashid Ali, who was pro-Axis, came to power in 1941.
The Iraqi Kirkuk oilfields, that were linked to the Mediterranean
by an over ground oil pipe line, provided much needed oil for the
Allied war effort, so Britain saw it necessary to land a force (10
Indian Division) at Basra to protect their interests. Brief actions
were fought at Habbaniya and Falluja.
|
|
|
|
The engineers involved were:
- 2nd (Cheshire) Field Squadron ('Habforce' dispatched from Palestine)
- 10 Field Company, Sappers and Miners (10 Indian Division).
The engineers were engaged in road building to assist the movement
of 'Habforce' and during the attack at Falluja they built a bridge
across the Euphrates, as well as, operating a ferry. |
Defence of Habbaniya
Colonel OL Roberts (late RE), the Habbaniya garrison commander organised a spirited
action against the besieging Iraqi force and drove them off
on 7 May 1941. His small, but victorious, force was outnumbered
8 to 1, yet managed not only to defeat the Iraqis, but to take
400 prisoners and 6 guns. |
|
| By June 1941 the British had reasserted their influence in Iraq
and planned to protect their interests more effectively. This decision
was made more pertinent when Germany invaded the USSR (now Russia)
on 22 June 1941. The Royal Engineers were given the task of executing
and supervising a series of large works projects to secure the RAF
stations at Habbaniya and Shaiba, the Kirkuk oilfields, the Anglo-Iranian
Oil Company's installations in south-west Iran, as well as, the development
of ports and communication infrastructure in both Iran and Iraq. |
Persia (Iran) and 'Aid to Russia' - August 1941
In the summer 1941 the British and Soviets (USSR) requested that
the Iranian Government expell the Axis nationals from their capital,
Teheran. Their request fell on deaf ears so in August 1941 a joint
Soviet and British force (8th Indian Division) occupied the country.
|
|
The engineers involved were:
- 7th, 66th, 69th Field Companies, Sappers and Miners.
- 47th Field Park, Sappers and Miners.
Aid to Russia - was the provision of food and
war supplies to the Soviets by the British and Americans. The supplies
were transshipped from Iraq through to Iran's northern borders with
USSR using road and rail links. The responsibility for operating
the trains, and where necessary constructing rail track and roads,
fell to the Royal Engineers and Indian Engineers Transportation
units. This remained the case until the American army took over
the tasks in April 1943.
|
|
Syria - June-July 1941
Syria, a French mandated country, was of strategical importance
to Britain because of the oil pipe line that ran through the country
from Iraq to the Mediterranean, therefore when France fell and the
Syrian Government voiced pro-Vichy sentiments; there was a requirement
for regime change. A joint British and Free-French force invaded
the country and after some stiff resistance the Syrians sued for
peace, giving the Allies the regime change they required to secure
their supplies of oil.
The engineers engaged in this short campaign were:
- 6th Australian Division - Two Field Companies, Royal Australian Engineers plus 2nd, 12th, and 54th Field Companies, Royal Engineers
- 'Habforce' - 2nd (Cheshire) Field Squadron
- Elements of 10th Indian Division - 9th Field Company and 31st Field Squadron Sappers and Miners.
|
Turkey 1942-43
In the winter of 1939 a treaty between Turkey and Britain was agreed.
It required Britain to go to Turkey's assistance if Germany invaded
Thrace, however the agreement was nullified when Italy declared
war on Britain. Nevertheless two Royal Engineers construction groups,
working in civilian clothing, were deployed to Turkey in 1942. They
built 220 miles of Class 70 roads and 30 airfields.
|
Middle East Command - Other Corps activities 1940-43
Works
- The Needham committee (October 1939) recommended that a Middle East Base be established in Egypt for a force of 15 divisions with corps and GHQ troops - a total strength of 296,694 service personnel.
- A RASC (MT) Depot and RAOC Depot (240,000 sq ft) were constructed
in the Tel-el-Kebir area.
- Other depots and troop accommodation were constructed along the Suez Canal, in Sudan, Syria and Palestine.
- The Tura Caves were enlarged to accommodate Ordinance and Signal stores, and
a Survey map printing plant.
- An extensive road development programme was executed.
Transportation
|
- Ports and Docks - Port construction companies redeveloped port
facilities at Port Said, Suez, Aqaba and on the Sweet Water Canal.
Operating companies carried out stevedoring work in these and
other ports.
- Railways - An extensive rail development programme was executed
by the Royal Engineers who also took charge of some the operations
of the trains.
- Inland Water Transport - Organised the transportation of stores
on the Nile and in the Delta. They built several small craft including
the 'Z' craft. The 'Z' craft was later used in other theatres.
|
Z craft at Port Said 1940's. The Z craft was
designed and built by the Royal Engineers Inland Water Transport
section.
(Photo: Unknown) |
Survey
- During the first campaign in the Western Desert against the
Italians Italian maps were captured and passed back to Cairo,
which enabled Survey to produce up-to date maps for the advancing
forces.
- A map printing plant was set up in Tura Caves, Egypt.
|
Postal
- Base Army Post Office (BAPO) was established in Cairo to serve
all formations in the Middle East Command.
- In early 1941 an airmail service was introduced using the 'airgraph'
and later the 'air letter form'. Airmails were routed across the
southern Sahara region from Takoradi, West Africa to Khartoum,
Sudan then north to Cairo. Thus considerably reducing the transit
time between the UK and the Middle East and thereby assisting
in maintaining the morale of both the troops and their families
at home.
- Postal trained members of the ATS were deployed to the Cairo
BAPO in 1944.
|
|
Mediterranean Bases 1939-1945
Gibraltar and Malta
Gibraltar - 1939-45
Gibraltar, the 'Rock', first became a British possession in 1704.
Its location on a peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean sea,
allows it to monitor and control the sea traffic through the Strait
of Gibraltar, the passage of water that connects the Atlantic ocean
to the Mediterranean sea, and for that reason it was of paramount
strategic importance to Britain - protecting as it does the western
entrance of the sea route through the Mediterranean to the Suez
Canal and beyond.
In 1939 there were just two Royal Engineer units (1st and 32nd
Fortress Companies) on the Rock. As war approached they were put
to work improving the defences, but after the fall of France, and
when the Italians declared war on Britain it was clear that the
Rock had to be made impregnable, such a plan proposed tunnelling
into the Rock to provide shelter, stores and accommodation for a
large garrison and a naval dock yard.
|
|
To construct the tunnels the following engineer units were dispatched
to Gibraltar over the period 1940-42:
- 170th, 172nd, 178th, 179th and 180th Tunnelling Companies.
- 1st (det) and 3rd Tunnelling Companies, Royal Canadian Engineers.
- 711th Artisan Works Company.
- 575th Army Troops Company.
- a General Construction Company.
|
An aerial view of Gibraltar 1943 (Photo: Unknown)
|
These units constructed an underground hospital,
extensive storage and accommodation areas all complete with a water
supply system and underground power stations that had a capacity
to generate 1,200 kilowatts. By the end of the war they had excavated
1,087,905 cubic yards of rock (the equivalent of burrowing a 10
ft diameter tunnel from London to Liverpool - approx 200 miles).
In 1942, as Gibraltar had become an important stopover for air
traffic flying between Britain and Egypt, more engineer units (855th
Quarrying Company, 807th Road Construction Company and an Excavator
Company) arrived to extend the airfield.
During the period 1940-43 the Rock was used as a base to provide
air cover for the British Mediterranean Fleet and to support Malta.
|
Malta 1939-45
Malta, an island located 75 miles south of Sicily, had been a British
possession since 1814. The island acted as the Headquarters of the
British Mediterranean Fleet, but when Italy entered the war the
Fleet was moved to Gibraltar. Nevertheless, Malta remained an important
base for both the Royal Navy and RAF. They used the island as a
base from which to cover the passage of convoys to Egypt, as well
as, to launch attacks against the Axis lines of communication. It
was because of these reasons that the island was subjected to intensive
bombing by the Axis air forces and was to all intents and purposes
placed in a state of siege for over a year (1941-2).
|
The Governor at the time of the siege was an engineer officer, Lieutenant General Sir William GS Dobbie (1869-1964), who "inspired the Maltese in a way that few more spectacular men could have done".
The engineer units on the island during the siege were:
- Works staff
- 16th and 24th Fortress Companies.
- Two Bomb Disposal platoons (under the command of Lieutenant A Talbot GC).
- 173rd Tunnel Company (from August 1941).
On 16 April 1942 the island was awarded the George Cross in recognition
of the gallantry that the inhabitants and garrison had exhibited
during the siege.
|
Lieutenant General Sir William Dobbie Governor of Malta 1940-42 |
| The siege was finally lifted in May 1943 after the Axis
forces had been defeated in North Africa. There then began the task
of repairing the bomb damage, which largely fell upon the shoulders
of the Royal Engineers and civilian contractors. |
British North Africa Force (BNAF) 1942-43
Algeria and Tunisia
In December 1941 the Americans entered the war, six months later
in July 1942 a joint Anglo-American operation (Operation Torch)
to land forces in North West Africa was agreed and planned. The
overall command of the operation was given to the American Lieutenant
General Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969).
The invasion force sailed directly from England and landed, largely
unopposed, near Algiers on 8 November 1942.
|
The engineers involved in the invasion were:
- 564th , 751st Field Companies, det 5th Field Squadron (V Corps)
- 237th , 256th, Field Companies, 281st Field Park Company, 5th Mechanical Equipment Section (78th Division)
- 228th, 256th Field Companies, 22nd Mechanical Equipment Section (36th Infantry Brigade)
- 'A' and 'C' Troops 1st Parachute Squadron (1st Airborne Division).
- Works, Survey, Transportation, Movement Control and Postal units.
|
|
Amongst the first objectives of the invasion was the capture
of the Maison Blanche and Blida airfields, both were achieved with
ease. Afterwards the 14th Airfield Construction Group was tasked
with developing them both for the use of the RAF and American Air
Force.
Operation Torch marked several 'firsts' for the Allied armies and their engineers: |
- Airborne operations - For the first time British
Airborne troops were deployed in advance of the regular troops
to hold and secure strategic objectives (until this point in the
war their deployments had been confined to commando style raids).
Members of 1st Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers were engaged
as follows:
- 'C' Troop was engaged in the operation to capture Bone airfield
(11 November 1942).
- 'A' Troop accompanied the operation to secure Souk el Arba.
Their mission was to rally the French to the Allied cause
(16 November 1942).
- Bailey bridging equipment - Engineers units
had for the first time the Bailey bridge as part of their equipment.
- 237th Field Company were the first unit to construct a Bailey
bridge in contact with the enemy. This occurred on 25 November
1942 when they constructed a 100 ft Bailey bridge over the
river Medjerda at Madjez el Bab, Tunisia.
|
Donald Bailey and his bridge
The Bailey Bridge was designed by Mr (later Sir) Donald Bailey
(1901-85), Chief Designer at the Experimental Bridging Establishment,
Christchurch in 1941 and replaced the Inglis Bridge as the Royal
Engineers' main bridging equipment in 1942.
The design had much in common with Martel's box girder, being
built up of a number of easily handled panels pinned together,
which could be added together both horizontally for extra length,
and in storeys or parallel trusses for extra strength.
Each panel was 10ft in length and could be carried by 6 men.
A constructed bridge was capable of bearing loads of up to 70
tons. It could also be made into a heavy floating bridge without
the use of trestles and lent itself to mass production. |
|
By April 1943 the Axis forces were trapped in Tunisia between
the 8th Army in the west and the Anglo-American forces in the east.
On 11 May 1943 the Axis forces in North Africa finally surrendered
to the Allies.
The lessons learnt during the invasion phase of Operation Torch
were soon used to inform an invasion plan of Sicily and than Italy. |
Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) - 1943-45
Sicily and Italy
Sicily - July - August 1943
Tactical Overview - Operation Husky, the Allied
codename for the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily, was mounted
to capture Sicily. The operation was under the supreme command of
the American Lieutenant General Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969).
His deputy was the British Lieutenant General Harold Alexander (1891-1969),
who commanded the 15th Army Group comprising of the American 7th
Army (Patton) and the British 8th Army (Montgomery).
On the night of 9/10 July 1943 the British 1st Airborne Division's
gliderborne forces (with 9th Airborne Field Company, Royal Engineers)
began the invasion with the capture of the Ponte Grande bridge south
of Syracuse and on the morning of 10 July 1943 the ground troops
of the British 8th Army landed on the beaches between Cassabile
and Castellazo.
The plan required the Divisional engineers to:
- Deal with beach obstacles and minefields below and above high
water mark.
- Prepare tracks up and exits off the beaches.
- Repair or construct airfields.
- Facilitate the advance inland.
|
|
The engineers involved in the invasion were:
- 9th Airborne Field Squadron (1st Airborne Division)
- 38th, 245th, 252nd, Field and 254th Field Park Companies (5th Division).
- 233rd, 505th Field and 295th Field Companies (50th Division).
- 274th, 275th, 276th Field and 239th Field Companies (51st Division).
- Royal Canadian Engineers of the 1st Canadian Division.
- Works, Survey, Transportation, Movement Control and Postal units.
|
Engineer work parties on the Sicilian beaches,
where very few obstacles were encountered. In the background other
troops can be seen unloading stores from the landing crafts - 1943
(Photo: Robert Hunt Library) |
| Sicily was conquered in 38 days during which time the engineers constructed 38 Bailey and 20 Small Box Girder (SBG) bridges, in addition to a number of causeways, minor bridges and roads repairs. The airfield construction groups prepared 16 fair weather airfields. The Railway units operated the railway at Syracuse and established a railhead in support of the advancing troops. The Port units took over the repair and operation of the ports of Syracuse, Augusta, Catania, Messina and Milazzo. |
Italy - September 1943-May 1945
|
| Tactical overview - After Sicily was secured
it was possible for the Allies to use it as a springboard to invade
Italy. The Anglo-American force, 15th Army Group, under General
Harold Alexander (1981-1969) consisting of the American 5th Army
(Clark) and the British 8th Army (Montgomery) began their invasion
on 9 September 1943. The invasion plan was for a three-prong attack
at the selected points of Salerno, Reggio and Taranto. The latter
two were carried out by the 8th Army and were met with little or
no opposition. The Americans at Salerno met with stiff opposition
but did eventually manage to secure a beachhead.
After the Salerno beachhead had been secured the American 5th Army
advanced up the west side of Italy while the British 8th Army advanced
up the east. Each army had to batter its way north through a series
of well prepared German defence - Viktor Line, Gustav Line, Caesar
Line, and Gothic Line. Progress was slow hampered by the mountainous
terrain, with its sheer faces, steep gullies and false crests coupled
with deep valleys of marshes and broad rivers. The engineers were
used extensively to overcome these obstacles.
|
Italian Campaign 1943-45
key
dates
9/10 Jul 43 - Allies invade Sicily
1 Sep 43 - Italians accept armistice
3 Sep 43 - 8th Army lands at Reggio
9 Sep 43 - Salerno (Operation Avalanche)
1 Oct 43 - Naples captured
22 Jan- 23 May 44 - Anzio (Operation Shingle)
May 44 - Rapido crossings (Operation Diadem)
18 May 44 -Monte Cassino captured
5 Jun 44 - Rome captured
4 Aug 44 - Florence captured
12-24 Sep 44 - Battle of Gothic Line
5 Dec 44 - Ravenna captured
21 Apr 45 - Bolonga captured
26 Apr 45 - Verona and Genoa captured
29 Apr 45 - Mussolini murdered
2 May 45 - Germans in Italy surrender |
|
Italy - Initial landings - September 1943 |
Salerno (Operation Avalanche) - Although this
was essentially an American operation, British troops were involved
and their engineers were:
- 4th, 21st Field and 143rd Field Park Squadron (7th Armoured Division)
- 4th, 220th, 221st Field and 563rd Field Park Companies (56th Division)
- Det 15th Airfield Construction Group
- Transportation, Movement Control and Postal units.
No obstacles were encountered on the beaches, but the engineers
were soon engaged in the construction of culverts to give access
to off road dumps, the preparation of defences, the construction
of airstrips. Their bulldozers were used to extract seven ditched
tanks and to keep the traffic moving off the beaches. Within the
beachhead area the Transportation units repaired and then operated
the port of Salerno.
|
|
Reggio - The landing was met with little resistance
so after securing the bridgehead the engineers of 5th Division and
1st Canadian Division were engaged in the construction of landing
craft ramps, 'Z' craft berths, a train ferry terminal, whilst the
932nd Port Construction and Repair company pumped out the dry dock.
During the advance up the toe of Italy, the engineers built a total
of 24 Bailey bridges. |
|
Taranto - There was no opposition mounted against 1st Airborne Division's landing at Taranto. A sapper of 261st Airborne Field Park Company drove a train deep into enemy territory and released 300 prisoners of war. 9th Airborne Field Company operated the port until the arrival of a Port Construction and Repair Company. |
|
Italy - The slog northwards - October 1943- May 1945
Throughout the Italian campaign the British, Dominion and Indian
engineers were engaged in maintaining, building and repairing roads,
constructing bridge and ferry crossings over fast flowing rivers,
clearing mines and other obstacles, restoring electricity and water
supplies, building troop accommodation, repairing and operating
ports and railways, constructing and repairing airfields, mapping,
bomb disposal, controlling troop and store movements, and maintaining
the mail services.
Bridging
|
British, Dominion and Indian engineers constructed
or re-constructed 3,618 bridges during the period 1943-45 this was
due to the terrain over which the armies advanced and the destruction
of bridges by the retreating German army.
By 1944, in the front lines, engineer assault equipment was being
used to assist in the construction of bridges. Royal Army Service
Corps (RASC) companies were also attached to the engineers to carry
bridging equipment. |
| Italian Campaign Bridging Statistics
Type |
No |
| Bailey bridges |
2,832 |
| Bailey pontoon bridges |
19 |
| Permanent bridges (steel and trestle) |
204 |
| Permanent bridges (brick and masonry) |
73 |
| Railway bridges reconstructed |
490 |
Total |
3,618 |
|
|
| Bridges were often given a name, below are some of the
more famous of the campaign: |
- 'Sangro' Bridge
- Construction dates: 4-14 December 1943
- Details: 1,126ft long Class 30 bridge, which spanned the river Sangro. It was the longest Bailey bridge built during the whole campaign.
- Constructed by: 561st, 586th, 587th Field Companies, Det 1st Canadian Drilling Company and Det 138th Mechanical Equipment Company.
- 'Plymouth' Bridge
- Construction dates: 11/12 May 1944 (Operation Diadem)
- Details: A single-double Bailey 100 ft long that was carried
forward on two Sherman tanks. It was supported in the front
tank by rollers, so that when this tank reached the bridging
gap, the rear tank could launch the bridge. It was the first
Bailey assault bridge to be built in the field and spanned
70ft gap over the Rapido river.
- Constructed by: 4th Division engineers
|
- 'Amazon' Bridge
- Construction dates: 12/13 May 1944 (Operation Diadem)
- Details: 80 ft Class 30 Bailey bridge built over Rapido
river under constant fire. The bridge was built as part of
the Allies break-out of the Gustav Line. Work started at 5.45pm (12 May) and completed
at 5.30am (13 May). The human cost was high; 15 sappers were
killed and 57 (including 3 officers) wounded.
- Constructed by: 7th, 59th, 225th Field Companies (4th Division)
|
Amazon Bridge over the Rapido - May 1944 (Painting: Cuneo) |
- 'Houdini' type
- Construction dates: various dates during the final stages
of the campaign.
- Details: It consisted of a steel cable taken across a river,
which was passed through a couple of snatch blocks, and back
to a tackle on the near bank. Decking of timber was snaked-lashed
to the cables. This bridge was designed to be collapsed during
the day and resurrected at night to allow troops to move over
it unobserved under the cover of darkness.
- Developed by: 10th Field Company, IE (10th Indian Division)
- 'Springbok' Bridge
- Construction dates: 25 April - 4 May 1945
- Details: The South African engineers repaired the former
main road bridge over the Po river at Pontelagoscuro using
specially designed and modified Bailey equipment.
- Constructed by: South African Corps Troops SAEC
|
Mine clearance
Mines were used extensively by the Germans and were cleared by
the engineers. On 24 February 1944, Subedar Subramanyan, 11th Field
Park Company, Indian Engineers was in charge of a party of sappers
clearing mines near Mignano, Italy. He was awarded a posthumous
George Cross for preventing the deaths of his party by flinging
his body on a Schumine that had been triggered by his Lance-naik.
It was the first such award to be given to a member of the Indian
Army. |
Anzio (Operation Shingle) - 22 January - 23 May 44
|
| Operation Shingle was the Anglo-American amphibious assault
on Anzio, a port located on west coast of Italy about 32 miles south
of Rome. Its aim was to cut the German 19th Army's lines of communication
and by so doing to force their withdrawal from the Gustav Line.
In preparation for the assault at Anzio engineer units were put
to work on the island of Corsica to create a series of deceptions
( dummy dumps, landing craft etc.) to fool the Germans into thinking
that the invasion target was France and not Anzio.
The deception obviously worked, because the leading assault troops
encountered few minefields, no wire, pillboxes or other obstacles,
but because of the clay soil beyond the beaches the engineers were
kept busy laying matting, corduroy and rock to make the area passable.
1st Division and their engineers were involved in the initial assault.
On 24 January 1944 the enemy resistance stiffened and the engineers
had to take on an infantry role in the front line of the beachhead.
23rd Field Company, Royal Engineers became surrounded and took 80
causalities.
The 1st Division was replaced by the 56th Division, which was later
replaced by the 5th Division.
|
Tracks |
| After the break out from the beachhead, the provision for tracks
for the forward troops in the mountains fell largely to the Indian
Engineers of the 4th and 10th Indian Divisions. A notable example
of these was 'Jacob's ladder', a track constructed by the field units
of 4th Indian Division and of X Corps Troops, rising 1,150ft at an
average gradient of 1 in 10. |
|
Italy - Other Corps activities
Survey
The 8th Army Survey Directorate arrived in Italy in September 1943.
The units under its control were: 13th, 517th Field Survey Companies;
7th General Survey Company and 20th (Army) Field Survey Depot. Other
units joined and left as the campaign progressed.
Due to the rapid advance in September 1943, the 13th Survey Company
moved 10 times and printed over 1 million maps (1/50,000 sheets)
on its mobile equipment.
Polish survey units were placed under command of the 8th Army Survey Directorate in Spring 1944.
|
Works
Works units had a wide variety of responsibilities such as airfield construction,
establishing and constructing bases, stores and accommodation, maintaining
electrical power stations and water supplies, constructing oil pipelines
and fuel storage areas and organising and managing local production.
|
- Airfield construction - During the campaign
184 airfields were constructed of which 82 were 'All-weather'
fields and 102 were 'Fair' weather fields. At first little Pierced
Steel Plank (PSP) was available and it was necessary to pave the
runways with concrete, asphalt, or brick. The majority of the
'All-weather fields were constructed by 14th Airfield Construction
Group, Royal Engineers.
|
|
- Accommodation
- Transit camps were built at Rome, Taranto, Naples and Bari.
The most important was Lammie Camp at Naples, which could
accommodate 5,000 personnel.
- Prisoner of war camps were built near Naples and Taranto.
- Depots and workshops for the RAOC, RASC and REME were constructed
at Naples and Bari.
|
|
|
- Forestry - 14th New Zealand Forestry Company
controlled timber production in the pine forests of Calabria.
In spring 1944, 9,000 tons of timber was being cut and sawn monthly
and by the summer had figure had risen to 15,000 tons.
|
|
- Roads - In conjunction with the American engineers,
British, Dominion and Indian engineers repaired and maintained
roads for the armies.
|
| |
|
Transportation
The Royal Engineers Transportation Services and the other Dominion
and Indian engineers were heavily engaged in repairing and then
operating both railways and ports. |
- Rail - Many obstacles were encountered in restoring
the rail such as torn-up track and the destruction of at least
75% of the railway tunnels and bridges. Once the damage had been
repaired the engineers took on the responsibility of operating
the trains in the forward areas while the Italian State Railways,
under military supervision, operated those in the rear areas.
Re-construction responsibilities for British railway troops included:
- 1943-44 - Ciaserta- Foggia line, Foggia-Potenza line, the
east coast line north of Foggia, Rome-Naples line
- 1944-45 - Leghorn-Bologna line, Rome-Arezzo line, Ancona-Arezzo
line, and Rimini-Bologna line
|
|
- Ports - Generally the ports captured had suffered
little damage and what damage there was, was soon repaired by
the Port Construction and Repair Groups. They also upgraded them
for military purposes; that was to increase their handling capacity
to that of a daily discharge rate of at least 15,000 tons. Such
modifications included:
- Taranto - construction of a lighter quay and the completion
of a partly constructed quay.
- Brindisi - construction of 2 lighter quays and rail layouts.
- Bari - construction of a 'Z' craft quay, 3 lighter quays,
completion of an alongside berth, laying of 3,500ft of submarine
fuel line to feed a naval oiling hulk, re-erection of a bulk
grain handling plant and the installation of a new lighting
system.
- Ancona - The RE Port Repair Ship Progress was used
to clear small craft sunk in the harbour.
|
|
Postal |
- A Base Army Post Office (BAPO) was first established at Bari but was
later moved to Naples.
- Mails were distributed within the 8th Army operational areas
by truck but were also augmented by rail and air, which were developed
to provide an internal mail service to troops as they moved north.
Surface mails entered and exited via Naples, Bari, and Taranto.
Airmails were also routed by Naples.
- Field Post Offices (FPOs) were established on the beachheads
during the landings at Salerno and Anzio. On two occasions mails
leaving the Anzio beaches onboard LST were lost to enemy action.
- Postal trained members of the ATS were deployed to the
BAPO in 1944.
|
|
Assault Engineers - 1943
By Spring 1943 the experiences of the engineers in North Africa
(1940-43) and at Dieppe (August 1942) showed that engineers in the
forefront of assaults on prepared defences were very exposed and
such exposure seriously lessened their chances of success. Better
assault methods and armoured protection were required.
|
Major General Sir Percy Hobart, Commander
79th Armoured Division and initiator of the 'Hobart's Funnies' |
In April 1943 the 79th Armoured Division was formed in England
under command of an engineer Major General (later Sir) Percy Hobart (1885-1967)
. His division was charged with the co-ordination and development
of armoured assault equipment and techniques in preparation of a
planned invasion of North West Europe (Operation Overlord).
The development of special engineering equipment led to the creation
of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE). They were based
on the chassis of Churchill and Sherman tanks that were specially
adapted to execute a variety of engineering tasks such as; mine
clearance, demolition, mat laying, flame throwing, and bridging.
These machines were known as "Hobart's Funnies" and were successfully
used during the campaigns in North West Europe and Italy. |
The 1st Assault Brigade, Royal Engineers was formed in October
1943 as part of 79th Armoured Division: |
- Brigade Headquarters - 149th Assault Park Squadron.
- 5th Assault Regiment - 26th, 77th, 79th, 80th Assault Squadrons
(formed from the conversion of 5th Chemical Warfare Group).
- 6th Assault Regiment - 81st, 82nd, 87th, 284th Assault Squadrons
(formed from the conversion of 6th Chemical Warfare Group).
- 42nd Assault Regiment - 16th, 222nd, 557th, 617th Assault Squadrons
(formed from the divisional engineers of 42th Division).
|
Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers
(AVRE), the principle engineer assault vehicle mounted with a 'petard'
(the 'Flying Dustbin') spigot mortar. |
A double ARK (Armoured Ramp Carrier) crossing
on the Senio river in support of the 8th Indian Division - Italy
1945 |
Units of the Brigade were attached to, or operated in support of,
other formations deployed on Operation Overlord and the subsequent
operations in North West Europe which eventually led to the unconditional
surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945.
The high casualties suffered by the engineers in Italy and the
success of the assault units in Normandy (Operation Overlord - June
1944), led to the formation in autumn 1944 of the 1st Armoured Regiment
in Italy. The regiment was formed from a combination of Royal Armoured
Corps and Royal Engineers units equipped with AVREs.
|
British Liberation Army (BLA) - 1944-45
North West Europe
Operation Overlord - June 1944
Operation Overlord was the amphibious landing by the Allies on
the breaches of Normandy for a full account see Campaign History
Operation
Overlord and the Royal Engineers and 6th Airborne Divisional Engineers - D Day 1944 |
|
Operation Market Garden - September 1944
Operation Market Garden was the attempt to capture the Arnhem road bridge by a joint airborne invasion and ground attack. For a full account see Campaign History Royal Engineers and Operation Market Garden.
|
|
The Rhine Crossings - March 1945
The crossing of the Rhine consisted of two operations:
- Operation Plunder - the overall amphibious
crossing of the Rhine by British troops, which began at 6 pm
on 23 March 1945.
- Operation Varsity - a subordinate operation
carried out by Allied airborne troops to capture and hold the
town of Wesel that was executed on 24 March 1945.
| Bridges built on the 21st Army front for the Rhine
Crossing Mar-Apr 1945
Location |
Name |
Type and Length |
Unit |
Comments |
| Xanten |
Digger |
Class: 40
Type: Tactical BPB
Length: 1,091 ft |
7 Army Troops Engineers |
Start date: 27 Mar
Construction Time: 31 Hours
The first bailey bridge across the Rhine, in 6 days almost
30,000 vehicles crossed. |
| Wardt |
Draghunt (or Twist) |
Class: 9
Type: FBE
Length: 1,440 ft |
8 Corps Troops Engineers |
Start date: 24 Mar
Construction time: 10 hours
Its construction was delayed by enemy action, but nevertheless
it was the first British bridge across the Rhine. |
| Xanten |
Sussex |
Class: 12
Type: Tactical BPB
Length: 1,940 ft |
12 Corps Troops Engineers |
Start date: 24 Mar
Construction time: 26 hours
This was two bridges joined by a causeway. the shorter
bridge was 360 ft long. |
| Rees |
Lambeth |
Class: 15
Type: Tactical BPB
Length: 1,206 ft |
30 Corps Troops Engineers |
Start date: 25 Mar
Construction time: 24 hours
Work was delayed by enemy action and smoke was used. |
| Honnepel |
Waterloo |
Class: 9
Type: FBE
Length: 1,300 ft |
18 GHQ Troops Engineers |
Start date: 25 Mar
Construction time: 18 hours
Constructed using smoke to avoid enemy artillery fire. |
| Rees |
London |
Class: 40
Type: Low-level BPB
Length: 1,174 ft |
8 GHQ Troops Engineers |
Start date: 25 Mar
Construction time: 30 hours
Assistance given by Pioneer Corps troops. |
| Rees |
Blackfriars |
Class: 40
Type: Low-level BPB
Length: 1,764 ft |
2 Canadian Corps Engineers |
Start date: 26 Mar
Construction time: 50 hours
Constructed close to Lambeth bridge, but was longer. |
| Rees |
Westminster |
Class: 40
Type: All weather BPB
Length: 1,402 ft |
6 Army Troops Engineers |
Start date: 26 Mar
Construction time: 76 hours
Catered for a 20ft range of river level, Low priority
for equipment. |
| Xanten |
Sparrow |
Class: 40
Type: All weather BPB
Length: 1,713 ft |
15 (Kent) GHQ Troops Engineers |
Start date: 27 March
Construction time: 145 hours
Later extended by an approach bridge to a length of 2,085ft,
plus a 645 ft appoarch road. |
| Emmerich |
Maclean |
Class: 40
Type: All weather BPB
Length: 1,656 ft |
1 Canadian Army Engineers |
Start date: 2 April
Construction time: 85 hours
A change of site was made late on 30 March. A second,
low-level, BPB was built nearby. |
BPB - Bailey Pontoon Bridge
FBE - Folding Boat Equipment
Source: One more river
to cross JH Joiner (p. 247) |
|
|
Far East 1941-1942
Tactical overview - The Japanese army overran
the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931 and so began an extended
period of military occupation of large areas of China. In autumn
1941 America, Britain and the Netherlands instituted a trade embargo
on Japan, this forced them into a position of either abandoning
their occupation of China or to seize the necessary raw materials
to sustain it. They chose the latter course.
On 7 December 1941 they entered the war on the side of the Axis
forces with a surprise attack on the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii. This was swiftly followed by attacks on British
and Dutch possessions in the Far East. French Indo-China declared
itself pro-Vichy.
Hong Kong - 8-25 December 1941
The Japanese 23rd Army attacked the Hong Kong New Territories on
8 December 1941 and took Hong Kong island on 25 December 1941.
|
|
The engineers units, which were made up of European, Chinese and Indian personnel,
were responsible for constructing defences and preparing demolitions.The units involved were:
- 22nd and 40th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers.
- Engineer Field Company, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps.
- Hong Kong Engineer Corps.
As the battle progressed and the situation became more desperate
their role reverted to an infantry one. Those who survived and were unable to escape were held prisoner until
their release in 1945.
|
Chinese members of 40 Fortress Company -
1941
(Photo: IWM KF138) |
The Chinese Sappers of 40 Fortress Company RE
After the fall of Hong Kong in 1941, a few of these Sappers
made their way through Japanese lines to Chungking where they
reported to the British Mission and subsequently served in the
Chindit Column commanded by Brigadier JM Calvert (late RE),
an erstwhile subaltern of 40 Fortress Company RE. The Chinese
Sappers of 40 Fortress Company RE (1906-41) were the successors
of those who had served in 40 Submarine Mining Company RE (1886-1905),
which was a unit described as "principally composed of
natives". |
|
Malaya and Singapore - 7 December 1941 - 15 February 1942
Tactical overview - Shortly after midnight on
7 December 1941, the Japanese 25th Army invaded Malaya. They made
a diversionary landing at Kora Bharu that was accompanied by the
main landings at Singora and Patani on the northeast coast. Simultaneously
the Japanese Air Force struck the forward Malayan airfields. On
the 10 December their air force sank the Royal Navy capital vessels;
Prince of Wales and Repulse, freeing the way for
the Japanese navy to control the sea. The Japanese army advanced
down the Malayan peninsula to Singapore by infiltrating through
the jungle to out flank the British, Dominion and Indian forces,
who in the meantime retreated until they arrived on Singapore island.
The British, Dominion and Indian forces finally surrendered to the
Japanese on 15 February 1942.
In December 1941 the engineers of the field force in Malaya were:
- Singapore - 30th, 34th, 35th, 41st Fortress Companies, Royal
Engineers
- Penang - 36th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers
- Northern Area (Jitra area) - III Indian Corps
- 45th , 46th Army Troops Companies, Indian Engineers
- 19th, 22nd Field and 42nd Field Park Companies, Indian Engineers (9th Indian Division)
- 3rd, 17th, 23rd Field and 43rd Field Park Companies, Indian Engineers (11th Indian Division)
- 15th Field Company, Indian Engineers (12th Indian Brigade)
- Johore and Malacca Area - 8th Australian Division
- 2/10, 2/15 Field and 2/5 Field Park Companies, Royal Australian Engineers
- 3rd, 17th, 23rd Field and 43rd Field Park Companies, Indian Engineers (11th Indian Division)
On 13 January 1942 the 18th British Division, which had earlier
been dispached to the Far East, began to arrive in Singapore. Their
engineers were:
- 287th, 560th, 588th Field and 251st Field Park Companies, Royal Engineers.
- 18th Division Postal Unit, Royal Engineers.
|
|
Japanese engineers repairing the Johore causeway,
destroyed by 15th Field Company, Indian Engineers on 31
January 1942 (Photo: Robert Hunt Library) |
In Autumn 1941 in preparation for the coming hostilities in Malaya,
engineers were engaged in improving defences and preparing airfields
for cratering. Stores were in such short supply that at some airfields
instead of the proper obstacles being constructed large pieces of
furniture was strewn about the runways to prevent enemy aircraft
from landing on them.
During the whole retreat through Malaya the various engineer units
destroyed over 600 bridges. The 43rd Field Company, Indian Engineers
destroyed the road and railway bridges over the Krian river at Nehang
Tehal (two of the largest bridges in Malaya).
|
| On 31 January 1942 in the defence of Singapore the 15th
Field Company, Indian Engineers blew a 70ft gap in the causeway linking
Singapore to Johore. During the period prior to the final Japanese
assault the engineer units were busy improving the defences and repairing
damage to essential services caused by enemy bombing. Just before
the final surrender they were engaged in destroying stores and equipment.
After the capitulation of Singapore those of the garrison who were
left were taken into captivity where they suffered great privations
and degradations until their release in 1945. |
India - 1939-45
British India acted as the major base for British operations in the Far East.
Despite the political tension within the country the Indian Army remained
loyal and a call-to-arms expanded the manpower from 160,000 in 1939
to over 2 million by 1945. The army played a major part in the British
campaigns in East Africa, the Western Desert, Italy, Malaya and Burma.
Similar expansion took place in the Corps of Indian Engineers,
which consisted of works and field units (it was not until after
1939 that Transportation units were formed). The Corps was mainly
officered by Royal Engineers, and it provided engineer support to
the Indian Army (see Corps History Part 10 Indian Sappers).
Defence of the North West Frontier 1939-42
|
| At the outbreak of war in Europe the defensive measures for India were concentrated on the North West Frontier (now Pakistan), which lay in what was then considered the only approach of a land attack. Consequently, under Royal Engineer supervision, the defences of the frontier were strengthened with the construction of many gun pits, anti-tank obstacles, headquarters and supply depots. However, when Japan entered the war in December 1941 it was obvious the threat could come from the east. |
|
Defence of the North East Frontier 1942-45
Historically, India's north east neighbours were not perceived as a serious
threat to security consequentially the lines of communications (roads
and railway) in that area were little developed, but with a looming
threat from the Japanese these shorting comings had to be addressed
and it fell upon the officers of the Royal Engineers and the units
of Indian Engineers to so address them.
Works and Field unit activities
|
- Airfields - In April 1942 an American pilot,
Lieutenant Colonel WD Old flew a military aircraft from Assam
across the foothills of the Himalayas ("The Hump") to China and
thereby proving it was possible to use the route to supply Chinese
forces. Consequently by November 1942 about 150 airfields had
been constructed by engineer units, with the aid of local labour,
in Assam and northeast India. They were used by the Americans
to carry materials over 'The Hump', and by the RAF and Navy to
defend India.
- Dimpapur Base - The main supply base for operations
in the east was established in Dimapur, where engineer units constructed
accommodation, storage and water supplies, road and rail links.
|
|
- Manipur province road improvements -
Roads in Manipur province were improved and some were driven
forward from Imphal and Palet by 59th Field Company, 414th Bridge
Construction Section, Indian Engineers and other units to meet
the retreating Army of Burma in May 1942. To the north 23rd Divisional
engineers began work on the Dimapur-Imphal road and were used
to make all weather roads to maintain forward brigades about Palet
and Litan.
|
- Tiddim road - Over winter 1942 the Tehri Garwhal Field Company, Indian State Forces, began constructing what was to become the 'Tiddim road'. It ran between Imphal and Tiddim - a distance of 160 miles. By March 1943 they had constructed 100 miles of road from Imphal that was capable of taking light MT traffic. The engineers of 17th Division drove the road further through the difficult country leading down to the Manipur River. 60th Field Company, Indian Engineers completed a suspension bridge over the river in August 1943. The last 36 miles of the road was built by PWD engineers using local labour to the general plans of the Commander Royal Engineers 17th Division (Lieutenant Colonel RSB Ward, RE). The last 3 miles involved a 2,000ft climb into Tiddim, the road consisted of 30 hairpin bends and was locally known by troops as the 'Chocolate Staircase'.
|
|
- Tamu road - In Spring 1943 IV Corps Troops Engineers were put to work on the Tamu road, which ran between Imphal and Tamu and had been started by 23rd Divisional Engineers. The IV Corps Troops Engineers were also tasked with extending the road to Sittaung and southwards down the Kabaw valley. By the start of the monsoon season the road to Sittaung had been made fit for 15-cwt trucks. In the Kabaw valley elephants under the control of Lieutenant Colonel WH (Elephant Bill) Williams were used to build timber 'Elephant bridges' for crossing streams and rivers in the low-water seasons.
|
|
|
Transportation unit activities
|
- Sunderbunds Flotilla (No 2,0000 Flotilla) -
March-October 1942 - the Transportation Directorate was charged
with raising a force of ships to patrol the hundreds of miles
of the Ganges Delta against possible Japanese infiltration. The
flotilla was disbanded in October but its personnel later assisted
in operations along the coast of Arakan.
- Assam and India rail links - Units were assisted
the civil authorities to improve and regularise the rails links
between Assam and India.
- Port development - Units assisted in the development
of Chittagong port and the formation of a railhead and forward
base in the neighbourhood.
|
|
|
General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) - 1943-45
In Spring 1943 the demands of the engineering work in defence of
the north east frontier required co-ordination to this effect Brigadier
SA Westrop was tasked with setting up an engineer force, the General
Reserve Engineer Force (GREF). The force was comprised of engineer
units, civilian contractors and local labour. They took on the responsibilities
and tasks started in early 1942 by the engineer field units and
continued with:
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GREF Insignia
The GREF was given its own
vehicle sign: a five-pointed yellow star with the letters GF
in black in the centre. |
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- The construction of all airfields in Assam required by the US
Air Force to operate the supply route over 'The Hump' to China.
- The construction of the main supply bases at Dimapur.
- The construction of the Bongaigon-Dimapur road.
- The construction of a petrol pipeline between Chandranathpur
and Dimapur.
- The operation of quarries to provide aggregate for construction
(58th Field Company, Royal Engineers and 440th Quarrying Company,
Indian Engineers)
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By May 1943 the GREF was expanded to include Transportation, Movemeents and
Labour officers. For the GREF projects about 33,00 coolies were
required many of them coming from all over Assam.
In Autumn 1943 the force was divided into two; a small part remained
to maintain the airfields in Assam, while the bulk of the force
was put in support of XIV Army. This force had several tasks:
- Completion of the construction of the oil pipe-line to Dimapur.
- Construction of main road between Dimapur and Ledo.
- Connecting the airfields in northern Assam with the British pipe-line and oil installations.
- Construction of housing and other works required by the Americans
west of their Ledo base.
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Other engineer units - Survey - The Survey of India was responsible for the production and provision of maps for the campaigns in South-East Asia.
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- Postal
- At the beginning of the war mail services to troops in the Far East was providing by either civilian services or the Indian Army Postal Service, however, the collapse of Malaya and Singapore created such a backlog of mail that it almost brought the mail services to a halt. An officer of the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) was despatched to India to review the situation. His review led to the Indian Army Postal Services being re-organised along British lines, and the establishment of a Base Army Post Office in Calcutta to handle the campaign mail for the Far East.
- Between 1939-43 Surface mail was despatched by sea via Durban, South Africa. After the removal of the Axis forces from North Africa mail was routed via Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.
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Kohima and Imphal - March-June 1944
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Tactical overview - On 14 March 1944, the Japanese launched an offensive from North Burma. Its objective was to capture Kohima, in the Indian province of Manipur, and thus sever the communication of IV Corps and gain a foothold in British India.
The Japanese began with a strike against 17th Indian Division in the Tiddim
area; they sent small columns through the Kabaw valley in an attempt
to cut off the division's retreat. Meanwhile another Japanese force
debouched from the Kabaw valley about Tamu and struck at IV Corps'
centre. At the same time a third Japanese force crossed the River
Chindwin further north and marched on Kohima.
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Engineering activities
The advanced positions of the 17th Division around Tiddim were
withdrawn on the start of the Japanese offensive to prevent them
from becoming isolated. To cover the withdrawal the divisional engineers
had the sad duty of destroying much of the work they had done the
previous year. The Tiddim water supply was destroyed, as was the
bridge over the Manipur River. Many other bridges and culverts were
similarly destroyed. Roadblocks were constructed, mines laid and
mule paths dug.
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In the centre 20th Division also withdrew, during which 422nd Field Company, Indian Engineers held out against fierce Japanese attacks. The division finally halted on the plain of Imphal around two airfields south of Palel, which were used to re-supply the force after the Japanese cut them off. To maintain these airfields and those at Palel and Imphal the engineers used Prefabricated Bituminous Surfacing (PBS) consisting of strips of Hessian impregnated with bitumen, but in wet weather these strips disintegrated so Pierced Steel Plank (PSP) was flown in and used instead. |
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| Defence on the Imphal plain -
During this period of fighting on the plain of Imphal the defences
were organized in self-contained defensive areas, called 'boxes'.
Each box had its own water supply rigged-up and maintained by its
attached engineers. 'Lion Box' was comprised entirely of Engineer
units:
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- 58th Field Company, Royal Engineers (less two sections)
- 864th Mechanised Equipment Company, Royal Engineers (headquarters and workshop Section)
- 652nd Mechanised Equipment Company, Indian Engineers (headquarters and one section)
- 671st Mechanised Equipment Company, Indian Engineers (headquarters)
- 517th and 518th Artisan Works Companies, Indian Engineers
- 440th Quarrying Company, Indian Engineers
- One Company Sikh Engineer Battalion, Indian Engineers
The engineers
were also engaged in the destruction of Japanese 'bunkers'.
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Siege of Kohima - April-May 1944
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In late March 1944 two infantry battalions accompanied by 2nd Field Company,
Indian Engineers were despatched to Kohima. On 5 April a full Japanese
Division assailed Kohima garrison. Three days later the road was
cut and Kohima was under siege. During the siege the engineers took
an active part in the defence - laying mines, cutting mule tracks
and making roads passable to jeeps. The garrison was finally relieved
on 18 April, the defenders were found crowded together on one 'Summer
house' hill. Not a building in Kohima was left undamaged. All were
reduced to rubble and dust. The dead lay unburied and the sick and
wounded lay exposed to sun and rain.
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2nd (British) Division (5th, 208th, and 506th Field and 21st Field Park Companies,
Royal Engineers) were deployed to Dimapur in March 1944. They accompanied
the force that relieved Kohima, during which time they constructed
roads, cleared mines, blew-in bunkers and arranged water supplies.
When attacking one hill a party of Royal Engineers rigged a cable
and tackle to haul a 6-pounder anti-tank gun up to its crest, then,
covered by this gun they, under cover of darkness, constructed a
track for tanks to climb to the summit. By the end of May the area
about Kohima was free of the Japanese.
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Madras Sappers and Miners work on a 'corduroy'
road east of Kohima, on the Jessami track, August 1944. Road surfaces
of laid timber were cheap and reasonably durable.
(Photo: unknown) |
On 22 June 1944 the siege of Imphal was broken,
by mid-July the Japanese invasion of India had been defeated and
the British prepared to reclaim Burma (see Reconquest
of Burma below). |
Burma - 1941-45
British interest in began in the 1820s after various portions of Burmese territories, including Arakan, Tenasserim were
conferred to the British after British victory in First Anglo-Burmese
War (1823-24).
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| Lower Burma was annexed by the British
in 1852 as result of their victory in the Second Anglo-Burmese War
(1852). The British-acquired territories were thereafter designated
a province of British India in 1862.
In 1886 the remaining Burmese territory, Upper Burma, was annexed
to the British because of their successes in the Third Anglo-Burmese
War (1885). This final campaign was commanded by an engineer, Major-General
(later Sir) Harry North Dalrymple Prendergast VC (1824-1913).
The British separated Burma Province from British India in 1937
and at the beginning of the war it was a Crown Colony. |
Burma Campaigns 1941-45
key
dates
11 Dec 41 - Japanese invades Burma
6 Mar 42 - Rangoon falls
1 May 42 - Mandalay falls
20 May 42 - Japanese conquest complete
28 Dec 42 - 1st (14th Army) Arakan Campaign
8 Feb 43 - 1st Chindits Expedition
4 Feb 44- Japanese Arakan offensive
5 Feb 44 - 2nd Chindits Expedition
14 Mar 44 - Japanese invades India from Burma
28 Sep 44 - 2nd (14th Army) Arakan Campaign
15 Oct 44 - 14th Army begin reconquest of Burma
10 Dec 44 - 14th Army cross Chindwin
25 Feb 45 - 14th Army cross Irrawady
4 Mar 45 - Mandalay recaputured
28 Apr 45 - Recapture of Arakan complete
3 May 45 - Rangoon recaptured
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There was an ebb and flow to the British fortunes in
Burma during the war as follows:
- Japanese
invasion of Burma in December 1941 which resulted in the British
retreating to India and Burma falling to the Japanese.
- In 1942 the British mounted the Arakan
offensive against the Japanese which was met with little success.
- The use of irregular tactics against the Japanese in the form
of the Chindits
was tried in 1943 and again in 1944.
- After the defeat of the Japanese at Imphal and Kohima (May 1944),
the British went on the offensive and began the Reconquest
of Burma (1944-45), which finally ended in success for them.
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Japanese invasion of Burma - December 1941
Tactical overview - The 15th Army Japanese invaded
Burma from bases in northern Siam (now Thailand) by the Japanese on
11 December 1941. The speed of the invasion wrong footed the British,
by March 1942 they were in retreat northwards to Assam and India,
and by May 1942 Burma was entirely in Japanese hands.
Engineering activities
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Just before the invasion the 17th Indian Division arrived in Burma with its engineers:
24th, 60th and 70th Field Companies, Indian Engineers
Other engineers units included:
- 1st Field Company, Burma Sapper and Miners - 1 Burma Division
- 50th and 56th Field Company, Indian Engineers - 1 Burma Division
- 21st Malerkotla Field Company, Indian Engineers - 1 Burma Division
- 17th and 18th Artisan Works Companies and 6th Pioneer Battalion, Indian Engineers in support of the Army and Lines of Communitions.
- No 2 Docks Group and 213th Docks Operating Company, Indian Engineers arrived in Rangoon in January 1942 to run the docks.
- No 3 Railway Construction and Maintenance Group, Indian Engineers arrived February 1942 and took over the running all railway south of Prome and Tungoo.
- Postal Unit, Royal Engineers
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The Anglo-Indian and Burmese forces were no match for the Japanese
and soon found themselves in retreat, leaving the engineers to carry
out demolitions on the possible Japanese lines of advance. One of
these demolitions occurred in February 1942 when, owing to encircling
movements by the Japanese, Captain (later Lt Col) RC Orgill, RE
with the 21st Malerkotla Field Company, Indian Engineers was instructed
to prepare a railway bridge over the Sittang River for demolition.
At the time the troops of the 17th Division were deployed on either
side of the river. But on the 22nd February 1942 the Japanese seriously
penetrated the division's defences so the Divisional Commander ordered
the bridge to be blown leaving some two-thirds of the division on
the far bank of the river.
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17th Indian Division and the Sittang bridge 22 February 1942
There has been some controversy about whether the Sappers pre-maturely demolished
the bridge. A later inquiry showed that it had not been so and
that the correct procedures had been followed. The Divisional
Commander of the time, Sir John Smythe, later described in his
book, Before the Dawn of how he had made his momentous
decision, knowing that two-thirds of his division would be left
on the far bank. He also stated that the bridge was blown as
he had ordered and that the Sappers responsible for the demolition
had behaved with gallantly as they executed their tasks under
heavy enemy fire. |
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In April 1942 while the main body withdrew towards Mandalay one column accompanied by two Indian Engineers field companies crossed the Irrawaddy River at Samaikon, south of Myinmu. There they safely ferry two brigades and divisional troops across the river in two days using rafts made up of local craft and cargo flats provided by the Royal Navy.
The force continued its retreat north towards India. In the rough country beyond the Chindwin River the engineers, bereft of transport and possessing only such tools as they could carry, toiled to make tracks for the retreating remnants.
Meanwhile, engineers from India constructed tracks forward from
north west India through the Chin Hills to meet what remained of
General Alexander's (1891-1969) force, which had been reduced to
12,000 men, many of them wounded and riddled with disease, many
barefooted and all emaciated through a shortage of rations and physical
toil.
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Arakan Offensive 1942-43
In 1942 it was decided that 14th Indian Division with 6th Infantry Brigade (of 2nd British Division and included 5th Field Company, Royal Engineers) should stage an overland attack on the Japanese in the Arakan.
In preparation for the operations port construction, railway and
works units of the Indian Engineers developed the port and vicinity
of Chittagong as an administrative base, and also constructed airfields
for the RAF. To the south of Chittagong 73rd and 74th Field Companies,
Indian Engineers constructed roads and bridges into the northern
part of the Arakan along which the force would advance.
During the campaign the engineers provided tradition engineering support, building roads, bridges, and operating ferries.
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Chindits Expeditions 1943-44
The Chindits were a Long Range Penetration force, founded by Major General Orde Wingate. They were formed during the summer of 1942 and comprised of British, Indian, Gurkha, Burmese and later West African troops. They were trained in jungle raiding and guerrilla tactics, their objective was to penetrate deep behind the Japanese lines in Burma where they were to disrupt the enemy's lines of communication.
1st Chindit Expedition - February - April 1943
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No engineer units were attached to the first Chindit brigades, the only Royal
Engineers involved were those individuals who volunteered to do
so, notably Colonel LECM Perowne and Major JM (Mad Mike) Calvert,
Royal Engineers. However, detachments of the 23rd Divisional Engineers
operated with patrols and columns, patrolling along and across the
River Chindwin in support of the departure and return of the expedition.
Besides carrying out their engineering tasks they were frequently
involved in fire-fights with Japanese columns in the area.
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2nd Chindit Expedition - Spring 1944
The second expedition was a much larger operation than the first.
Two of the columns (Brigades) were commanded by Royal Engineer officers
- Brigadiers LECM Perowne (23rd Brigade) and JM (Mad Mike) Calvert
(77th Brigade).
Sapper Chindit Commanders |
Brigadier JM Calvert DSO(1913-1998)
During the 2nd Chindit Expedition Calvert commanded 77th Brigade.
After the war Calvert founded the Malayan Scouts (1950), one
of the fore runners of the Special Air Service (SAS) regiment,
to combat the Communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency.
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Major General LECM Perowne CB CBE(1902-1982)
During the 2nd Chindit Expedition Perowne commanded 23rd Brigade.
In 1952 he was appointed Major General Brigade of Gurkhas
and 17th Gurkha Division during the Malayan Emergency. He
nutured the Gurkha Engineers in their early years. |
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The British engineers units involved were:
- 2nd, 12th and 54th Field Companies, Royal Engineers
- 219th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers.
Their initial role along with engineers from the other nations, which included US Engineers was to construct airstrips in selected areas deep behind enemy lines (the selected areas went under the following code names: 'Piccadilly', 'Broadway', 'Chowringee', 'Aberdeen' and 'White City'). The engineers were equipped with bulldozers which were flown in by glider.
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Chindits placing demolitions on a railway
(Photo: www.interet-general.info) |
The 2nd Field Company (Major JW Robinson RE) with 16th
Brigade did magnificent work with hand tools cutting a track over
the Patkai Hills and through the jungle and swamps of the Hukawny
valley during March 1994. In May the 54th Field Company (Major KM
Robertson RE) established a seaplane base on Indawgyi Lake to evacuate
the sick and wounded of the 3rd (West African) and 14th Brigades. |
Reconquest of Burma - Autumn 1944 - August 1945
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After the Japanese defeat at Kohima
and Imphal the14th Army under General Slim (1891-1970), comprising
of British, Indian, Burmese, East and West African troops, pursued
the Japanese southwards through Burma (Operation Capital and Extended
Capital). Whilst at the same time the British attacked the Japanese
at Arakan (Operation Romulus). The14th Army proceeded south driving
the Japanese before them.
After crossing the Chindwin river (9 December 1944) the original plan
(Operation Capital) was changed. This plan was to bring the Japanese
to battle on the plain of Shwebo, north of the loop of the river Irrawaddy,
where British armour could take advantage of the flat ground. Instead
it was decided that the 14th Army should exploit their early successes
and force two crossings across the river Irrawaddy north and south
of the Japanese main force in the Mandalay area (Operation Extended
Capital). The manoeuvre resulted in the capturing Mandalay in 3rd
week of March 1945. And successes in the Arakan led to the capture
of Rangoon on 3 May 1945 and the final defeat of the Japanese. |
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Engineering activities
The terrain and weather determined that the battle south to recapture Rangoon and Burma was essentially an 'engineer's war'. Engineer units were right at the front of the advance forging roads through the jungles and bridging rivers (the primary rivers of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy), as well as constructing airfields, clearing Japanese 'bunkers' and mines, whilst the other engineer units that followed in wake of the advancing troops consolidating the rudimentary roads into solid roads capable of carrying the 10,500 tons of stores and equipment required to logistically sustain the army's daily advance.
A list of some of the engineering feats of Operation Capital is shown
below:
- Crossing the Manipur River - 16 September 1944 - 2nd and 20th
Field Company, Indian Engineers constructed two FBE (Folding Bridge
Equipment) Ferries across the fast flowing Manipur river (330
ft wide) to allow 12 crossings per hour.
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- Restoration of Tiddim after its recapture - 17 October 1944
- Engineers restored water supplies, formed dumps for engineer
stores, began work on roads forward. With Three bulldozers they
constructed within a week an air strip 750 yds long.
- Roads south of Tamu - November 1944 - Tamu roads were remade
to Class 40 standard by 33 Corps and 11 East African Division
engineers. After the monsoon dust on the roads became a problem,
it was resolved by improvising vehicles to carry water to dampen
down the dust. Water towers were constructed along side the roads
to resupply the vehicles.
- Crossing the Chindwin river - 6-10 December 1944 - Near Tonhe
engineers of 474 Army Group Engineers (67th, 76th, 361st Field
Companies, Indian Engineers, 332nd Field Park Company , Indian
Engineers, a company of Pathan Engineer Battalion, Indian Engineers,
852nd and elements of 854th Bridge Companies, Indian Engineers)
under command of Colonel F Seymour-Williams began the construction
of the bridge on 6 December and completed it on 10 December 1944.
Equipment for the bridge had to brought forward from Dimapur along
the Imphal-Tamu road, in itself this was a major operation requiring
the construction of no less than 9 bailey bridges and 22 timber
bridges along the final 26 mile stretch of the 310-mile-long road.
The bridge was named Grub Bridge, after Seymour-Williams'
son, and at 1,153 ft long was one of the longest bailey bridge
constructed during the war.
The bridge carried the traffic of the XIV Army across the river
until March 1945, when it was replace by a more permanent flood
proof structure, the Falls Bridge.
Two other crossings were made across the Chindwin river.
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A Bailey catwalk built to negotiate a damaged section of the road alongside the Manipur River
The 'chocolate staircase' on the 2,000ft climb
to Tiddim village on the Imphal-Tiddam-Kalewa Road. The climb consisted
of over 30 hairpin bends. The road was originally built in 1943
and was severely damaged during the Japanese offensive on Imphal
and Kohima so required repair work during the advance on Tiddim.
'Grub' bailey bridge built across the Chindwin
River 6-10 December 1944, it is reputed to be one of the longest
bailey bridge to be built during the Second World war |
| After the crossing of the Chindwin river the battle
plan changed. Under the code name Operation Extended Capital the new
plan was to move the corps' of the 14th Army to the north and south
of the Japanese forces in the Mandalay area and thus catch them in
a pincer movement. Such a change involved several major river crossings
over the Irrawaddy river. These crossings began in January 1945. Ferrying
and rafting equipment had to be brought by road from Dimapur and in
all cases when it arrived parts were missing or damaged, but nevertheless
the engineer units still managed to effect the following crossings:
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- Over the period 14-27 January 1945 the 19 Division became the
first formation to cross at Thabeikkyin. They were assisted by
65th and 64th Field Company, Indian Engineers. For this crossing
140 assault and Ranger boats, four Class18 pontoon rafts and three
Class 9 FBE rafts and 35 outboard motors were used. Shortly before
the crossing the 422nd Field Company, Indian Engineers constructed
a transport strip so that the outboard motors and other items
could be flown in.
- During the second week of February 1945 IV Corps effected crossings
near Nyaunga. To ensure that equipment was available on time the
457th Forward Airfield Engineers, Indian Engineers had to rapidly
construct airstrips 23 miles from the river. The engineer units
who carried out the crossings were those of the 7 Indian Division,
IV Corps Troops, 36th Field Squadron, Indian Engineers and 854th
Bridge Company, Indian Engineers.
- 208th Field Company, Royal Engineers assisted 2 British Division
to cross near Nagazun towards the end of February 1945. Three
assaults crossings were attempted in assault under heavy fire.
The crossing were successful but ferocious fire prevented the
engineers from returning. 5th Field Company, Royal Engineers were
also involved and used DUKWs (a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck)
to ferry troops. Beehive charges were used to blow gaps in the
cliffs on the opposite bank and a bulldozer was used to clear
exits.
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Class 5 Raft Folding Boat Equipment
(FBE) crossing a river in Burma - 1945
Sappers of 2 British Division at work crossing
the river Irrawaddy at Ngazun, Burma during the period 24-37 February
1945
(Painting: David Cobb) |
A fighter airfield with the 14th Army Burma 1945 (Watercolor: James Fletcher-Watson) |
Once over the Irrawaddy river the most important
function of the engineers until the recapture of Rangoon was to construct,
repair and maintain the airfields so important to sustain the 14th
Army in the field.
Fair-weather airfields for the supply of the leading formations were normally
cleared by the engineers serving in them. These were followed up by
Corps and Army engineers, but more especially by units of the 459th
Forward Airfield Engineer Group, Indian Engineers, who did much of
the work.
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Other Corps activities:
Survey - Before the war the Survey of India had
surveyed Burma and these maps were used. They were revised during
the campaigns in Burma used air photos - over 11 million maps were
printed during the period December 1942 and April 1945. Map Depots
were established in Dimapur and distributed forward by road and
air.
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Transportation - In the original plan of Operation
Capital it was intended to use the Chindwin river as a main supply
route to this effect Kalewa was selected as the site for a construction
yard to construct 'unicraft' barges and other vessels, as well as
a base from which Inland Water Transport could operate a system
of resupply barges. The units most involved in this operation were:
536th Artisan Works Company, 336th and 338th Forestry Companies,
343rd Workshop and Park Company all Indian Engineers.
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Kalewa boat construction figures
Jan-Jun 1945
Unicraft tugs, single and twin-screw - 95
Ramped timber cargo lighters - 45
"Eastern Army" Boats - 549
Unicraft barges - 129
"Higgins" timber barges - 97
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| Postal - Advance Army Post Offices
were established in Dimapur to service the troops in Northern Burma
and Chittagong to service troops in the Arakan. Field Post Offices,
run by both Royal Engineers and members of the Indian Army Postal
Services, were attached to each formation. Mail was forwarded from
the Advance Army Post Offices by road and air, in many cases mail
was airdropped, outgoing mail from the forward troops were carried
back by resupply planes.
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Arakan Offensive 1944-45
Still under development
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Monty's tribute
After the war Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1887-1976)
paid the following tribute to the Corps of Royal Engineers:
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| The Sappers really need no tribute from me; their reward lies
in the glory of their achievement. The more science intervenes in
warfare, the more will be the need for engineers in the field armies;
in the late war there were never enough Sappers at any time. Their
special tasks involved the upkeep and repair of communications; road,
bridges, railways, canals, mine sweeping. The Sappers rose to great
heights in World War Two and their contribution to victory was beyond
all calculations. |
Field Marshal Viscount
Montgomery of Alamein
(1887-1976) |
Author: SC Fenwick, FoREM
Sources:
- History of the Corps of Royal Engineers
Vols VIII, IX, (Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, 1958)
- A Short History. The Royal Engineers. Compiled by Maj DP Aston RE (Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, 1993)
- Follow the Sapper. Napier G (Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, 2005)
- One More River To Cross - The story of British military bridging. Joiner JH (Leo Copper, Barnsley, 2001)
- The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army Ed: Chandler D, Beckett I (OUP, Oxford, 1994)
- A Short History of the British Army Sheppard EW (Constable, London, 1950)
- The History of Landmines Croll M (Leo Copper, Barnsley, 1998)
Links to further reading:
- Campaign History - Royal Engineers and Operation Overlord
- Article - Assault Bridging and Equipment
- Biographies - Major General Sir Percy Hobart
- Engineering History - Airborne Sappers
- Engineering History - Armoured Engineers
- Engineering History - Commando Engineers
- Specialist History - Bomb Disposal
- Specialist History - WW2 Army Postal Services
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Royal Engineers Museum main site
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