Royal engineers driver ww1 trenches

An archive of first world war research information on soldiers in the royal engineers. Royal engineers driver roles in the army army jobs. He died of the effects of gas poisoning sustained in the trenches on the. A driver in ww1 rode on team horses which pulled wagons, guns, ambulances, equipment.

The royal engineers took on the main task of providing them and men were specially trained pre1914 to operate motorcycles. Nov 09, 2015 trenches were never built in straight lines but instead in a zigzag pattern. I have his ww1 trio mounted for display, and was looking for some insignia to accompany the medals. Husband of hilda violet walker of howards manor, terrington st. Many of those that served in world war one rejoined the unit, including bill rose. The royal engineers res has been involved in every major conflict the british army has fought. The corps of royal engineers in the first world war the. The military life experienced by the sculptor and soldier george. This british trench club was made by sliding a special flanged metal head onto the standard entrenching tool handle. This was in response to german mining of british trenches. Photos, obituaries and short service records all available to view and download.

Typical terms of enlistment for the regiment changed over the years. First world war military conflict the national archives. Officers of the royal engineers in a communication trench on the somme, 1 july 1916. Each driver was responsible for his two horses feeding. Army signals in world war one and the role of the royal.

Ww1 war diaries are crucial documents to view when researching a first world war soldier and can help you in a variety of ways. The british army started the war with only a few basic grenades, mainly used by royal engineers. Here, you learn military engineering skills such as knots and lashings, demolition, mine warfare and bridge building. During the battle of the somme the royal engineers carried out a whole range of duties. After the war of movement ended and trench warfare began on t. Royal engineers salonika campaign society, 19151918. Great grandfather help with dating uniforms royal engineers.

Royal engineers had drivers who were mounted moving heavy equipment etc. Included were some pictures of him during his army career. Royal engineers missing soldiers, netherlands, 19401945. Corps of royal engineers ww1 project profiles geni. Royal engineers ww1 trench art 2 brass german karlsruhe c97 98 artillery shells 0 results.

A firing party was provided by the 10th battalion the leicestershire regiment who were based at rugeley camp. Inland water transport royal engineers ww1 and ww2 war. Before the second world war, royal engineers recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall 5 feet 2 inches for the mounted branch. Sapper was simply the equivalent of private in the royal engineers in ww1 without getting too hung up there were also drivers and pioneers, then they followed usual ranks e. May 30, 2006 the original rudimentry trenches were dug out under fire, and everyone including the officers joined in using shovels picks and even rifle butts. Specialist driver royal engineers what does the role. Two scottish soldiers at the door of a farm building among the mountains of macedonia which they have made their home.

A history of the world is a partnership between the bbc and the british museum that focuses on world history, involving collaborations between teams across the bbc, and schools, museums and. The corps of royal engineers in the first world war the long. The head was designed and produced by the royal engineers of. They designed and built the frontline fortifications, creating cover for the infantry and positions for the artillery. And one of their original jobs was to dig saps dark, dangerous tunnels which stretched far under enemy lines. Mines in a ww1 context usually means tunnelling which. Royal engineers great war photos ww1 photos centenary. Royal engineers archives page 18 of 39 ww1 roll of honour. Norton canes royal engineers cannock chase district. The units active around vimy were the 172nd, 175th, 176th, 182nd, 184th, 185th and 255th tunnelling companies. I sent off to the mod earlier this year and recieved his service records, so i know he was in the royal engineers, joined up aged 19 in 1915. In other words, it was twelve times bigger than the peacetime establishment. Please use the comments box below if you can provide more information about this person. The unit began sinking shafts and driving galleries to counter an enemy mining.

My grandad was a sapper in ww1 soldiers and their units. Tunnelling companies of the royal engineers wikipedia. Letters which i have written to the imperial war museum, the royal engineers museum and the d. The royal engineers were already overstretched, so the first efforts involved scouring frontline units for men with mining experience, then looking at home for men such as coal miners, men who had worked on digging the london underground train system, and sewer workers. The royal engineers museum, library and archive collection covers the history of the corps, from its origins to the present day, and is available for researchers to view by appointment. Royal engineers museum permanent dead link origins of the term sapper site for tracking down former members of the royal engineers.

As part of the research for the programme the actors visited the current. Both sides consolidated defensive positions by digging trenches, which were. British signals intelligence in the trenches, 19151918. Corporal wilfred and trumpeter william rose and drivers arthur, len and job hollowood. Multiple trenches were created on either side of no mans land. Ww1 button bearing the emblem of the engineers corps, courtesy of the indiana war memorial archives. Finally, you go the defence school of driving near leconsfield for 12 weeks.

February 1918 please use the comments box below if you can provide more information about this person. This method was used so that if the enemy invaded a trench, they would be prevented from firing down its entire length, as well as providing some buffer in the event a shell were to explode. Royal engineer tunnelling companies were specialist units of the corps of royal engineers within the british army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the first world war the stalemate situation in the early part of the war led to the deployment of tunnel warfare. The information on this post has been compiled as a result of examining service records in wo 97 online with findmypast and wo 363 and wo 364 online with ancestry. The german army massproduced a stick grenade which could be easily hurled out of a trench.

Royal engineers ww1 other equipment great war forum. He was buried with full military honours in the churchyard of st james church in norton canes. Details about ww1 soldier driver edwin wade royal engineers tf territorials. To support the trenches and fixed positions, 60cm gauge light railways were officially adopted by the british military from early 1916. Image right bmb courtesy of british military badges daniel baker. A brief history of the royal engineers the story of the corps of royal engineers covers over nine hundred crowded years and cannot be rivalled by any other arm or service. Sgt dermot walsh lead the team of royal air force and royal engineers who worked together to preserve the trenches. Albert john lambert, 108th engineers, ripley county, indiana work of engineers was to build bridges across the meuse, build roads, dig trenches, put up barbed wire entanglements, dig dugouts and dressing stations. Many thanks for the information that you have provided. The staffords and two sections of the sappers had their trenches at lievin. Corps of royal engineers ww1 including royal engineers signal services formed in 1908. The royal engineers photographed both to allow royal artillery intelligence officers to have a complete picture of the battlefield meaning risky aerial missions with cumbersome cameras. Was a member of no 9 section of the local fire brigade. I am researching a fellow who was a driver in the royal engineers during ww1.

Oct 30, 2018 we call then the royal engineers but they began as the royal sappers and miners. See more ideas about world war one, world war i and world war. The british government wished to expand its army and create military. Their motto is ubique everywhere awarded in 1832 as the unit has been involved in. They were responsible for the transport system behind the front line, operated vital communications equipment, constructed trenches and fortifications and surveyed the enemy. In the british army a royal corps of sappers and miners was formed in 1772, and later absorbed within the royal engineers. Construction and design of trenches world war i introduced one of the ugliest and fiercest form of fighting. A group of men of 527 2nd durham field company, a territorial unit that served under command of 5th division. The british salonika force bsf also known as the british salonika army bsa was commanded by lieutenant general george milne from may 1916, following general sir bryan mahons posting to egypt at its height late 1916 to early 1917 it comprised. Units of the royal engineers which served with the british salonika force, 19151919. The corps of royal engineers in the first world war.

This will allow the curatorial team to focus on the exciting development of our new. The formation of the royal engineers re light railway companies in early 1917 was an innovation that contributed towards transforming the operational ability of the armies. During a lull in fighting, a soldier fashioned a military cap from a fired howitzer 4. The tunnellers war the first mines laid by british tunnellers were detonated as early as april 1915 just a few weeks after the formation of the tunnelling companies at hill 60, near ypres. Pack a picked spot with explosives and bang went a target in a spectacular explosion. Although british armies have included engineers since medieval times, they were first constituted as a corps in 1717, the year in which an officeronly corps of engineers was established. Ww1 soldier driver edwin wade royal engineers tf territorials.

Aerial images show the horrifying scale of the trenches. Construction and design of trenches wwi trench warfare. The great war is very much the focus of the story and in particular the war beneath the western front involving the men who served in tunnelling companies of the royal engineers. Who were the tunnelers in ww1 and why were they so. Those with motorcycle experience were brought in when volunteers flooded in after the outbreak of war to cope with the expansion of the army. Usually a wagon had a team of 6 horses, 3 pairs of 2. The commonwealth war graves commission has 21,716 recorded ww1 deaths for the royal engineers. Royal engineers in the second world war 19391945 the. Ww1, royal engineer tunnelling companies, nicknamed the moles, were. Meanwhile back in england driver george gough died of his wounds on the 9th december.

Army engineers in ww1 to honor the vererans of ww1. Apr 06, 2008 royal engineers had drivers who were mounted moving heavy equipment etc. The 179th tunnelling company was one of the tunnelling companies of the royal engineers created by the british army during world war i. As im off to the somme to make a documentary with dan snow this week, it will be a sommethemed week on great war photos this image shows a group of men from a divisional signal company of the royal engineers. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. There was no royal signals in ww1 and signalling work was done at battalion level by infantry signallers and for larger formations by the res. Sappers had the dangerous job of digging these zigzag trenches. Both the the triple alliances and triple entente built trenches across the western front to provide shelter while making it extremely dangerous for the enemies to attack the front line.

They were then made elaborate over time by the royal engineers, again by hand. The original rudimentry trenches were dug out under fire, and everyone including the officers joined in using shovels picks and even rifle butts. Served at rank of driver 19151921, corporal 19211928, and then sergeant 19281938. Inland water transport royal engineers ww1 and ww2 at present no image of this war memorial is available for online display. After the first german empire attacks on 21 december 1914, through shallow tunnels underneath no mans land. Trench warfare and the tunnellers trench warfare and the stalemate in france and flanders caused both sides to embark. Ww1 photos database argyll and sutherland highlanders army chaplains army cyclist corps army ordnance corps. Royal engineer tunnelling companies were specialist units of the corps of royal engineers within the british army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the first world war.

Original ww1 royal engineers corps george v cap badge gw03. The seventy feet deep crater destroyed german trenches and pillboxes and was the first of many successful mining operations over the next few years. Corps of royal engineers ww1 including royal engineers signal services formed in 1908 the forerunner of the royal corps of signals. Then its off to the royal school of military engineering regiment near camberley for nine weeks. Field companies of the royal engineers the long, long trail. Ww1 british army war diaries researching ww1 soldiers. I did not realize that there were so many branches of the engineers. By the same date in 1917, it had grown to a total manpower of 295668. Up until this time it is poignant to consider the traffic handling capabilities of the message handling systems in world war 1. Transport and supply during the first world war imperial war. Jun 8 1918 diver of the royal engineers descending to repair the foundation of a bridge on the canal at watten. The corps of royal engineers, usually just called the royal engineers re, and commonly. Many british soldiers resorted to making homemade bombs, filling jam tins with scrap metal and explosives.

Royal engineers building a temporary bridge over a wrecked lock at. Within or behind the forward support trenches were field artillery positions. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the british armed forces and is headed by the chief royal engineer. Original ww1 photo group of territorial royal engineers corps soldiers yx79. The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as other underground work such as the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways. Royal engineers all conflicts war imperial war museums. The 173rd tunnelling company was one of the tunnelling companies of the royal engineers created by the british army during world war i. What was the rank of driver in world war 1 answers. Tonight the long awaited dramatisation of sebastian faulks novel birdsong will be broadcast on bbc1. Dec 1918 popular science world war 1 article about a french engineer using a ground stethoscope to listen for german sappers listening to enemy sappers, popular science monthly, january 1919, page 27. Without engineers there would have been no supply to the armies, because the res maintained the railways, roads.

Men of the battalion, durham light infantry, in trenches just prior to their attack. The thought of drafing in african and indian soldiers to do hard labour for the white man is wrong and insulting. The tunnelling companies of the royal engineers progressively took over from the french between february and may 1916. Robert graves illustrates the driving force behind britains collective memory of the. The stalemate situation in the early part of the war led to the deployment of tunnel warfare. Incredible colorized photos of french army during world war i. The lochnagar crater pictured was created when miners from the 185th and 179th tunnelling company of the british armys royal engineers regiment detonated a 60,000lb mine under the german trenches. In 1915, in response to german mining of british trenches under the then static siege conditions of the first world war, the corps. During the first world war all armies employed clubs for the purpose of trench raiding. Ww1, royal engineer tunnelling companies, nicknamed the moles, were specialist units of the corps of royal engineers within the british army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the first world war. The corps of royal engineers, usually just called the royal engineers re, and commonly known as the sappers, is a corps of the british army. It looks like a possible re cap badge but it could be army service corps having looked at the cwgc entry and found he was charles isaiha hooker there is a medal card to one pte charles i hooker south wales borderers and asc. Their work made them the targets of concentrated hostile fire, and they often wore heavy helmets and armour to afford them some protection.

Unfortunately from september 1st the museum will be closing its library, archive and enquiries service. These units were then put on duties that included digging and wiring trenches over a long. Pages in category field companies of the royal engineers the following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 232 total. The members of the east anglian royal engineers, who sailed for the dardanelles with the division to which the 15th bedfordshires are also attached, were not engaged in the severe fighting which fell to the lot of the infantry after landing, but since they landed on the peninsular they have repeatedly been under shell fire, and one lutonian has already been killed. G30241, then labour corps either in 1917 or 1919, cannot read handwriting.

Tensions arose between different parts of the army witness, for example. The great war was the first conflict in which motorcycle despatch riders played any sort of role in battlefield signals. Field companies of the royal engineers the field company of the royal engineers provided technical skill and knowhow in support of the fighting units of the formation known as a division. Find out more about life serving as a driver in the royal engineers. The royal engineers trace their origins back to the military engineers brought to england. Tunnel and mining warfare was an important part of world war 1, especially on the western front and to a lesser, but still deadly, degree on the. Built by the royal engineers, it is possible today to walk inside. The perfectly preserved world war i trench atlas obscura. This section of the long, long trail will be helpful for anyone wishing to find out about the history of the units of the royal engineers. By christmas 1914, defensive lines of trenches stretched from the channel coast to the swiss border. The corps of royal engineers was formed in 1856 from the royal engineers and the royal sappers and miners.

Real photographic postcard of driver edwin wade, serving with the royal engineers territorials and wearing an imperial service badge, lanyard and mounted bandolier. Specialist driver royal engineers what does the role entail. Miners at the front in world war 1 part 1 an introduction. The corps of royal engineers in the first world war this section of the long, long trail will be helpful for anyone wishing to find out about the history of the units of the royal engineers. On 1 august 1914, the re consisted of 1056 officers and 10394 men of the regular army and special reserve, plus another 5 and 127 respectively serving with the re of the territorial force. I have military record document from 1964 and also his medal card indicating he transferred to royal sussex regiment in 1918 reg no. Before the second world war, royal engineers recruits were required to be at least 5. The corps can claim direct descent from the military engineers brought to england by william the conqueror and an unbroken record of service to the crown since then. Take a tour of ww1 trenches at raf halton forces network. The vast majority of the trenches and fortifications used in all theaters of the war western front, eastern front, balkan, mesapotamia, sinai etc.