matthew lucas Posted 15 July , 2009 Share Posted 15 July , 2009 Can anyone tell me if any TC of the RE served in Italy in any capacity in 1918? Or where 181 Tunnelling company were serving in 1918 thanks Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 15 July , 2009 Share Posted 15 July , 2009 Matt The following may help: 1.8.15 - 2nd Army Troops (attached 3 Corps) 24.6.16 - 3rd Army Troops (attached 7 Corps 10.9.17) 3.12.16 - 5th Army Troops 27.12.17 to 11.11.18 - 3rd Army Troops They also have a War Diary at the NA: WO 95/405 181 Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers 1915 Aug. - 1919 Apr. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew lucas Posted 15 July , 2009 Author Share Posted 15 July , 2009 cheers Terry, yes that does Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 16 July , 2009 Share Posted 16 July , 2009 Hello Matt WO 95/405 181 Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers 1915 Aug. - 1919 Apr. The unbroken run of dates seems to indicate that 181 TC stayed in France & Belgium throughout, and there are no War Diaries for any TCs in the run of WO95 covering Italy. There was a "No.2 Boring Section" in Italy but I think that it was tapping underground water. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew lucas Posted 16 July , 2009 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2009 Cheers ron, i have been asked this by a member who has just come back from Italy, the positions where the Royal Warwicks (48th Div) were in june. Thwere is some grafiti above a trench system, there that has 181 and several names, too many possibilities on MIC and Service records ect to narrow it down, the RE museum does not seem that interested in the story (they have been sent the ful details of the find) hence me aving a dig around, but can't seem to find anything. From the wording Ron it looks like the names 'the wee men' is how they are described on the plaque in the trench are engineers or pioneers of some description, any ideas? matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 16 July , 2009 Share Posted 16 July , 2009 Matt There may possibly have been a number of ex-181 TC men who had been transferred out to an RE Field Company, or an Army Troops Company, who kept a certain esprit de corps among themselves. That's the only likely scenario I can think of off-hand. It's possible that, if you look through 181 TC's War Diary you may find a reference to such a transfer of a number of men at one time. My impression is that tunnelling on the Western Front was scaled back somewhat after Messines, so the companies may have been slimmed down in this way. Or the men may simply have been "combed out" of the RE in the constant search for more infantry. Cheers Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew lucas Posted 16 July , 2009 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2009 Ron, thanks, thats the thing i was thinking of, war diary it is then! Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now