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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

11th Fd Coy - Royal Engineers


gdawson

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I've been researching the activities of 11th Field Company, Royal Engineers as my Grandfather served with this company from the outset of the Great War through August 1915.

From the war diary, after November 10th 1914, the officer commanding the Coy is clearly noted (Major C.H. Foulkes, then Capt. Sim), but prior to this date I'm having some difficulty in identifying who the O/C was. On October 26th, according to the History of the 2nd Divison, Major P.T. Denis de Vitre of 11th Fd Coy was wounded during an attack. The hand writing in the diary appears to be consistent from the arrival of the Coy in France through to this time, but can someone confirm that Major P.T. Denis de Vitre was the O/C of the Coy for this entire time until he was wounded?

Regards,

Greg D

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Greg

I have a note from the War Diary (WO95/1331) that from mobilisation in early Aug 1914 a Captain SKIPWITH was OC.

Sotonmate

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Greg

I had a look through the war diary today, and from the sequence of events, it is appears that de Vitry (de Vitrie in the diary) was OC up until he was wounded on 26 October. The Company Second in Command, Capt Skipwith, then took charge. Had Skipwith been OC prior to that, the handover would have been noted in the diary. The sequence of events, noted in the diary after de Vitry left, illustrates the point:

"26.10.14 Major PT De Vitrie was wounded in both legs by a rifle bullet whilst watching the progress of the attack. The command of the Company devolved on Captain Skipwith.

28.10.14 Capt Skipwith left owing to the wound in his foot. Capt AS Darlington took over command of the Company.

1.11.14 Lt Martin OC Company owing to Capt Darlington becoming CRE owing to Major CN North being killed.

4.11.14 Lt AT Shakespeare joined the Company and took over command.

10.11.14 Major Foulkes took over command of Company and commenced new diary."

To paraphrase Gilbert and Sullivan, a sapper officers life was not a happy one - at least in the early months of the war.

TR

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...

if you are still interested I am just transcribing the diaries of Lt Martin as referred to above. Once I have them ready I intend to put them up on Wordpress - hopefully by August. He was sent home wounded In November 1914. Very descriptive about the retreat.

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