10th Field Troop RE

[Skipman]

I'm still trying to get a handle on Alex Campbell's service 

 

Although 10th Field Troop, 4th Field Squadron isn't mentioned in this Headquarters Imperial Camel Brigade Diary  (I haven't checked it all thoroughly yet), I believe this diary is relevant; am I on the right track here?

 

I noticed on this page Click it says "Bn paraded to be cinematographed in Wadi El Arish. From 4 mins 30 secs into this film is some rare footage of the Camel Corps. Could this be the film mentioned in the diary?  Click

 

Edit 22.03 7/12/2018

 

Would you say attached is the diary I require?

 

 

Mike

Edited 7 December , 2018 by Skipman

[Skipman]

One other point of interest, and it makes absolute sense is that Alex Campbell was not a mechanic (as I previously posted), he was, interestingly enough a plumber.

 

Mike

[Skipman]

I'm sure this will all fall into place for me at some point (i.e., the 'penny will drop'), but it's pure doin'ma heid in.

 

Wounded on the 23rd or 25th of September, 1915. I was assuming this soldier was wounded at Suvla Bay, "Dardanelles", with his regiment, the 1/3rd Scottish Horse of the 1/1st Highland Mounted Brigade, of the 2nd Mounted Division.

 

Why does his MIC say "Theatre of War first served in (3) Egypt

 

A newspaper report 20/10/1915 Wednesday "Mrs Campbell  has received intimation that her son Pte Alexander Campbell, 3rd Scottish Horse was wounded in action in the Dardanelles on Saturday 25/9/1915, and is now in hospital at Alexandria. "

 

Mike

[kenf48]

Entered theatre dates for the Dardanelles are, as mentioned before all over the place.

Just recently I ‘ve seen embarkation date shown, then when they disembarked at Mudros, or when they landed on the Peninsula.

 

Egypt was a theatre of war and the troopships for the Dardanelles often put into Alexandria and the troops disembarked fo a few day or a couple of weeks.  The RE clerk completing the Roll was presumably looking at hi record an if it showed disembarked Egypt then that was correct, even if he didn’t set foot outside the transit camp. Just to compound the record errors men often went in advance or later than the main body for many reasons.

 

Ken

[Skipman]

Many thanks Ken. I thought it must be an error but wasn't certain.

 

Mike

[Skipman]

Just found another interesting piece of the jig-saw from FindMyPast, part of a casualty list has:

 

57 Spr Campbell 3/S Horse att 7/Fd RE Diarrheoa

 

So he was attached to RE at this time. No date given but lists dates approx 21/9/1915-12/10/1915

 

Mike

[Skipman]

On 06/11/2016 at 08:05, michaeldr said:

Mike,

 

looking at the OoB for September 1918 in the RE history this morning

(which I presume still held at the end of December 1918 when this man died)

 

The Desert Mounted Corps, 4th Cavalry Division had as their engineers the

4th (ex-6th) Field Squadron  (as shown on the CWGC data for this man)

however, the 4th Field Squadron was itself made up as follows

10th, 11th, and 12th (ex-6th, 9th and 7th) Field Troops 

 

So at the time of his death he was a member of the 10th Field Troop

belonging to the 4th Field Squadron

 

It seems that the CWGC have used the latter

while his mates who put up the original cross instead used the smaller/junior unit of which he was a member

 

Best regards

Michael

 

 

Many thanks to michaeldr for this information. The man in question is Sapper 208665 Alexander Campbell, 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers. Died 27/12/1918.

 

Attached is 4th Field Squadron Diary for 4th September 1918. It seems to say that on the 4th September 1918, "Title of unit changed to 4th Field Squadron. 6th Field Troop changed to 10th Field Troop. 7th Field Troop changed to 12th Field Troop. 9th Field Troop changed to 11th Field Troop."

 

Given that Alexander Campbell died while serving with 10th Field Troop, after the title change, does this mean he served with the 6th Field Troop before the change of title to 10th Field Troop, on 4th September 1918?

 

Mike