158 Army Troops Coy RE

[Patrick H]

This may sound like a daft question but I know little about the role of Army Troops Coy. My chap Ernest Gurton 209168 died 07.10.1918 and is buried in the Taranto Town Cem extension in Italy. 

 

1. What was the role of Gurton, or was it just simply an all purpose driver.

2. What was the role of the 158 Army Troops Coy, did they move men and supplies around ?

3. What was the unit doing in Italy 

 

I'm sure there are experts in this field and would like to hear from you

 

Patrick

[HolymoleyRE]

Hi Patrick

 

RE Army Troops Compaies originally titled "Fortress Companies" main line of work was

 

Water Supply, Maintaining and developing Field Defences, gun emplacements, OPs, reapairing light railsways and generally doing typical Sapper type stuff of fixing maintaining things....and generally nit spending to much time in the rear.

 

Will have to look at Italy, but the info I have suggests they were located in Piave & Vittirio Veneto, the scene of two actions in 1918.

 

REgards

 

Andy

Edited 5 January , 2018 by HolymoleyRE

[alf mcm]

  There is a War Diary for 158 Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers at The National Archives, for a small fee.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/9632070737f7468cb52c1bb40bad00e1

Unfortunately it stops in August 1918, and doesn't cover Italy. 

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Patrick H]

Have had  a look at LLT but cannot find 158 Army Troops Coy. I note there is 285 and 290 ATC but not my mans. 

 

Can anyone  suggest where else to look

 

Patrick

[Patrick H]

On 05/01/2018 at 22:04, HolymoleyRE said:

Hi Patrick

 

RE Army Troops Compaies originally titled "Fortress Companies" main line of work was

 

Water Supply, Maintaining and developing Field Defences, gun emplacements, OPs, reapairing light railsways and generally doing typical Sapper type stuff of fixing maintaining things....and generally nit spending to much time in the rear.

 

Will have to look at Italy, but the info I have suggests they were located in Piave & Vittirio Veneto, the scene of two actions in 1918.

 

REgards

 

Andy

Andy, any chance of information regarding the actions you mentioned

 

Regards

Patruck

[HolymoleyRE]

Hi Patrick, nothing of substance, other than what can be googled I am afraid.

 

Andy

[Patrick H]

28 minutes ago, HolymoleyRE said:

Hi Patrick, nothing of substance, other than what can be googled I am afraid.

 

Andy

 

Okay thanks Andy

[Terry_Reeves]

1 hour ago, Patrick H said:

Andy, any chance of information regarding the actions you mentioned

 

Regards

Patruck

Patrick

 

158 AT Coy were employed as Lines of Communication Troops in Italy, with  A & C sections at the disposal of the Director of Works.

[RE Corps History Vol 5].  Front-line engineering tasks were carried out by the RE Field Companies of the divisional engineers, although AT companies could be called in to help with some tasks. 

 

Soldiers Died in The Great War shows 209168 Ernest Frank Gurton as being born in Hatfield Peverel, Essex and enlisting at Southend -on-Sea. It lists him as "died`' which indicates his demise was the cause of an illness or a non-combat injury,  as opposed to having died of wounds or killed in action.   His rank of driver means he was a mounted soldier with the company transport section carrying out any tasks required of him, probably driving general service stores wagons, tool carts  and the like.

 

TR

Edited 8 January , 2018 by Terry_Reeves

[Patrick H]

58 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said:

Patrick

 

158 AT Coy were employed as Lines of Communication Troops in Italy, with  A & C sections at the disposal of the Director of Works.

[RE Corps History Vol 5].  Front-line engineering tasks were carried out by the RE Field Companies of the divisional engineers, although AT companies could be called in to help with some tasks. 

 

Soldiers Died in The Great War shows 209168 Ernest Frank Gurton as being born in Hatfield Peverel, Essex and enlisting at Southend -on-Sea. It lists him as "died`' which indicates his demise was the cause of an illness or a non-combat injury,  as opposed to having died of wounds or killed in action.   His rank of driver means he was a mounted soldier with the company transport section carrying out any tasks required of him, probably driving general service stores wagons, tool carts  and the like.

 

TR

Thanks Terry, that adds a little more but I was hoping someone would have any details of the 2 actions that Andy refers to

 

Patrick 

[Terry_Reeves]

Patrick

 

They were lines of communication troops so it is highly unlikely there were involved in any of the actions. With all due respect to Andy, he was unable to provide any evidence that they were.

 

TR

[alf mcm]

Patrick,

  According to Soldiers Effects {on Ancestry} Ernest died of 'illness' at 79 General Hospital. There is one other member of 158 A.T. Company who is buried  in Taranto Town Cemetery Extension. Sapper 224186 Thomas Smallman died on 6th September 1918. His service records are available online, and show that he died of malaria. Perhaps that was also the cause of Ernest's death?

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[HolymoleyRE]

1 hour ago, Terry_Reeves said:

Patrick

 

They were lines of communication troops so it is highly unlikely there were involved in any of the actions. With all due respect to Andy, he was unable to provide any evidence that they were.

 

TR

Indeed Terry, apologies (and thank you for your leniency 😊) wasn't trying to place them in those direct actions, but the book I have only goes so far as placing A & C sections of 158 AT Coy in those areas.  I can only summise they were answering to the 10th Italian-British Army, rather than just XIV Corps.

 

On the RE Orbat (from the RE musuem) it doesn't list 158th AT Coy but 158th Fld Coy....which must be an error as I don't recall there being such a Fld Coy, also as the WD dates match those of 158th AT Coy.

 

Andy

Edited 8 January , 2018 by HolymoleyRE

[Patrick H]

35 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

Patrick,

  According to Soldiers Effects {on Ancestry} Ernest died of 'illness' at 79 General Hospital. There is one other member of 158 A.T. Company who is buried  in Taranto Town Cemetery Extension. Sapper 224186 Thomas Smallman died on 6th September 1918. His service records are available online, and show that he died of malaria. Perhaps that was also the cause of Ernest's death?

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

 

Thanks Alf. You know I actually looked at his soldiers effects but completely missed that. 

 

Patrick

[Martin Lepley]

GURTON Ernest Frank
Rank: Driver. Regiment: 158th Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers. Service No: 209168.
Age: 32. Date of Death: 07/10/1918.
Additional Information: Driver Gurton was born in Hatfield Peveral, the son of Harry and
Emily Gurton, of Romford, Essex, and husband of F. K. Gurton, of 3, Olive Terrace, New
Street, Great Dunmow, Essex, and lived in Southend-on-Sea. He enlisted on 1st November
1916 and died in Italy on 7th October 1918. He was 32 years old and was buried in Taranto
Town Cemetery Extension, Italy.

[esthameian]

Hello all

I am finding the exchanges on this topic very interesting. The reason for my interest is a man who appears on our village war memorial in Drinkstone, Suffolk (Sapper William Edwards, Royal Engineers, 158th Army Troops Coy, Army No. 216710). Before joining the army he had been a bricklayer and builder. In August 1918 he was en route to England from Tarranto in Italy, when he was taken ill. According to his Medical Case Sheet, he was taken off the troop train in which he was travelling and admitted to the Le Manoir Fleurie military hospital in France on 29th August 1918. Sadly he died at around 6pm on 3rd September 1918, the cause of death being recorded initially as Meningitis, subsequently amended to Cerebral Malaria following a post-mortem. He is buried in St Germain-au-Mont-d’Or Communal Cemetery Extension (plot B.15).

 

I am wondering how much of a problem the contracting of malaria was for the troops stationed in Italy at this time. Certainly, for poor Driver Gurton and Sapper Edwards it was a very serious problem. 

 

In September we are mounting an exhibition about William Edwards life and service to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of his death, as we have done for the other men on our war memorial. Next week I am due to meet two of William Edwards’ grandchildren and I and they would be interested to hear any details about the specific role of this Company in Italy. Any further information or advice about where to find it would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Robin

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