Royal Engineers Special Brigade

[nfh249]

Thanks Terry, I've not found anything in the papers; I might have to try the Hull History Centre as they have his school roll of honour.

Cheers,

Neil.

[amanda.gillingham]

Hi Terry

Further to my posts a few weeks ago about my grandfather Albert Edward Robinson who served with Royal Engineers in Z Regiment, here is more on his story which I hope is of interest to readers of this forum:

Albert Edward Robinson (Robbie) was Born in Bootle, Liverpool, 20^th September 1898, the 5^th child of Thomas & Sarah Ann Robinson (nee Allen).

Robbie remembered that his father had worked for the council and he developed eye trouble when Robbie was about 4. Thomas had an operation in hospital to remove an eye which was one of Robbie’s first recollections. Because he was losing his sight, he could not continue his job. There was then no NHS or Social Security. Neighbours raised a few pounds for him to start a newsagents shop in his own house. Robbie used to deliver papers before and after school.

In 1909 Robbie (age 11) obtained a scholarship to Bootle Secondary School. When 13 ½ (1912), he was obliged to leave school when his father became blind, in order to help support the family and he became a laboratory boy with Brotherton & Co at their tar distillery outside Liverpool. Here he came under the influence of Romanez, a chemical engineer from Edinburgh, who was the works manager. Robbie’s Headmaster, who had recognised that Robbie had scientific learning’s, helped to obtain the job for Robbie and also arranged for his scholarship to be transferred so he could attend technical college evening classes.

One day on the way to the tar distillery, he fell off his bike and had some cuts and grazes. The pharmacist who patched him up learned what he was doing, and that he was interested in science. He gave Robbie the 1854 editions of Gregory’s Organic and Inorganic Chemistry which he still possessed until before his death.

Robbie did well at the distillers – was taking quite a lot of responsibility, eg over analyses and preparations and giving instructions to the men about what to do in the various processes. By the age of 16 he was a very competent lab assistant.

At outbreak of war Britain was very behind in the manufacture of explosives. Germany had developed huge capacity to make TNT which was safe for transport etc. Britain only had picric acid which is very dangerous and no TNT capacity so TNT had to be imported from US at 6 shillings a pound. There was also no capacity to make fuming sulphuric acid needed for TNT manufacture, and this also had to be imported. Two of the products of the tar distillery were pure benzene and toluene. Brotherton’s therefore tried to set up a TNT plant in Liverpool but there were a lot of problems. Romanez, was a very tall Scot who had been working for Rio Tinto zinc in Spain before he came to advise Brotherton’s.

There was now a new development – the government asked Professor Walker and Dr (later Professor) Cumming to set up a new experimental plant in Edinburgh to manufacture TNT rapidly. Walker & Cumming persuaded Romanez to join them and Romanez asked Robbie to go with him. This was a very successful venture. A two stage rather than a 3 stage process was developed using concentrated rather than fuming sulphuric acid. By 1917 it was producing 30 tons of TNT per week, at a cost of 1s 4d per lb. But the plant was near a housing settlement and explosions at other plants, especially one at Silvertown, near London on 19^th January 1917 which killed and injured many people as well as causing substantial damage in the local area. This made it necessary to move the Edinburgh Plant. It had in any case been experimental and had fulfilled its purpose. The plan now was to set up a plant outside Edinburgh to produce 400 tons per week. There had been three young men running the shifts at the plant – 3 undergraduate students and three lab assistants, including Robbie. He had no formal education in Edinburgh but picked up a lot from what he was doing and from talking to the undergraduates.

Those in the TNT plant had been in a reserved occupation. However their place could now be taken by those partly disabled by injury so the young were called up in 1917. Romanez had a lot of influence and wanted a special job for Robbie and got him taught to ride a motorcycle for the Motorcycle Despatch Corps (R.E Signals). Robbie was called up in August 1917 and in training for this but then half the group were assigned to the Special Brigade of the Royal Engineers dealing with gas warfare and this included Robbie so in September, 1917 he was transferred to the Special Brigade at Saltash and by October was in France where, in Z Company, he found himself at Loos, when the big major gas offensive put two German divisions out of action.

Robbie recalled two incidents there. One of his friends, Laundy, was painting a watercolour of Amiens cathedral sitting on the river bank. He was seen doing it and taken to Provost Marshall by military police who regarded it as unmilitary activity. The Provost Marshall was sympathetic, talked to him about painting and dismissed him. Robbie was given the picture after the war and it has been handed down to his grandson. On another occasion Robbie was given the job of recovering a motor cycle – a Douglas – from a depot where one of the officers had left it after borrowing it for a night expedition. Robbie was driven in a truck with a bottle of whiskey to give in return for the motor cycle which he then rode back. It broke down in Amiens, just at the time the daily shelling was expected.

The gas was used a lot especially at the time of the big German offensive in spring 1918. On 4^th July 1918, on the Somme, a big offensive was launched by Americans, attached to Australians with whom Robbie was much involved. The gas unit were somehow left behind the advance to recover some used gas canisters. Robbie was wounded while doing this. He had no clear recollections but thought he was carried by a big Australian to a field dressing station then he remembers being in a tent, going on stretcher to a train or hospital ship. He finally ended up in hospital in Sunderland, staying there several months. During his convalescence he operated the telephone switchboard. He was discharged from hospital on Armistice Day - Robbie was on his way to Plymouth by train to rejoin his unit when Armistice was declared while he was in Crewe. Robbie did not go back to France.

Robbie was demobbed early, in January 1919, at the request of Brotherton’s who wanted him at their proposed new dye works in Liverpool. Three months later, however, the dye works plans fell through but he was fortunate in finding another job with Rowe Brothers (who became Associated Lead Manufacturers) as a shift chemist.

At this time, the government were giving grants to ex-servicemen with sufficient promise, to allow them to take a university course. Robbie’s education has been very irregular and unconventional but he worked hard in his spare time and somehow succeeded in passing the qualifying examination and entered Liverpool University in 1919, living at home with his mother. He is sure he was greatly helped by very good testimonials from Prof Walker, Dr Cumming and Romanez. His efforts were rewarded when he graduated in July 1922 with a Bachelor of Science with 2^nd class honours from the School of Chemistry, despite going down with scarlet fever shortly before the finals. However, there was now a depression and Robbie applied for all sorts of jobs without success. One day he met a university friend in the street who asked if he wanted a job. He was working at a Home Office Wool Disinfecting Station at the back of the docks, treating wool to rid it of anthrax. They needed another shift worker to do the night shift, and Robbie took this on after a brief period of training by his friend. However, Robbie was not well. Having had scarlet fever a month before his finals, he had not fully recovered and he caught influenza. When it was a question of being permanently on night shift, he decided his health would not stand it, and he left in April 1923.

Meanwhile Robbie had heard of the Holiday Fellowship, and a friend suggested he might try for a secretary’s job. (The secretaries organise outings and walks). He wrote to the Holiday Fellowship who offered him a temporary six months post as Secretary. Three months at Conway and another three months at Inverness in this healthy occupation made him completely fit again and he was able to obtain temporary employment as a sampler with Huson Hardwick, Consulting Analysts in Liverpool. He actually stayed two years. He was not paid very much because the analyst reckoned it was a great experience for young men to work there. 1925 – Marriage and a move to Dorset

All the nitre imported from Chile was assayed by Huson Hardwick and much of this was landed at Rockley Jetty for use at the Royal Naval Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, Poole, Dorset. The Cordite factory at Holton Heath had been set up on the orders of Winston Churchill when he was First Lord of the Admiralty because the cordite, a propellant in shells and used by the navy was unsatisfactory and unsafe. It was stabilised by a mineral jelly, and any impurity set up a process by which the cordite might catch fire or explode. It was discovered after the war that Germany had been using a different process, which was both safer in the manufacture because it did not involve the use of acetone, and also produced a more stable form of cordite. The factory was to use the new process, and needed three more analysts to inspect the new material. Jobs were therefore available ...

On 1^st April 1925 Robbie obtained a post which offered some prospects of security when he joined the Naval Ordnance Inspection Laboratory at Holton Heath as a Junior Assistant Chemist - Robbie spent the rest of his Service career at Holton Heath. He was established as an Assistant II in 1935, promoted to Assistant 1 in 1939 and to Chemist in 1942. During WW11 he was most likely responsible for quality control of the cordite being produced at Holton Heath. He was assimilated to the grade of SEO on 1^st January, 1946. During this period he gained a very wide experience of analytical chemistry which contributed significantly to the success of his later work, and in 1949 was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Chemistry.

On 1^st May, 1947, the Admiralty Materials Laboratory was formed at Holton Heath and the Naval Ordnance Inspection Laboratory was closed down in favour of the sister laboratory at Caerwent. By this time Robbie had become accepted as an integral part of Holton Heath, where his judgment on many matters was frequently sought and always respected. It was natural, therefore, that he should stay and become one of the founder members of the new materials research establishment, and he took charge of a group responsible for the production of large single crystals of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) required for the transducer programme at (then) HMUDE Portland. As head of this group he was promoted in 1952 to one of the first CEO posts created.

Robbie retired from the RNSS on 31^st March 1964 after completing 39 years service.

[Terry_Reeves]

Amanda

Many thanks for your post, it is most interesting. It's not often you get to see man's complete story .

TR

[Guest toutp]

I would like to register the details of the brother of my great Uncle.

42146 Sapper Reginald William Hancock who served in "Z" special company Royal Engineers. R.W. Hancock died on 25 June, 1918 aged 22 and is remebered at Etaples military cemetery.

He was the son of Frederick and Ada Alice Hancock of 17 Coventry Road, Nuneaton.

Reginald's brother was also called Frederick and he married Lucy who was the sister of my Grandmother. Reg's war medals were passed to me by my father and will eventually go to my son. I would like to take them to France and pay my respects to the brave soul who paid the ultimate price to earn them and as a consequence earned our freedom.

Philip Tout

Sydney, Australia

[Terry_Reeves]

Philip

Many thanks for you post. Reg is commemorated on at least two memorials in Nuneaton as you will see here:

http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/media/83200/WW1%20Memorial%20Names.pdf

TR

[tyke52]

I wonder if anyone has any information on Pnr. William Gorman, KIA on 1st July 1916 whilst serving with the RE 5th Bn SB and commemorated at Thiepval. Other than this information from SDGW and the CWGC, and his previous service with the Argyll & Sutherlands (MIC) I have been unable to find any further details on him or his service. Additionally, would it have been likely for a pioneer to be issued with binoculars, as my understanding was that such equipment was largely confined to officers.

Many thanks, Martin Pearson

[Guest Finding Harry]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out what happened to my grandfather's brother: Sapper Harry GILLINGHAM RE #160194 Date of death 23 June 1917 Death Place France and Flanders. He was shown as being in 2nd Special Coy Royal Engineers. Which i understand was a chemical weapons unit based on the forums?

From research his date of death was not long after the battle of Messines June 1917. He is named on a plaque at the Arras Mermorial which I presume means that his body was not recovered?

Is there any way of finding out exactly what he did, what happened to him and where he was killed. I plan to visit his memorial in June next year and would like to see the area where he lived, fought and died.

He was one of three brothers and the only one not to come home. The other two fought in the Dorset Regiment. My Grandfather told my mother that Harry was killed by poisoned gas,but I have no further information.

Many Thanks in advance.

Richard

[Terry_Reeves]

Richard

No 2 Special Company was part of 5th Battalion Special Brigade which was equipped with the 4 inch Stokes Mortar, firing chemical and smoke ammunition. The company has a war diary at the National Archives join WO95/487 which will give you the day to day doings of the company.

TR

[Roy Evans]

Terry,

I've just started looking at a friend's Great Uncle - 154355 Sapper George Henry Swain of the 3rd Special Company R.E. who died on 9th April 1918, aged 25.

In 1911 he was a Farm Labourer living in Bilbrook, a village just outside of Wolverhampton. By the time of the CWGC record entry his parents Thomas and Jane Swain were living at 2, The Elms, Stafford Road, Bushbury, Wolverhampton.

He is commemorated locally on the memorial in St. Mary's Church, Bushbury.

Roy

[Terry_Reeves]

Roy

Many thanks for your contribution. If I can help in anyway, please let me know.

TR

[Roy Evans]

Thanks Terry,

I omitted to say that Swain is on the Tyne Cot memorial.

Roy

[Guest Finding Harry]

Richard

No 2 Special Company was part of 5th Battalion Special Brigade which was equipped with the 4 inch Stokes Mortar, firing chemical and smoke ammunition. The company has a war diary at the National Archives join WO95/487 which will give you the day to day doings of the company.

TR

Thanks Terry, I will go to Kew and view the records. Richard

[Terry_Reeves]

Pleasure Richard, let me know how you get on. If I can help further let me know.

TR

[David_Underdown]

That war diary is currently being digitised (see the note on http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7350357). It should be orderable again from 2 January 2015 - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war/centenary-unit-war-diaries/diaries-unavailable-reading-rooms/

[Davido]

I am searching for information about my Wife’s Grandfather, Allan Whitehead, who served No 2 RE Special Company during WW1

The details that I have extracted from his records are:

• 11^th Dec 1915 - Attested in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.
• 20^th Oct 1969 - The Head Chemist at the Company where he worked wrote to the Commanding Officer of the Royal Engineers, Chatham, commending him for a role in the ‘Gas Corps’.
• 18^th Jan 1917 – Arrived at Withnoe Camp, Devonport “B” Res Coy Special Brigade, R.E. and was listed as “No 220264 Pioneer A. Whitehead”.
• 21^st Mar 1917 – Transferred to “Dep Spc Bde” (I assume this refers to Helfaut)
• 16^th Apr 1917 – Transferred to a “Fd Dep” (I assume this to be a Forward Depot but I don’t know where)
• 26^th May 1917 – Transferred to No 2 Special Battalion.
• 18^th Aug 1917 – Admitted to “1SA” (I assume this to be No 1 South African Base Hospital at Abbeyville)
• 11^th Sep 1917 – Transferred to Ontario Military Hospital, Kent where he was treated for kidney failure.
• 13^th Mar 1918 – Discharged as “no longer fit for War service” and awarded a small pension.

I am interested to find out any more detail to the above and particularly for the period between 16^th Apr 1917 and 18^th Aug 1917.

I have 2 further clues:

1. A copy of an undated post card sent to him by his wife, which she addressed to:

No 220264

Pioneer A. Whitehead,

H Section,

24^th Sub-Section,

No 2 Special Coy, RE

BEF

France

The photograph of his recently born son suggests it was sent around July/August 1917

2. A photograph (attached) showing him sitting on the front row at the left hand end.

I have read Donald Richter’s book “Chemical Soldiers” and it seems that the terms “Company”, “Battalion” and “Section” were not always used consistently. My guess is that the address on the Post Card really means “2nd Battalion, H Company, Section 24” but this does not match Donald Richter’s list which states that H Company comprised Sections 36-40 in 1917, and that Section 24 was part of E Company.

I find the organisational structure of the Special Companies rather confusing. Were the Sections divided into Platoons and then Sub-Sections? and how many men were in each?

The attached photograph shows 12 men (all Pioneers) – in normal Army terms I would expect 12 men to be a Section with 4 such groups forming a Platoon and 4 Platoons forming a Company – or have I got it all mixed up?

Can you shed any light on who the other men are likely to be, where the photograph may have been taken and what Company/Section Allan Whitehead may have served in?

I am hoping the Company War diary will be made available soon on line, rather than make the trip to Kew to examine it, but I think it would be confusing to try to get information out of the diary without being certain of his Company and Section.

I have heard that somewhere in the family there is another copy of the same photo which has all the men’s names written on the back. I am attempting to trace this as it must increase the chances of working out who the group were.

In the meantime if you can add any further information about Pioneer Allan Whitehead I would be very grateful.

Regards

David Ogleby

PS Allan Whitehead survived, continued his industrial career as a chemist for a Swiss Company. He died in 1969 in Manchester.

[Terry_Reeves]

David

Thanks for your post

Special Brigade Battalions were ordered numerically, 1 to 5. The cylinder companies in the first four battalion were ordered alphabetically from the letter A. Each section was roughly the equivalent of an Infantry platoon and was ordered numerically. 5th battalion consisted of four Special Mortar companies equipped with the 4 ins Stokes mortar, firing chemical and smoke ammunition. The companies in 5th battalion were ordered numerically, 1 to 4 and the sections alphabetically.There was no "I " section. A mortar company was larger than a cylinder company

I have checked Pioneer Whitehead's service record and he was with Number 2 Special Company. The postcard you have confirms H section . Sections in the mortar companies were split into-subsections, and I suspect the photograph you have posted is his sub-section.

No 2 Company war diary is at TNA in WO 95/ 487 and should be available on-line next year

If I can help further please let me know. Can I copy the photograph please?

TR

[Davido]

Hi Terry

Thanks for the reply.

If H was a cylinder company, would it still have has sub-sections? and did the subsections have numbers?

Your welcome to copy the photo. The copy attached to the post is not very good resolution, but let me know if you want anything better - I can send you a higher resolution version by e-mail.

regards

David Ogleby

[Terry_Reeves]

David

Cylinder companies did not have sub-sections. There is no doubt that Pioneer Whitehead served with No 2 Special Mortar Company.

Thanks for the photograph. The one you posted will be fine.

TR

[Davido]

Hi Terry,

Having read your reply more carefully, I now realise why I was so confused. I mistook “2 Special Company, H Section” (which, as you point out, was a Mortar Company) with “2^nd Brigade, H Company” (which Donald Richter lists as a Cylinder Company). All is now a lot clearer and I will have to go back and re-read Donald Richter’s book, paying more attention to the references to the Mortar Companies. Thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding.

Since posting the photograph, I have received an email from a relative with a scan of the reverse of the photo showing the names and city of origin of all the people. The handwriting belongs to Allan Whitehead. He has written at the bottom “Billet 47, Helfaut”. (Allan’s service record places him there between 21st Mar 1917 and 16th Apr 1917). See attached.

I have had a quick look on Ancestry.com for the other people in the group. Some seem a bit elusive but I have identified 3 of them:

220256 Pnr Fredrick Bibby killed in Action 16 Jul 1917, leaving a wife and daughter

220243 Pnr Jas. Harold Edwards Discharged 8 Oct 1918

220270 Pnr Charles Kneebone Read, Survived after 2 periods in hospital. Is listed in one of the public family trees on Ancestry.com so I have sent a message to the tree owner offering to supply a copy of the photo.

If you know of descendants of any other people in the photo I would be happy to send copies of the photo.

Thank you again for help sorting out the Company and Section

Regards

David Ogleby

[Terry_Reeves]

David,

Brilliant, and many thanks for posting their names. It just shows the power of the internet.

There are some traces of the Special Brigade at Helfaut, the mairie and the adjacent school acted as the HQ for the depot in France..

I can fill in some gaps for some the other names:

220280 Albert Royd

220262 Harry R Brown

220259 Harold E Powers

220428 Gilbert E Pearce

220273 Harry Collinge

220242 Alexander S Corbet

220270 Charles K Reed (not Read as published, might be an error on behalf of the postcard writer)

220249 John P Kelly

TR

[Guest]

If you input 'special brigade' into the keyword search into the new UK Army Registers of Soldier's Effects, you get 27 results. Click Might be some new names?

Mike

[Terry_Reeves]

Mike

Thanks, although I have already got them. The register is useful for finding what CCs or hospital they died in though.

TR

[Andy Heaton]

Currently for Sale on Ebay, is a photograph relating to the Special Brigade.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Special-Brigade-Royal-Engineers-Gas-Chemical-Warfare-Unit-WW1-Postcard-R-10-69-/121547810992?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item1c4cd068b0

Message on back says: 'To Miss M. Page With kindest regards from G McCulloch Spec. Brigade R.E.'

(I must clarify, that I am not involved in this sale).

[Terry_Reeves]

Currently for Sale on Ebay, is a photograph relating to the Special Brigade.

Andy

Thanks for that. I think that the photo was taken at Whitsand Bay, Devon.The Special Brigade Reserve Depot was nearby at Withnoe Camp.

TR

[headgardener]

Hi Terry, do you have anything on this man....?