Royal Engineers R.O.D. Egypt

[Smithmaps]

My Grandfather was Sapper Ernest Louis Jones RE 289246

On letters he was addressed as R.O.D. Egypt.

I take R.O.D. to be Rail Ordnance Depot, though I could be wrong.

I believe that in Egypt he was a station master, and learnt Arabic so well during his service that he was kept on after the war for a while as an enterpreter.

Does anybody know anything about R.O.D. its job/function/Unit ID etc. Or could point me towards a unit diary?

I'm hoping that somebody out there might have done some previous research.

He finally left Egypt, having contracted Malaria, and was never quite the same again, however, with malaria, a lifetime of smoky steam engines (he was an LMS guard) and tobacco, he did well to reach the age of 70 yrs.

Unfortunately his name does not help me any with finding him! His best friend was Sidney Crisp from Water Orton, so I suppose I may have more luck with him.

Many thanks

Guy

[Paul Reed]

Guy - R.O.D. is Railway Operating Division, the RE personnel who worked the army's railway systems. Ties in with much of what you say about him in your post!

[Kate Wills]

Guy,

Bill Aves of Essex hopes to have his book on the ROD published later this year. He will speak on this subject at our meeting on 12th April, so if you fancy another trip to Northampton, we'd love to see you again. We ususally take our speaker for a pie and a pint prior to the meeting, and you would be welcome to join us for that too.

[stevenbecker]

Guy,

I don't know how much you know of the Egypt and Palestine camaign but one of the most succsessfully items was the Water Pipe line and the building of a rail link across the Sinai.

I believe the British used mostly Egyptian labour Companies but the main Builders were the British 115 and 116 Rail Constructiuon companies.

I have many Aussie LH soldiers attached to these units during the war because their job didn't finish once they crossed the Sinai.

You see to keep the flow of supplies they then had to convert the Turkish Rail system to the British system, that meant changing all the rail lines in Palestine. They used a different gauge then us.

Cheers

S.B

[Smithmaps]

Guy,

I don't know how much you know of the Egypt and Palestine camaign but one of the most succsessfully items was the Water Pipe line and the building of a rail link across the Sinai.

I believe the British used mostly Egyptian labour Companies but the main Builders were the British 115 and 116 Rail Constructiuon companies.

I have many Aussie LH soldiers attached to these units during the war because their job didn't finish once they crossed the Sinai.

You see to keep the flow of supplies they then had to convert the Turkish Rail system to the British system, that meant changing all the rail lines in Palestine. They used a different gauge then us.

Cheers

S.B

Steve,

In truth I know very little about it. In my distant memory, I recall him being something to do with working parties and construction. also his learning Arabic would be directly related to dealing with local workers.

the 116 and 115 Rail Construction Companies are a good lead Steve.

A quick look in the Nat Archvs seems looming. Very many thanks, just what I wanted.

Kate and Paul, very many thanks too.