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City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers

January 29, 2023

The City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers was a volunteer unit of the British Army under various titles from 1886 until 1999. Its main role was defence of the Firth of Forth, but it also provided detachments for active service in the field during both World Wars.

City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers
Active1886–1999
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army (United Kingdom)
RoleCoast Defence
Field Engineering
Garrison/HQEdinburgh
EngagementsWorld War I

World War II

Submarine miners

Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, Inspector-General of Fortifications 1882–6, did not have enough Regular Royal Engineers (RE) to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British ports. He decided to utilise the Volunteer Engineers for this task, and after successful trials the system was rolled out to ports around the country.[1][2] The Forth Division Submarine Miners was the fifth unit of Volunteer Submarine Miners, a new corps raised in 1886. The first officers' commissions were issued on 2 April 1887 and by the end of the century the unit was a major's command, with three companies. Initially, the headquarters was aboard the mine depot ship HMS Dido at Leith, the port of Edinburgh, but moved to Queen Street, Edinburgh, in 1905.[3][4][5]

Territorial Force

 
RE Cap badge (King George V cipher)

In 1907, the War Office decided to hand all submarine mining duties over to Militia units and the Volunteer submarine miners were disbanded or converted to other roles. Several were converted into Electrical Engineers to make wider use of the coast defence searchlights that had been used to illuminate the minefields. Thus, the Edinburgh-based unit became the Forth Division (Electrical Engineers) (Volunteers), but the Haldane Reforms came into effect the following year, under which all the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF). The Forth Division was retitled as the City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers.[3][6][7]

By World War I, the unit's organisation was as follows:[8]
City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers

  • HQ at 28 York Place, Edinburgh
  • No 1 Works Company
  • No 2 Electric Lights Company

World War I

On the outbreak of war in August 1914, the City of Edinburgh Fortress Engineers mobilised and moved into their war stations in the Forth Defences. Britain's harbour defences were never seriously tested during the war, but the fortress engineers formed companies for service with the armies in the field. On 31 August 1914, the formation of Reserve or 2nd-Line units for each existing TF unit was authorised, formed from men who had not volunteered for overseas service. During 1915, the City of Edinburgh unit formed 1/1st Edinburgh Field Company composed of 1st Line Territorials. The field company was attached to 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division at Thetford from 16 November until 19 December 1915, on which day it embarked at Devonport and sailed for Egypt. Disembarking at Port Said on 3–5 January 1916, it was allotted to 'Army Troops', working on the Suez Canal Defences.[9][10][11]

On 17 April, the company re-embarked at Alexandria and sailed to join the British Expeditionary Force in France, disembarking at Marseilles on 24 April. It was assigned to 56th (1/1st London) Division on 27 April 1916, and posted to 169th (3rd London) Brigade.[9][12][13]

Battle of the Somme

For the opening of the Battle of the Somme, the 56th Division was tasked with making a diversionary attack on the Gommecourt Salient. The divisional commander considered that No-man's land was too wide for a successful attack, so on the night of 26/27 May (after two days of rehearsals) the Edinburgh Field Company assisted 167th (1st London) Brigade in digging a new jumping-off line closer to the enemy. German reconnaissance aircraft were kept away by a Royal Flying Corps standing patrol during daylight, and the new line was completed on 27/28 May. The operation was audacious and completely successful.[14][15][16]

During the next month, the Edinburgh Field Company lost several casualties from German counter-bombardment during the preparations for the battle. When the attack went in on 1 July, the company's roles were to mark communication trenches to be dug across No-man's land by 1/3rd Battalion, London Regiment, to establish dumps of engineering stores in the captured German lines, to remove barricades and build trench bridges in the British trenches. These tasks proved impossible under intense German shellfire, and the attempts to carry them out were costly. The divisional attack was a failure.[17]

56th Division returned to action in the latter stages of the Somme offensive:[9]

  • Battle of Ginchy, in which the division attacked in the evening of 9 September but failed to capture Combles or The Quadrilateral despite a renewed attack at dawn.[18]
  • Battle of Flers-Courcelette, in which the division attacked Bouleaux Wood on 15 September with the assistance of tanks, but was once again held up until 18 September by the strongpoint of The Quadrilateral.[19]
  • Battle of Morval, when the German defences crumbled and Bouleaux Wood was finally taken on 25 September.[20]
  • Capture of Combles on 26 September.[21]
  • Battle of the Transloy Ridges When the offensive was renewed on 7 October, the division's objective was a line of enemy trenches, after which it was to establish a line along the crest of the ridge and then on the forward slope. The Edinburgh Field Company was assigned to the attacking brigades to consolidate these positions. However, the weather and mud were so bad that after three days the division had only gained footholds in the enemy trenches. It was relieved on the night of 9 October.[22]

1917

On 30 January 1917, the unit was numbered as 416th (Edinburgh) Field Company, Royal Engineers.[9][12] With 56th Division it took part in following up the German retreat to Hindenburg Line in the Spring of 1917, followed by the First and Second Battle of the Scarpe during the Arras Offensive.[9]

Later in the year, it participated in the Battle of Langemarck (part of the Third Ypres Offensive), and then was heavily engaged in the Battle of Cambrai:[9]

  • Tadpole Copse
  • Bourlon Wood
  • German counter-attack

1918

During the German spring offensive of March 1918, 56th Division was engaged at the First Battle of Arras 1918.[9]

When the Allies began their Hundred Days Offensive, the division took part in:[9]

 
Corporal James McPhie, VC.

During the night of 12/13 October, 416th Field Company completed a floating bridge across the Sensée Canal, which allowed two companies of 1/2nd Londons to cross. At 05.15 one of these companies attacked under a covering barrage and surprised Aubigny-au-Bac, taking many German prisoners but the Germans counter-attacked the following morning, and the companies were withdrawn at dusk. That night a fresh patrol went across the footbridge, despite the Germans being within hand grenade range. The bridge broke, and Cpl James McPhie and Spr Cox, of 416th Fd Co jumped into the water to hold it together. McPhie and his men then set about repairing the bridge after daybreak, while under fire. McPhie and Cox were both mortally wounded, but the bridge held and the bridgehead was maintained until after 56th Division had been relieved by 4th Canadian Division on 14 October. Corporal McPhie was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.[23][24][25][26]

The division then participated in the Battle of the Sambre and finally the Passage of the Grande Honnelle, before the war was ended by the Armistice with Germany.

2nd Line

The 2/1st Edinburgh Field Company (later numbered 418th (Lowland) Reserve Field Company) served at home until at least 1917.[11][12]

Interwar

Postwar, the City of Edinburgh Fortress Engineers continued in the reformed Territorial Amy (TA) with the following organisation:[27][28]
City of Edinburgh (Fortress) RE

  • No 1 (Works) Company
  • No 2 (Lights) Company
  • No 3 (Lights) Company

The unit was employed as Coast Defence Troops in 52nd (Lowland) Divisional Area.

World War II

By the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Edinburgh Fortress Engineers had been reduced to a single company (No 1 Electric Light & Works Company) in the fixed defences under Scottish Command.[29] However, by September 1940, it had been converted into a field engineer unit as Edinburgh Corps Troops Royal Engineers, with 585th, 586th and 587th Army Field Companies.[30]

In July 1942, the unit was reorganised again as 1st Army Troops RE (1st ATRE) to form part of First Army, which was preparing to take part in the Operation Torch landings in North Africa later in the year. 585th Company was converted into an 'Army Field Park Company', which acted as a base for the field companies and held specialist equipment. 1st ATRE was joined by 561st Field Company, which had originally been part of the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division, but left when that division was placed on a lower establishment in November 1941.[31][32]

Tunisian campaign

During Torch, a large part of 585th Field Park Company was lost at sea, including its vital equipment. After the landings, the engineering work required was considerable, while the arrival of engineer units was slow and they were widely scattered. In December 1942, a month after the first landing, the Commanding Royal Engineer (CRE) of 1st ATRE, Lt-Col L.E.A. Gwynne, commanded the advanced engineering base at Bône in Tunisia with 587th Field Company and other workshop and park units. Allied ports and bases suffered severely from enemy bombing, and the CRE spent several nights directing the rescue of personnel trapped in bombed buildings at Bône. Meanwhile, 586th Field Company was working in the Philippeville, Algeria area, including preparing approach roads and cuttings for the 160-foot span Bailey bridge erected at Souk El Khemis. By February, the CRE was in charge of bridging and road improvements to allow transporters carrying the new heavy Churchill tank to reach their concentration area at El Kef.[33]

During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, in February 1943, the right flank of the British V Corps was uncovered, and formations were hastily improvised to fill the gap, including Nickforce and 1st (Guards) Brigade. A composite RE force, including 561st and 587th Field Companies, was sent up, and over three nights laid an extensive minefield under fire from enemy tanks.[34]

To support Eighth Army's attack on Wadi Akarit on 6 April, First Army attacked towards Kairouan to cut off the enemy retreat. The approach roads for 128th Infantry Brigade Group were little more than 150 miles of sand tracks, and had to be improved by 586th Field Company, assisted by US engineers from II Corps. On 8 April, 128th Bde captured Pichon in an operation requiring two crossings of the bed of the Oued Marguellil and considerable mine clearance. The Tunisian campaign ended on 12 May with the surrender of Armeegruppe Afrika.[35]

Italian campaign

First Army was disbanded at the end of the campaign, and 1st ATRE was transferred to Eighth Army in July 1943 and redesignated 8th Army Troops RE (8th ATRE).[31] Eighth Army began landings in southern Italy on 3 September 1943 and started to advance up the eastern side of the country, using the coastal Highway 16. At San Salvo the Germans had blown a 340-foot gap in the multi-span brick arch bridge, and destroyed the piers. 561st and 586th Field Companies started work on a replacement the same night that San Salvo was captured, and within 36 hours had built three temporary piers and launched a 340-foot Bailey bridge. Once Taranto had been occupied, 8th ATRE worked with 160th Railway Construction Company RE to rebuild the east coast railways, using Bailey equipment for three important bridges, almost the first time it had been used for a railway.[36]

After the Battle of the Sangro (19 November–3 December), the River Sangro rose rapidly and swept away all the temporary bridges. 8th ATRE began urgent work on 4 December for a high-level Sangro Bridge on Highway 16, the site being floodlit at night. This, which was longest Bailey bridge built during the Italian campaign, was opened to traffic on 14 December.[37]

After the German Winter Line had been breached in the summer of 1944, Eighth Army renewed its advance up Highway 16, with 561st and 586th Field Companies completing a Bailey bridge and a causeway across the River Cessano to prepare the jumping-off line for the assault crossing of the River Metauro on 25 August, after which 586th and 587th Field Companies bridged the Metauro to continue the highway and the causeway while the army moved on to breach the Gothic Line.[38]

In early 1945, 8th ATRE was part of a large engineer force, known as the Po Task Force, which was formed to prepare for the formidable crossing of the River Po. On 9 and 11 April the Senio and Santerno were crossed as the army advanced into the Po Valley, and in the days that followed, 8th ATRE built Bailey bridges across these rivers. The 360-foot Santerno bridge was jointly built with the South African Corps Troops Engineers, SAEC, and was thus named the 'Springlish' bridge. On 19 April, 8th ATRE was called in to dam the Marina Canal and prevent flooding. In the final stages of the campaign, the Po and Adige were rapidly crossed, and 8th ATRE remained behind to build a 400-foot high-level Bailey bridge over the Adige to maintain the army's communications. This was begun on 30 April and opened on 6 May, hostilities in Italy having ended on 2 May.[39]

8th ATRE was disbanded in or after September 1945.[31]

Postwar

When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, 585 (Edinburgh) Field Squadron, RE was formed as an independent unit assigned to 155th (Lowland) Independent Infantry Brigade, but in 1950 it was absorbed into 124 Field Engineer Regiment, RE, the divisional engineers of 52nd (Lowland) Division. A new 586th Independent Field Squadron had been formed by 1956, and in that year a new 585th was formed in 124 Field Engineer Regiment by conversion of part of 413th (Fife) Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery.[40][41][42]

In 1961, 585 and 586 Field Squadrons merged with 432 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA to form 432 (City of Edinburgh) Corps Engineer Regiment, RE.[40][43][44] In the reduction of the TA in 1967, 432 Regiment became 104 (City of Edinburgh) Field Sqn in 71 (Scottish) Engineer Regiment. The squadron was disbanded on 1 July 1999.[4][45][46]

Honorary Colonel

Honorary Lt-Col Commandant:

Honorary Colonel:

Insignia

1st (and later 8th) ATRE used as its formation badge the badge of the old submarine miners (a winged hand holding thunderbolts emerging from a mural crown[49]) in red on a dark blue square with a Saltire (St Andrews cross) in red with blue stripes.[31]

Notes

  1. ^ Beckett, pp. 184–5.
  2. ^ Short et al, pp. 1–4.
  3. ^ a b Westlake, pp. 15–6.
  4. ^ a b c d
  5. ^ Monthly Army List, January 1899.
  6. ^ London Gazette, 20 March 1908.
  7. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 12.
  8. ^ Monthly Army List, August 1914.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 141–7.
  10. ^ Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 91–8.
  11. ^ a b Watson & Rinaldi, p. 69.
  12. ^ a b c Watson & Rinaldi, p. 58.
  13. ^ Dudley Ward, p. 5.
  14. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 19–24.
  15. ^ Edmonds, pp. 457–8.
  16. ^ MacDonald, pp. 93–109.
  17. ^ MacDonald, pp. 225, 299–302, 319.
  18. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 59–66.
  19. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 70–7.
  20. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 79–80.
  21. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 80–81, 95–6.
  22. ^ Dudley Ward, pp. 83–7.
  23. ^ Ward, pp. 291–5.
  24. ^ Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, p. 263.
  25. ^ Grey, pp. 391–7.
  26. ^ McPhie at CWGC
  27. ^ Titles and Designations.
  28. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 104.
  29. ^ Scottish Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
  30. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 133, 170–2, 186.
  31. ^ a b c d Watson & Rinaldi, p. 122.
  32. ^ Joslen, p. 65.
  33. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol VIII, pp. 454-6, 459–60.
  34. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol VIII, pp. 462.
  35. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol VIII, pp. 465-9.
  36. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 21, 27–8.
  37. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 22–4.
  38. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 59–60.
  39. ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 81, 89–93, 105.
  40. ^ a b Watson & Rinaldi, p. 306.
  41. ^ RE Sqns 576–873 at British Army 1945 on.
  42. ^ Litchfield, p. 284.
  43. ^ Engineer Rgts 118–432 at British Army 1945 on. 10 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ Litchfield, pp. 298–9.
  45. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 313, 318.
  46. ^
  47. ^ Monthly Army List
  48. ^ Burke's
  49. ^ 'Board of Ordnance: Submarine Mining Service (Britain)' at Flags of the World.

References

  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
  • Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0 85936 271 X.
  • Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 100th Edn, London, 1953.
  • Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium, 1916, Vol I, London: Macmillan,1932/Woking: Shearer, 1986, ISBN 0-946998-02-7.
  • Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds & Lt-Col R. Maxwell-Hyslop, History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918, Vol V, 26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory, London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1993, ISBN 978-1870423069.
  • Maj W.E. Grey, 2nd City of London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) in the Great War 1914–19, London: Regimental Headquarters, 1929//Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2002, ISBN 978-1-843423-69-0.
  • Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
  • Alan MacDonald, Pro Patria Mori: The 56th (1st London) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916, 2nd Edn, West Wickham: Iona Books, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9558119-1-3.
  • Maj-Gen R.P. Pakenham-Walsh, History of the Royal Engineers, Vol VIII, 1938–1948, Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, 1958.
  • Maj-Gen R.P. Pakenham-Walsh, History of the Royal Engineers, Vol IX, 1938–1948, Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, 1958.
  • Maj O.M. Short, Maj H. Sherlock, Capt L.E.C.M. Perowne and Lt M.A. Fraser, The History of the Tyne Electrical Engineers, Royal Engineers, 1884–1933, 1933/Uckfield: Naval & Military, nd, ISBN 1-845747-96-8.
  • War Office, Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army, London: War Office, 7 November 1927.
  • Maj C.H. Dudley Ward, The Fifty Sixth Division, 1st London Territorial Division, 1914–1918, London: John Murray, 1921/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1843421115.
  • Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018, Tiger Lily Books, 2018, ISBN 978-171790180-4.
  • R.A. Westlake, Royal Engineers (Volunteers) 1859–1908, Wembley: R.A. Westlake, 1983, ISBN 0-9508530-0-3.

External sources

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • Flags of the World
  • Orders of Battle at Patriot Files
  • Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947

January 29, 2023
city, edinburgh, fortress, royal, engineers, volunteer, unit, british, army, under, various, titles, from, 1886, until, 1999, main, role, defence, firth, forth, also, provided, detachments, active, service, field, during, both, world, wars, active1886, 1999cou. The City of Edinburgh Fortress Royal Engineers was a volunteer unit of the British Army under various titles from 1886 until 1999 Its main role was defence of the Firth of Forth but it also provided detachments for active service in the field during both World Wars City of Edinburgh Fortress Royal EngineersActive1886 1999Country United KingdomBranchTerritorial Army United Kingdom RoleCoast DefenceField EngineeringGarrison HQEdinburghEngagementsWorld War I Somme Arras Langemarck Cambrai German spring offensive Hundred Days OffensiveWorld War II Tunisia Italy Contents 1 Submarine miners 2 Territorial Force 3 World War I 3 1 Battle of the Somme 3 2 1917 3 3 1918 3 4 2nd Line 4 Interwar 5 World War II 5 1 Tunisian campaign 5 2 Italian campaign 6 Postwar 7 Honorary Colonel 8 Insignia 9 Notes 10 References 11 External sourcesSubmarine miners EditLieutenant General Sir Andrew Clarke Inspector General of Fortifications 1882 6 did not have enough Regular Royal Engineers RE to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British ports He decided to utilise the Volunteer Engineers for this task and after successful trials the system was rolled out to ports around the country 1 2 The Forth Division Submarine Miners was the fifth unit of Volunteer Submarine Miners a new corps raised in 1886 The first officers commissions were issued on 2 April 1887 and by the end of the century the unit was a major s command with three companies Initially the headquarters was aboard the mine depot ship HMS Dido at Leith the port of Edinburgh but moved to Queen Street Edinburgh in 1905 3 4 5 Territorial Force Edit RE Cap badge King George V cipher In 1907 the War Office decided to hand all submarine mining duties over to Militia units and the Volunteer submarine miners were disbanded or converted to other roles Several were converted into Electrical Engineers to make wider use of the coast defence searchlights that had been used to illuminate the minefields Thus the Edinburgh based unit became the Forth Division Electrical Engineers Volunteers but the Haldane Reforms came into effect the following year under which all the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force TF The Forth Division was retitled as the City of Edinburgh Fortress Royal Engineers 3 6 7 By World War I the unit s organisation was as follows 8 City of Edinburgh Fortress Royal Engineers HQ at 28 York Place Edinburgh No 1 Works Company No 2 Electric Lights CompanyWorld War I EditOn the outbreak of war in August 1914 the City of Edinburgh Fortress Engineers mobilised and moved into their war stations in the Forth Defences Britain s harbour defences were never seriously tested during the war but the fortress engineers formed companies for service with the armies in the field On 31 August 1914 the formation of Reserve or 2nd Line units for each existing TF unit was authorised formed from men who had not volunteered for overseas service During 1915 the City of Edinburgh unit formed 1 1st Edinburgh Field Company composed of 1st Line Territorials The field company was attached to 69th 2nd East Anglian Division at Thetford from 16 November until 19 December 1915 on which day it embarked at Devonport and sailed for Egypt Disembarking at Port Said on 3 5 January 1916 it was allotted to Army Troops working on the Suez Canal Defences 9 10 11 On 17 April the company re embarked at Alexandria and sailed to join the British Expeditionary Force in France disembarking at Marseilles on 24 April It was assigned to 56th 1 1st London Division on 27 April 1916 and posted to 169th 3rd London Brigade 9 12 13 Battle of the Somme Edit For the opening of the Battle of the Somme the 56th Division was tasked with making a diversionary attack on the Gommecourt Salient The divisional commander considered that No man s land was too wide for a successful attack so on the night of 26 27 May after two days of rehearsals the Edinburgh Field Company assisted 167th 1st London Brigade in digging a new jumping off line closer to the enemy German reconnaissance aircraft were kept away by a Royal Flying Corps standing patrol during daylight and the new line was completed on 27 28 May The operation was audacious and completely successful 14 15 16 During the next month the Edinburgh Field Company lost several casualties from German counter bombardment during the preparations for the battle When the attack went in on 1 July the company s roles were to mark communication trenches to be dug across No man s land by 1 3rd Battalion London Regiment to establish dumps of engineering stores in the captured German lines to remove barricades and build trench bridges in the British trenches These tasks proved impossible under intense German shellfire and the attempts to carry them out were costly The divisional attack was a failure 17 56th Division returned to action in the latter stages of the Somme offensive 9 Battle of Ginchy in which the division attacked in the evening of 9 September but failed to capture Combles or The Quadrilateral despite a renewed attack at dawn 18 Battle of Flers Courcelette in which the division attacked Bouleaux Wood on 15 September with the assistance of tanks but was once again held up until 18 September by the strongpoint of The Quadrilateral 19 Battle of Morval when the German defences crumbled and Bouleaux Wood was finally taken on 25 September 20 Capture of Combles on 26 September 21 Battle of the Transloy Ridges When the offensive was renewed on 7 October the division s objective was a line of enemy trenches after which it was to establish a line along the crest of the ridge and then on the forward slope The Edinburgh Field Company was assigned to the attacking brigades to consolidate these positions However the weather and mud were so bad that after three days the division had only gained footholds in the enemy trenches It was relieved on the night of 9 October 22 1917 Edit On 30 January 1917 the unit was numbered as 416th Edinburgh Field Company Royal Engineers 9 12 With 56th Division it took part in following up the German retreat to Hindenburg Line in the Spring of 1917 followed by the First and Second Battle of the Scarpe during the Arras Offensive 9 Later in the year it participated in the Battle of Langemarck part of the Third Ypres Offensive and then was heavily engaged in the Battle of Cambrai 9 Tadpole Copse Bourlon Wood German counter attack1918 Edit During the German spring offensive of March 1918 56th Division was engaged at the First Battle of Arras 1918 9 When the Allies began their Hundred Days Offensive the division took part in 9 Battle of Albert Battle of the Scarpe Battle of the Canal du Nord Battle of Cambrai Pursuit to the Selle Corporal James McPhie VC During the night of 12 13 October 416th Field Company completed a floating bridge across the Sensee Canal which allowed two companies of 1 2nd Londons to cross At 05 15 one of these companies attacked under a covering barrage and surprised Aubigny au Bac taking many German prisoners but the Germans counter attacked the following morning and the companies were withdrawn at dusk That night a fresh patrol went across the footbridge despite the Germans being within hand grenade range The bridge broke and Cpl James McPhie and Spr Cox of 416th Fd Co jumped into the water to hold it together McPhie and his men then set about repairing the bridge after daybreak while under fire McPhie and Cox were both mortally wounded but the bridge held and the bridgehead was maintained until after 56th Division had been relieved by 4th Canadian Division on 14 October Corporal McPhie was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross 23 24 25 26 The division then participated in the Battle of the Sambre and finally the Passage of the Grande Honnelle before the war was ended by the Armistice with Germany 2nd Line Edit The 2 1st Edinburgh Field Company later numbered 418th Lowland Reserve Field Company served at home until at least 1917 11 12 Interwar EditPostwar the City of Edinburgh Fortress Engineers continued in the reformed Territorial Amy TA with the following organisation 27 28 City of Edinburgh Fortress RE No 1 Works Company No 2 Lights Company No 3 Lights CompanyThe unit was employed as Coast Defence Troops in 52nd Lowland Divisional Area World War II EditBy the outbreak of war in September 1939 the Edinburgh Fortress Engineers had been reduced to a single company No 1 Electric Light amp Works Company in the fixed defences under Scottish Command 29 However by September 1940 it had been converted into a field engineer unit as Edinburgh Corps Troops Royal Engineers with 585th 586th and 587th Army Field Companies 30 In July 1942 the unit was reorganised again as 1st Army Troops RE 1st ATRE to form part of First Army which was preparing to take part in the Operation Torch landings in North Africa later in the year 585th Company was converted into an Army Field Park Company which acted as a base for the field companies and held specialist equipment 1st ATRE was joined by 561st Field Company which had originally been part of the 38th Welsh Infantry Division but left when that division was placed on a lower establishment in November 1941 31 32 Tunisian campaign Edit During Torch a large part of 585th Field Park Company was lost at sea including its vital equipment After the landings the engineering work required was considerable while the arrival of engineer units was slow and they were widely scattered In December 1942 a month after the first landing the Commanding Royal Engineer CRE of 1st ATRE Lt Col L E A Gwynne commanded the advanced engineering base at Bone in Tunisia with 587th Field Company and other workshop and park units Allied ports and bases suffered severely from enemy bombing and the CRE spent several nights directing the rescue of personnel trapped in bombed buildings at Bone Meanwhile 586th Field Company was working in the Philippeville Algeria area including preparing approach roads and cuttings for the 160 foot span Bailey bridge erected at Souk El Khemis By February the CRE was in charge of bridging and road improvements to allow transporters carrying the new heavy Churchill tank to reach their concentration area at El Kef 33 During the Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943 the right flank of the British V Corps was uncovered and formations were hastily improvised to fill the gap including Nickforce and 1st Guards Brigade A composite RE force including 561st and 587th Field Companies was sent up and over three nights laid an extensive minefield under fire from enemy tanks 34 To support Eighth Army s attack on Wadi Akarit on 6 April First Army attacked towards Kairouan to cut off the enemy retreat The approach roads for 128th Infantry Brigade Group were little more than 150 miles of sand tracks and had to be improved by 586th Field Company assisted by US engineers from II Corps On 8 April 128th Bde captured Pichon in an operation requiring two crossings of the bed of the Oued Marguellil and considerable mine clearance The Tunisian campaign ended on 12 May with the surrender of Armeegruppe Afrika 35 Italian campaign Edit First Army was disbanded at the end of the campaign and 1st ATRE was transferred to Eighth Army in July 1943 and redesignated 8th Army Troops RE 8th ATRE 31 Eighth Army began landings in southern Italy on 3 September 1943 and started to advance up the eastern side of the country using the coastal Highway 16 At San Salvo the Germans had blown a 340 foot gap in the multi span brick arch bridge and destroyed the piers 561st and 586th Field Companies started work on a replacement the same night that San Salvo was captured and within 36 hours had built three temporary piers and launched a 340 foot Bailey bridge Once Taranto had been occupied 8th ATRE worked with 160th Railway Construction Company RE to rebuild the east coast railways using Bailey equipment for three important bridges almost the first time it had been used for a railway 36 After the Battle of the Sangro 19 November 3 December the River Sangro rose rapidly and swept away all the temporary bridges 8th ATRE began urgent work on 4 December for a high level Sangro Bridge on Highway 16 the site being floodlit at night This which was longest Bailey bridge built during the Italian campaign was opened to traffic on 14 December 37 After the German Winter Line had been breached in the summer of 1944 Eighth Army renewed its advance up Highway 16 with 561st and 586th Field Companies completing a Bailey bridge and a causeway across the River Cessano to prepare the jumping off line for the assault crossing of the River Metauro on 25 August after which 586th and 587th Field Companies bridged the Metauro to continue the highway and the causeway while the army moved on to breach the Gothic Line 38 In early 1945 8th ATRE was part of a large engineer force known as the Po Task Force which was formed to prepare for the formidable crossing of the River Po On 9 and 11 April the Senio and Santerno were crossed as the army advanced into the Po Valley and in the days that followed 8th ATRE built Bailey bridges across these rivers The 360 foot Santerno bridge was jointly built with the South African Corps Troops Engineers SAEC and was thus named the Springlish bridge On 19 April 8th ATRE was called in to dam the Marina Canal and prevent flooding In the final stages of the campaign the Po and Adige were rapidly crossed and 8th ATRE remained behind to build a 400 foot high level Bailey bridge over the Adige to maintain the army s communications This was begun on 30 April and opened on 6 May hostilities in Italy having ended on 2 May 39 8th ATRE was disbanded in or after September 1945 31 Postwar EditWhen the TA was reconstituted in 1947 585 Edinburgh Field Squadron RE was formed as an independent unit assigned to 155th Lowland Independent Infantry Brigade but in 1950 it was absorbed into 124 Field Engineer Regiment RE the divisional engineers of 52nd Lowland Division A new 586th Independent Field Squadron had been formed by 1956 and in that year a new 585th was formed in 124 Field Engineer Regiment by conversion of part of 413th Fife Coast Regiment Royal Artillery 40 41 42 In 1961 585 and 586 Field Squadrons merged with 432 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment RA to form 432 City of Edinburgh Corps Engineer Regiment RE 40 43 44 In the reduction of the TA in 1967 432 Regiment became 104 City of Edinburgh Field Sqn in 71 Scottish Engineer Regiment The squadron was disbanded on 1 July 1999 4 45 46 Honorary Colonel EditHonorary Lt Col Commandant John Hope 1st Marquess of Linlithgow KT GCMG GCVO appointed 4 April 1888 4 47 Honorary Colonel Colonel T E Salvesen appointed 15 January 1938 4 Colonel Edward Bruce 10th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine KT CMG TD 48 Insignia Edit1st and later 8th ATRE used as its formation badge the badge of the old submarine miners a winged hand holding thunderbolts emerging from a mural crown 49 in red on a dark blue square with a Saltire St Andrews cross in red with blue stripes 31 Notes Edit Beckett pp 184 5 Short et al pp 1 4 a b Westlake pp 15 6 a b c d Edinburgh Engineers at Regiments org Monthly Army List January 1899 London Gazette 20 March 1908 Watson amp Rinaldi p 12 Monthly Army List August 1914 a b c d e f g h Becke Pt 2a pp 141 7 Becke Pt 2b pp 91 8 a b Watson amp Rinaldi p 69 a b c Watson amp Rinaldi p 58 Dudley Ward p 5 Dudley Ward pp 19 24 Edmonds pp 457 8 MacDonald pp 93 109 MacDonald pp 225 299 302 319 Dudley Ward pp 59 66 Dudley Ward pp 70 7 Dudley Ward pp 79 80 Dudley Ward pp 80 81 95 6 Dudley Ward pp 83 7 Ward pp 291 5 Edmonds amp Maxwell Hyslop p 263 Grey pp 391 7 McPhie at CWGC Titles and Designations Watson amp Rinaldi p 104 Scottish Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files Watson amp Rinaldi pp 133 170 2 186 a b c d Watson amp Rinaldi p 122 Joslen p 65 Pakenham Walsh Vol VIII pp 454 6 459 60 Pakenham Walsh Vol VIII pp 462 Pakenham Walsh Vol VIII pp 465 9 Pakenham Walsh Vol IX pp 21 27 8 Pakenham Walsh Vol IX pp 22 4 Pakenham Walsh Vol IX pp 59 60 Pakenham Walsh Vol IX pp 81 89 93 105 a b Watson amp Rinaldi p 306 RE Sqns 576 873 at British Army 1945 on Litchfield p 284 Engineer Rgts 118 432 at British Army 1945 on Archived 10 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Litchfield pp 298 9 Watson amp Rinaldi pp 313 318 71 Engineer Rgt at Regiments org Monthly Army List Burke s Board of Ordnance Submarine Mining Service Britain at Flags of the World References EditMaj A F Becke History of the Great War Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2a The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st Line Territorial Force Divisions 42 56 London HM Stationery Office 1935 Uckfield Naval amp Military Press 2007 ISBN 1 847347 39 8 Maj A F Becke History of the Great War Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2b The 2nd Line Territorial Force Divisions 57th 69th with the Home Service Divisions 71st 73rd and 74th and 75th Divisions London HM Stationery Office 1937 Uckfield Naval amp Military Press 2007 ISBN 1 847347 39 8 Ian F W Beckett Riflemen Form A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859 1908 Aldershot Ogilby Trusts 1982 ISBN 0 85936 271 X Burke s Peerage Baronetage and Knightage 100th Edn London 1953 Brig Gen Sir James E Edmonds History of the Great War Military Operations France and Belgium 1916 Vol I London Macmillan 1932 Woking Shearer 1986 ISBN 0 946998 02 7 Brig Gen Sir James E Edmonds amp Lt Col R Maxwell Hyslop History of the Great War Military Operations France and Belgium 1918 Vol V 26th September 11th November The Advance to Victory London HM Stationery Office 1947 Imperial War Museum and Battery Press 1993 ISBN 978 1870423069 Maj W E Grey 2nd City of London Regiment Royal Fusiliers in the Great War 1914 19 London Regimental Headquarters 1929 Uckfield Naval amp Military Press 2002 ISBN 978 1 843423 69 0 Joslen H F 2003 1960 Orders of Battle Second World War 1939 1945 Uckfield East Sussex Naval and Military Press ISBN 978 1 84342 474 1 Norman E H Litchfield The Territorial Artillery 1908 1988 Their Lineage Uniforms and Badges Nottingham Sherwood Press 1992 ISBN 0 9508205 2 0 Alan MacDonald Pro Patria Mori The 56th 1st London Division at Gommecourt 1st July 1916 2nd Edn West Wickham Iona Books 2008 ISBN 978 0 9558119 1 3 Maj Gen R P Pakenham Walsh History of the Royal Engineers Vol VIII 1938 1948 Chatham Institution of Royal Engineers 1958 Maj Gen R P Pakenham Walsh History of the Royal Engineers Vol IX 1938 1948 Chatham Institution of Royal Engineers 1958 Maj O M Short Maj H Sherlock Capt L E C M Perowne and Lt M A Fraser The History of the Tyne Electrical Engineers Royal Engineers 1884 1933 1933 Uckfield Naval amp Military nd ISBN 1 845747 96 8 War Office Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army London War Office 7 November 1927 Maj C H Dudley Ward The Fifty Sixth Division 1st London Territorial Division 1914 1918 London John Murray 1921 Uckfield Naval amp Military Press 2001 ISBN 978 1843421115 Graham E Watson amp Richard A Rinaldi The Corps of Royal Engineers Organization and Units 1889 2018 Tiger Lily Books 2018 ISBN 978 171790180 4 R A Westlake Royal Engineers Volunteers 1859 1908 Wembley R A Westlake 1983 ISBN 0 9508530 0 3 External sources EditBritish Army units from 1945 on Commonwealth War Graves Commission Flags of the World Land Forces of Britain the Empire and Commonwealth Regiments org Orders of Battle at Patriot Files Graham Watson The Territorial Army 1947 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title City of Edinburgh Fortress Royal Engineers amp oldid 1044654068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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