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Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers

The Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers was a small and short-lived unit of Britain's Territorial Army raised just before World War II to assist in the defence of the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.

Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers
RE Cap badge (King George VI cipher)
Active1938–1941
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Force
RoleFortress engineers
Part ofOrkney & Shetland Defences
Garrison/HQKirkwall
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Captain Eric Linklater

Origin Edit

While there had been temporary volunteer units in Orkney during the Napoleonic Wars, the popularity of the Volunteer movement in 1859 led to the creation of the 1st Orkney Artillery Volunteers) as a permanent part of the auxiliary forces of the Crown, eventually becoming a coast defence (CD) unit of the Royal Garrison Artillery. However, this unit was disbanded during World War I, the defence of the Grand Fleet's base at Scapa Flow being entrusted to units of the Regular Army. After the war it proved difficult to reform the unit, and there were no Orcadians in the Territorial Army (TA).[1][2]

The worsening international situation in the late 1930s led to the expansion of the TA, including a revival in Orkney. First, a new anti-aircraft (AA) unit, the 226th (Caithness and Orkney) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery (RA), began recruiting in Orkney as well as in Caithness (on the Scottish mainland) in 1937. Then the coastal artillery unit was revived as the Orkney Heavy Regiment, RA, in 1938.[2][3] This was followed by a unit of the Royal Engineers (RE) to support the two artillery units: the Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers.[3][4]

The local novelist Eric Linklater, who had served in the trenches during World War I, was asked by the Lord Lieutenant of Orkney and Shetland to raise one of these units, and chose the 'Sappers'. He was commissioned as Captain and second-in-command on 16 September 1938, with Major J. Gibson as officer commanding. The unit consisted of a single company with its headquarters at Kirkwall. Its main role was to operate the electrical generators for the Scapa Flow defences and to man the searchlights (S/Ls) for both the AA and CD guns.[3][5][6]

Mobilisation Edit

On 22 August 1939 mobilisation warning orders arrived in Kirkwall and Linklater called out his 'Key Party'. The following day full mobilisation of the TA's AA and CD units was ordered, and the Key Party quickly called in the men from isolated farms and villages to transport them to their war stations on Flotta and at Stromness. Mobilisation was completed by 00.30 on 25 August, 8 hours after receipt of the final order. When war was declared on 3 September, Scapa Flow was defended by a few hundred local Territorials.[7][8]

Service Edit

 
Formation sign of OSDEF

The AA guns were in action soon after the outbreak of war when the Luftwaffe attacked the warships in the anchorage in daylight on 17 October 1939, when HMS Iron Duke was damaged, and at dusk on 16 March 1940, when the sappers' S/Ls and Lewis guns were of little use. The Fortress Engineers were also expected to defend their positions with Lewis guns and rifles in case of seaborne attack, fears of which grew after the German invasion of Norway.[9][10][11]

Over succeeding months large numbers of AA gun and S/L units were moved into the islands under the Orkney and Shetland Defences (OSDEF), controlled by Anti-Aircraft Command. The fortress engineers were engaged during the winter of 1939/40 with constructing emplacements of corrugated iron and sandbags for 13–14 extra pairs of S/Ls across the islands, with hardstandings for the associated generators and huts for the crews. Later they built camps for the reinforcements, which included two full AA S/L battalions from the Lancashire TA (38th (King's Regiment) and 39th (Lancashire Fusiliers).)[12][13][14][15]

Disbandment Edit

In 1940 AA searchlights became an artillery responsibility, and many of the Orkney men transferred from the RE to the RA. The Orkney Fortress RE was deleted from the order of battle of OSDEF in November 1941. However, an Orkney & Shetland Maintenance Company, RE, continued to serve in the islands.[3][15][16][17]

As a well-known author, Linklater was soon employed by the War Office Public Relations department to write official 'instant histories' of the war, such as The Northern Garrisons (1941) which described the life of British troops stationed in remote locations, including the Orkneys.[13][18]

Successor unit Edit

10 (Orkney) Troop, RE, was formed after 2008. Currently based at the Army Reserve Centre in Kirkwall it forms part of 71 Engineer Regiment, RE, originally assigned to 236 Field Squadron (Air Support) it was placed under 124 (Lowland) Field Squadron in 2014.[19][20]

Notes Edit

  1. ^ Rollo, pp. 7–15, 26–7.
  2. ^ a b Litchfield, p. 301.
  3. ^ a b c d Rollo, pp. 27–8.
  4. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 105, 186.
  5. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, pp. 161–2.
  6. ^ Monthly Army List, May 1939.
  7. ^ Linklater, Man on my Back, pp. 339–41.
  8. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, pp. 163–5.
  9. ^ Collier, Chapter V.
  10. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, pp. 167–74.
  11. ^ Routledge, pp. 374–5.
  12. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, pp. 170–2, 179.
  13. ^ a b Linklater, Northern Garrisons.
  14. ^ Routledge, p. 401, Table LXV, p. 397.
  15. ^ a b Organization of the Field Force in the United Kingdom and Order of Battle, Part 12, Orkney and Shetland Defences, 3 March 1941, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/115.
  16. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, p. 181.
  17. ^ Litchfield, p. 5.
  18. ^ Linklater, Tin Hat, p. 185.
  19. ^ . Archived from the original on 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  20. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 314.

References Edit

  • Basil Collier, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
  • Eric Linklater, The Man on my Back: An Autobiography, London: Macmillan, 1941.
  • Eric Linklater, The Northern Garrisons: The Army at War, London, 1941; (e-book: London: Bloomsbury Reader, 2014).
  • Eric Linklater, Fanfare for a Tin Hat: A Third Essay in Autobiography, London: Macmillan, 1970.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
  • D. Rollo The History of the Orkney and Shetland Volunteers and Territorials 1793–1958, Lerwick: Shetland Times, 1958.
  • Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3
  • Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018, Tiger Lily Books, 2018, ISBN 978-171790180-4.

orkney, fortress, royal, engineers, small, short, lived, unit, britain, territorial, army, raised, just, before, world, assist, defence, royal, navy, base, scapa, flow, orkney, islands, badge, king, george, cipher, active1938, 1941country, united, kingdombranc. The Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers was a small and short lived unit of Britain s Territorial Army raised just before World War II to assist in the defence of the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands Orkney Fortress Royal EngineersRE Cap badge King George VI cipher Active1938 1941Country United KingdomBranchTerritorial ForceRoleFortress engineersPart ofOrkney amp Shetland DefencesGarrison HQKirkwallCommandersNotablecommandersCaptain Eric Linklater Contents 1 Origin 2 Mobilisation 3 Service 4 Disbandment 5 Successor unit 6 Notes 7 ReferencesOrigin EditWhile there had been temporary volunteer units in Orkney during the Napoleonic Wars the popularity of the Volunteer movement in 1859 led to the creation of the 1st Orkney Artillery Volunteers as a permanent part of the auxiliary forces of the Crown eventually becoming a coast defence CD unit of the Royal Garrison Artillery However this unit was disbanded during World War I the defence of the Grand Fleet s base at Scapa Flow being entrusted to units of the Regular Army After the war it proved difficult to reform the unit and there were no Orcadians in the Territorial Army TA 1 2 The worsening international situation in the late 1930s led to the expansion of the TA including a revival in Orkney First a new anti aircraft AA unit the 226th Caithness and Orkney Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery Royal Artillery RA began recruiting in Orkney as well as in Caithness on the Scottish mainland in 1937 Then the coastal artillery unit was revived as the Orkney Heavy Regiment RA in 1938 2 3 This was followed by a unit of the Royal Engineers RE to support the two artillery units the Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers 3 4 The local novelist Eric Linklater who had served in the trenches during World War I was asked by the Lord Lieutenant of Orkney and Shetland to raise one of these units and chose the Sappers He was commissioned as Captain and second in command on 16 September 1938 with Major J Gibson as officer commanding The unit consisted of a single company with its headquarters at Kirkwall Its main role was to operate the electrical generators for the Scapa Flow defences and to man the searchlights S Ls for both the AA and CD guns 3 5 6 Mobilisation EditOn 22 August 1939 mobilisation warning orders arrived in Kirkwall and Linklater called out his Key Party The following day full mobilisation of the TA s AA and CD units was ordered and the Key Party quickly called in the men from isolated farms and villages to transport them to their war stations on Flotta and at Stromness Mobilisation was completed by 00 30 on 25 August 8 hours after receipt of the final order When war was declared on 3 September Scapa Flow was defended by a few hundred local Territorials 7 8 Service Edit nbsp Formation sign of OSDEFThe AA guns were in action soon after the outbreak of war when the Luftwaffe attacked the warships in the anchorage in daylight on 17 October 1939 when HMS Iron Duke was damaged and at dusk on 16 March 1940 when the sappers S Ls and Lewis guns were of little use The Fortress Engineers were also expected to defend their positions with Lewis guns and rifles in case of seaborne attack fears of which grew after the German invasion of Norway 9 10 11 Over succeeding months large numbers of AA gun and S L units were moved into the islands under the Orkney and Shetland Defences OSDEF controlled by Anti Aircraft Command The fortress engineers were engaged during the winter of 1939 40 with constructing emplacements of corrugated iron and sandbags for 13 14 extra pairs of S Ls across the islands with hardstandings for the associated generators and huts for the crews Later they built camps for the reinforcements which included two full AA S L battalions from the Lancashire TA 38th King s Regiment and 39th Lancashire Fusiliers 12 13 14 15 Disbandment EditIn 1940 AA searchlights became an artillery responsibility and many of the Orkney men transferred from the RE to the RA The Orkney Fortress RE was deleted from the order of battle of OSDEF in November 1941 However an Orkney amp Shetland Maintenance Company RE continued to serve in the islands 3 15 16 17 As a well known author Linklater was soon employed by the War Office Public Relations department to write official instant histories of the war such as The Northern Garrisons 1941 which described the life of British troops stationed in remote locations including the Orkneys 13 18 Successor unit Edit10 Orkney Troop RE was formed after 2008 Currently based at the Army Reserve Centre in Kirkwall it forms part of 71 Engineer Regiment RE originally assigned to 236 Field Squadron Air Support it was placed under 124 Lowland Field Squadron in 2014 19 20 Notes Edit Rollo pp 7 15 26 7 a b Litchfield p 301 a b c d Rollo pp 27 8 Watson amp Rinaldi pp 105 186 Linklater Tin Hat pp 161 2 Monthly Army List May 1939 Linklater Man on my Back pp 339 41 Linklater Tin Hat pp 163 5 Collier Chapter V Linklater Tin Hat pp 167 74 Routledge pp 374 5 Linklater Tin Hat pp 170 2 179 a b Linklater Northern Garrisons Routledge p 401 Table LXV p 397 a b Organization of the Field Force in the United Kingdom and Order of Battle Part 12 Orkney and Shetland Defences 3 March 1941 with amendments The National Archives TNA Kew file WO 212 115 Linklater Tin Hat p 181 Litchfield p 5 Linklater Tin Hat p 185 Scottish Units at British Army site Archived from the original on 2019 08 02 Retrieved 2019 08 02 Watson amp Rinaldi p 314 References EditBasil Collier History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series The Defence of the United Kingdom London HM Stationery Office 1957 Eric Linklater The Man on my Back An Autobiography London Macmillan 1941 Eric Linklater The Northern Garrisons The Army at War London 1941 e book London Bloomsbury Reader 2014 Eric Linklater Fanfare for a Tin Hat A Third Essay in Autobiography London Macmillan 1970 Norman E H Litchfield The Territorial Artillery 1908 1988 Their Lineage Uniforms and Badges Nottingham Sherwood Press 1992 ISBN 0 9508205 2 0 D Rollo The History of the Orkney and Shetland Volunteers and Territorials 1793 1958 Lerwick Shetland Times 1958 Brig N W Routledge History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery Anti Aircraft Artillery 1914 55 London Royal Artillery Institution Brassey s 1994 ISBN 1 85753 099 3 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Orkney Fortress Royal Engineers amp oldid 953273455, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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