70 Field Coy Royal Engineers - Page 2

sapper · 20-12-2004, 10:07 AM

Fine Ryan.
I am not being awkward. I see your point,
Cheers.
Sapper.

bart43945 · 20-12-2004, 05:40 PM

Guys -thanks for all your interest.
Extract from Service record reads:

No of Pt II or Pt III Orders**Unit **Record of all casualties**Place of c.**Date of c.
2E21/56??/44**CRE6AT Engs**Embarked UK**NWE **4 June 44
2E21/722/45**70 Fd Coy**To XII List**NWE**31. 12.44
Any further thoughts please?

Record also shows that he joined 261 Field Park Coy in 1940. The entire Coy was volunteered by the O/C for Airborne and he trained on gliders.
In Nov 1942 he was posted to TT Wing SME Chatham where he qualified as Carpenter & Joiner and remained as an instructor until Jan 44 when he was posted to CRE6AT Engs-see above.

bart43945 · 23-12-2004, 11:42 AM

For Ryan and Pauls interest in particular since what follows will necessitate an amendment to records:As to the lack of involvement of 70 Field Coy RE in NWE- my father gave me an account of a corporal who was working with him checking pins on the top panels of a large bridge near Njimegan. A Messerschmidt made two passes on the bridge and on the second pass his friend fell to the fast waters below. I discovered his friend's casualty record on CWGC yesterday which of course records his Company-70 Field Coy RE.

angie999 · 23-12-2004, 01:18 PM

Although 70 Field Coy is not listed in the D-day OOB, it may be that it was landed later as a replacement or reinforcement unit. The incident at Nijmegen could not have happened earlier than the 2nd half of September 1944 - when was it?

Bart, I suggest you contact the RE museum whose staff may well be able to help you with research on the unit history.

sapper · 23-12-2004, 01:47 PM

Angie.
Earlier I posted the address where anyhting about the RE companies can be found.
Sapper

bart43945 · 23-12-2004, 01:54 PM

Thanks Angie
This took place 14th Feb 1945. I am wondering now if he was attached to another Company when he made the D-day landings-The earlier Companies/Units mentioned in his service record are 261 Field Park Co***TT Wing SME***CRE6AT Engs***. Not SME but maybe he was posted to one of the others.
I have now written to RE Museum and as you say hopefully they will fill in the gaps.
Bart

Paul Reed · 23-12-2004, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bart43945@Dec 20 2004, 04:40 PM
Extract from Service record reads:

No of Pt II or Pt III Orders**Unit **Record of all casualties**Place of c.**Date of c.
2E21/56??/44**CRE6AT Engs**Embarked UK**NWE **4 June 44
2E21/722/45**70 Fd Coy**To XII List**NWE**31. 12.44
Any further thoughts please?

Quoted post

We may have solved your problem. 6AT is 6th Assault Troops. These were part of 79th Armoured Division, which became the 6th Assault Regiment in October 1943 (According to Joslen's OO

. They were attached to 50th (Northumbrian) Division on D Day at Gold Beach.

The 70th Field Coy is not mentioned at all in Joslen; this includes about 99.9% of the British Army units that served in WW2 and I find this quite curious.

bart43945 · 23-12-2004, 03:07 PM

Paul your resolution sounds more than feasible. I will let you have RE Museum 's interpretation when I hear from them.

Paul Reed · 23-12-2004, 06:58 PM

Thanks - and thanks for your emai. I/We look forward to hearing what the reply is relating to this elusive Field Company!

bart43945 · 04-01-2005, 07:22 PM

Just stumbled across http://orbat.com/site/uk_orbats/index.html which covers RE extensively and I find:

6th Army Troops Engineers Possibly formed from 3rd Chem Warfare Group. Served with 21st Army Group 1944/5. Disbanded Sep 1945+.
Controlled 69th 70th and 75th Field Coys RE and 277th Field Park Coy RE

So CRE6AT Engns are as above and not 6 Assault Troops. The added verification is the link with the elusive 70 Field Coy of which more can be found on this site as follows:

3rd Chem Warfare Group RE Formed by Sep 1940.................Group later broken up (or used to form 6th Army Troops RE)
Formed with 68th,69th and 70th Chem Warfare Coys RE................

Next:

70th Chem Warfare Coy RE Formed by Sep 1940 (assigned 3rd Chem Warfare Group). Converted later as 70th Field Coy RE Served with 6th ATRE 1944-45. Disbanded Sep 1945.

It seems I have now found the correct Units/Coys with which my father served although there is a reference to one Unit which remains a mystery-105 CRC to which he was posted from 23/3/45 until 25/9/45.

Does anyone know what the abbreviation CRC might mean?

I am back to square 1 as far as the division to which these Coys were attached-perhaps it was 50th Div-my father recalls landing near Aromanches at zero hour plus 1. Anyone any more ideas whilst I await the views of RE Museum?

23-12-2004, 01:18 PM	#14 (permalink)
angie999 Very Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: near Bristol, UK Posts: 1,551	Although 70 Field Coy is not listed in the D-day OOB, it may be that it was landed later as a replacement or reinforcement unit. The incident at Nijmegen could not have happened earlier than the 2nd half of September 1944 - when was it? Bart, I suggest you contact the RE museum whose staff may well be able to help you with research on the unit history. __________________ Angie "History is lived forward but it is written in retrospect. We know the end before we consider the beginning and we can never wholly recapture what it was like to know the beginning only." C V Wedgewood

23-12-2004, 06:58 PM	#19 (permalink)
Paul Reed Ubique Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kent/France Posts: 3,636	Thanks - and thanks for your emai. I/We look forward to hearing what the reply is relating to this elusive Field Company! __________________ The WW2 Society: Remembering those from Britain & The Commonwealth who served 1939-45 - http://www.battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/ww2_society.htm

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20-12-2004, 10:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,515	Fine Ryan. I am not being awkward. I see your point, Cheers. Sapper.

20-12-2004, 05:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
bart43945 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8	Guys -thanks for all your interest. Extract from Service record reads: No of Pt II or Pt III OrdersUnit Record of all casualtiesPlace of c.Date of c. 2E21/56??/44CRE6AT EngsEmbarked UKNWE 4 June 44 2E21/722/4570 Fd CoyTo XII ListNWE31. 12.44 Any further thoughts please? Record also shows that he joined 261 Field Park Coy in 1940. The entire Coy was volunteered by the O/C for Airborne and he trained on gliders. In Nov 1942 he was posted to TT Wing SME Chatham where he qualified as Carpenter & Joiner and remained as an instructor until Jan 44 when he was posted to CRE6AT Engs-see above.

23-12-2004, 11:42 AM	#13 (permalink)
bart43945 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8	For Ryan and Pauls interest in particular since what follows will necessitate an amendment to records:As to the lack of involvement of 70 Field Coy RE in NWE- my father gave me an account of a corporal who was working with him checking pins on the top panels of a large bridge near Njimegan. A Messerschmidt made two passes on the bridge and on the second pass his friend fell to the fast waters below. I discovered his friend's casualty record on CWGC yesterday which of course records his Company-70 Field Coy RE.

23-12-2004, 01:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,515	Angie. Earlier I posted the address where anyhting about the RE companies can be found. Sapper

23-12-2004, 01:54 PM	#16 (permalink)
bart43945 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8	Thanks Angie This took place 14th Feb 1945. I am wondering now if he was attached to another Company when he made the D-day landings-The earlier Companies/Units mentioned in his service record are 261 Field Park Co*TT Wing SMECRE6AT Engs**. Not SME but maybe he was posted to one of the others. I have now written to RE Museum and as you say hopefully they will fill in the gaps. Bart

23-12-2004, 03:07 PM	#18 (permalink)
bart43945 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8	Paul your resolution sounds more than feasible. I will let you have RE Museum 's interpretation when I hear from them.

04-01-2005, 07:22 PM	#20 (permalink)
bart43945 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 8	Just stumbled across http://orbat.com/site/uk_orbats/index.html which covers RE extensively and I find: 6th Army Troops Engineers Possibly formed from 3rd Chem Warfare Group. Served with 21st Army Group 1944/5. Disbanded Sep 1945+. Controlled 69th 70th and 75th Field Coys RE and 277th Field Park Coy RE So CRE6AT Engns are as above and not 6 Assault Troops. The added verification is the link with the elusive 70 Field Coy of which more can be found on this site as follows: 3rd Chem Warfare Group RE Formed by Sep 1940.................Group later broken up (or used to form 6th Army Troops RE) Formed with 68th,69th and 70th Chem Warfare Coys RE................ Next: 70th Chem Warfare Coy RE Formed by Sep 1940 (assigned 3rd Chem Warfare Group). Converted later as 70th Field Coy RE Served with 6th ATRE 1944-45. Disbanded Sep 1945. It seems I have now found the correct Units/Coys with which my father served although there is a reference to one Unit which remains a mystery-105 CRC to which he was posted from 23/3/45 until 25/9/45. Does anyone know what the abbreviation CRC might mean? I am back to square 1 as far as the division to which these Coys were attached-perhaps it was 50th Div-my father recalls landing near Aromanches at zero hour plus 1. Anyone any more ideas whilst I await the views of RE Museum?

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