Pioneer Corps, 40 Coy., Aux, Mil. at Dunkirk

[JOHNB84]

Would anyone please be able to tell me a little about the 40 Coy., Aux, Mil, Pioneer Corps. One of my local lads lost his life with this unit at Dunkirk. As ever any help would be greatly appreciated.

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Thanks
John

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by JOHNB84

Would anyone please be able to tell me a little about the 40 Coy., Aux, Mil, Pioneer Corps. One of my local lads lost his life with this unit at Dunkirk. As ever any help would be greatly appreciated.

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Thanks
John

Thats an interesting one John. 26 Companies of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps were intended to be evacuated from St Nazaire on the Lancastria on 17 June 1940.Many were lost when the Lancastria went down after being sunk by the Lufffewaffe in the St Nazaire roads. They are remembered on the Dunkirk Memorial.

It looks to me that No 40 Company were detailed to be left behind possibily for defence works in the Dunkirk perimeter.

Will look further.

[Owen]

According to Glover in The Fight For The Channel Ports (page 77)there were over 107 companies of AMPC or more than 20 000 men in May 1940.
One man in four had a rifle but in their ranks were many old soldiers.
AMPC companies were involved in many actions as infantry when they managed to scrap enough rifles together.
Some fought at Boulogne, some formed part of "Beauman Division."
I don't know what 40 Coy did but although he is named on the Dunkirk Memorial that doesn't mean he died at Dunkirk, he could have been killed anywhere during the 1940 campaign.
Sorry can't be more specific.

Aha
Royal Pioneer Corps & Royal Pioneer Association

Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps which were wholly or partly aboard Lancastria:-
• Companies numbered:
16, 26, 28, 32, 39, 40, 43, 46, 50, 52, 53, 61, 62,
63, 66, 67, 68, 73, 75, 82, 104, 108, 115, 208, 233.
• Base Depot Staff.
• HQ Labour Control.
• No. 1 Mauritius Company.

died too early for Lancastria.

between 25/05/1940 and 02/06/1940

[Paul Reed]

According to the RPC History (see below) the 40th Company was commanded by Major W.G. Haywood) and was part of 11 Group and was south of Lille in early May 1940. When the Blitzkrieg broke, they moved back to Dunkirk. Extract for what they did below.

Source: A War History of the Royal Pioneer Corps 1939-1945 by Mjr E.H.Rhodes-Wood (Gale & Polden 1960).

[Owen]

Paul, that's an excellent post.
Is there a Histroy you haven't got?
Were they then sent back to France as that Lancastria website has them being embarked on her?

[Paul Reed]

Owen - the History doesn't show them embarking on the Lancastria.

[Owen]

Cheers, that website must be wrong then.

[Harry Ree]

No 40 Company Aux Mil Pioneer Corps are not shown in the embarkation details in "The Loss of the Lancastria", hence my deduction that they had been left behind in the Dunkirk Perimeter.Additionally there were a number of casualties during the withdrawal of the BEF whose date of death could not be ascertained accurately and this is reflected on the graves of many of the units who fought the rearguard action and those who were directed south west for an embarkation port in western France.

Many unidentified graves in the various coastal cemeteries south of the Loire carry the date of 17 June 1940 which can be related to the loss of the Lancastria on that date.I would think that a number of the dead would have been found much later than 17 June 1940 but this date is recorded on the headstones.

As regards the background of the casualties, there are many of these casualties in the Pornic Military Cemetery but one was a CSM, aged 40 odd,Turpin, if I recollect, who held a MM.I think he must have seen service in the First World War and was a pre war regular.

Looking at John's casualty,Clitheroe,his age is similar to a casualty whom I am aware of.Both were of a mature age,39 years old in Clitheroe's case and 37 years old in the case of a member of No 73 Company who was lost on the Lancastria.A couple of years ago I asked his son about his circumstances,he told me his father joined up in 1938 when there was unemployment in the Yorkshire coalfields.I would hazzard a guest that Pioneer Clitheroe may have had similar circumstances in County Durham.

[Owen]

As regards the background of the casualties, there are many of these casualties in the Pornic Military Cemetery but one was a CSM, aged 40 odd,Turpin, if I recollect, who held a MM.I think he must have seen service in the First World War and was a pre war regular.

Yes here he is,
CWGC :: Casualty Details

Trying in vain to find him on LG for mention of MM & there are 12 Arthur Turpins on WW1 Medal Cards at TNA.
I expect someone like Paul will find him.

[JOHNB84]

Harry/Owen/Paul

Thank you all so much for this marvellous information, it is much more than I had hoped for, thank you all for taking the time out for me, It is very much appreciated.
I think Harry may be right about Pioneer Clitheroe, as the local collieries in our area were also going though a lean spell leading up to the war. I haven't found anything for Pioneer Clitheroe in the local newspapers yet, but if and when I do I will let you all know. Once again thank you all for your help.

John.