Hi, I am trying to piece together what my Grandad was doing between August 1944 and November 1945. He was originally with 131 Forestry Company from November 1942. Does anyone know how I find out if this unit was part of a particular Field Company or Field Park Company RE. He was training with the 5th Training Battalion and then left the UK in August 1944. His record is then a blank until he he was transferred to 555 Field Co. in November 1945, which I know was attached to the 53rd Welsh Div. He then spent his time in this Div but was transferred between 285 and 555 Field Co. The unit ended up on the Elbe and I know he was in Artlenburg just south of Hamburg in 1946. He was then demobbed. Can anyone shed light on how the RE companies were set up as I am drawing a blank. Would greatly appreciate any pointers.
These war diaries at the National Archives may be what you are after: WO 171/1553 131 Coy. RE 1944 Jan.- Dec. WO 171/5469 131 Coy. RE 1945 Jan.- Nov. It's hard to say if they are Forestry Coy diaries as TNA doun't always name their files very well.
Thanks for this information. I have managed to sort out the start of a chronology but it is for the period when he was posted to 131 Forestry Company that I have no details. I am assuming this is because he was in camp awaiting deployment to Normandy. My mother remembers a letter he sent to my gran saying that he was close by: i.e. close by to where they had spent time when they were courting. They lived in a village near to Portsmouth. Information I have gathered about the Canadian Forestry Companies show that some of these were in camps at Havant (close to where my grandad lived) so the info he wrote in the letter sounds like it could be right. The question is where was 131 FC between Sept.1943 and 7th August 1944 when he left for Europe? If anyone knows anything about the camps he trained at I would be grateful. The chronology so far runs: 15/10/42 to 26/11/42 -Saighton Camp (nr Chester) = No.1 Primary Training Centre. He is listed as Pte. 19/12/42 to 18/1/43 - Blacon (nr. Chester) = 5th Training Btn RE. Listed as Sapper. 2/2/43 to 11/9/43 -Coleford (Forest of Dean) = Posted to 131 Forestry Coy RE with effect from 30/1/43. I have drawn a blank then until he is listed as leaving for NWE on 7/8/44 with 131 FC. So where was he and what was his company doing between 1943 and heading out post D-Day in 1944? Any ideas/pointers greatly appreciated.
I am also seeking information on 131st Forestry Company RE as I have a report that they found, identified and buried my Uncle in a temporary grave on 4th October 1944 in Normandy, near the village of Espins. Did you follow up on the Company diary ? If so I would be interested to hear of any reference to this 4th October event; that may just be the report date not necessarily the date of finding my Uncle. Espins was liberated on 12th August 1944 so the period from then to 4th October is of interest.
