220 Field Company RE in Italy 1944

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by Skoyen89, Nov 7, 2019.

  1. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    I am trying to learn more about 220 Field Coy Royal Engineers. It served with 56th Infantry Division throughout WWII but details on its activities online are few and it seems that the War Diary for Kew is there for 1943 but only has records for May and June 1944.

    It would be good to know which of the three Brigades in the Division it supported as that may indicate the actions it was involved in and the Brigade War Diary may be useful as a proxy for the Company War Diary.

    I bought a small book called 'Oh to be a Sapper.....' by M Salmon as he served with 220 Field Coy but he left them just before it went to Italy having been wounded on 8th August 1943 in an accident in Tripoli.

    Any info or references I can follow up much appreciated.
     
  2. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    All of the diaries for 220 Field company are present for 1943-1945. The ones for May and June are when they were in the Middle East refitting. I have all the diaries plus all the brigade ones - which period are you interested in?
     
  3. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Thanks Gary. I must have missed it in the searches I did in Discovery. A friend in the walking group is interested in finding more about his father's war. He thinks he was with them most of the war but will send off for his records from the MOD to confirm. He was definitely there in Italy because he mentioned it and I can find him on the casualty list for Jan 1944 and he told how he was disabled towards the end of the war. Hence I am trying to build up a picture of the activities of 220 Field Coy and at the moment am mainly interested in 1944 and 1945 so those for Italy. Are the War Diaries 'basic' or are there attached orders, operational instructions etc?
     
  4. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    If he was wounded in Jan 44, that would put him mostly likely on the Garigliano crossing which involved both 5 Inf Div and 56 Inf Div.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  5. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    They are pretty good as they go. For example, the January 1944 WD has the Commanding Officers report on the operation mentioned by Frank. For that the company supported 167 Brigade.
     
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  6. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Thanks Frank and Gary. He was wounded on 19th January 1944 so that would put him in the Garigliano crossing. 167 Brigade were attacking Mt Damiano and Colle Salvatito if I have got it right. My friend said that he got hit by some shrapnel which bounced off the road. The Casualty Report says that he (and a couple of others from 220 Field Coy) stayed with their unit so the wounds couldn't have been that bad.

    I bought a copy of Salmon's book 'Oh to be a sapper' as he served in 220 Field Coy. He did from 1940 through to August 1943 when he was injured in North Africa just before the Company left to go (eventually) to Italy. he then went to Italy later with another unit.

    I've been reading Monte Cassino by Matthew Parker for an overview as this is not my primary area of interest, but it is hard to follow and seems to skate over the top. Need to look for something a bit more targeted.
     
  7. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    220 Field Company Report on the crossing:

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Jan_44_0033.JPG

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Jan_44_0034.JPG

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Jan_44_0035.JPG

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Jan_44_0036.JPG
     
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  8. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Gary.

    Great find.

    Frank
     
  9. Isaf0815

    Isaf0815 New Member

    I just read the thread that you have copies of the 220 Field Coy RE diaries are you able to copy or send me a copy of these! I ask as I'm doing a new exhibition next year at the National Army Museum, where one of the officers I'm researching was part of 220 Field during the period of 1443-45?

    Thank you.
     
  10. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Isaf0815.

    Were you aware that Christopher Robin Milne was an Officer in this Fd Coy RE over that period?

    I have some drawings that he did for the Garigliano crossing.

    Regards

    Frank
     
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  11. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    I'll chance my arm, does anyone have the Company WD's for Tunisia? looking for 5/5/43 as I have a Service Book to a Sapper wounded that day with them and I've no idea of the circumstances or location

    Cheers
     
  12. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Hi Isaf0815,

    Sorry, I missed this. Did you get the info you required?

    Regards,
    Gary.
     
  13. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    I don't have them but I can have a look next time I'm in Kew.
     
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  14. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Cheers Gary, no need to go to any trouble, it was just in case you had them to hand
     
  15. Molly Sutton

    Molly Sutton New Member

    Hi Frank!

    I'm tracing a family member that was in the 220 Ff Coy, please could you attach the drawings? I'd be really interested to see them :)

    Cheers, Molly
     
  16. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    This is report signed by Lieutenant Milne but I'm unsure if he was the draughtsman of the sketch?

    There are numerous other sketches (some on reports from other officers) that are clearly by the same draughtsman.

    From what I can deduce I think Lieutenant Milne may have been the Intelligence Officer for the unit (he certainly was in 1945) or another capacity at company HQ. He doesn't ever seemed to be referenced as leading a platoon.

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Jan_44_0021.JPG

    I'm not au fait with how the RE produced their sketches - would the IO do them for reports like these or would one of the trained draughtsman? Or would the latter used for the official structural drawings which had to be technically and dimensionally accurate?

    Edit: Just looking and it doesn't seem there was a trained draughtsman assigned to the unit in January, although an architectural one does appear in February.
     
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  17. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Molly.

    Only last week, I was walking the ground and bridge crossing that 220 Fd Coy RE were responsible for in Jan 44 on the Garigliano at Cassino.

    Impressive.

    Regards

    Frank
     
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  18. Molly Sutton

    Molly Sutton New Member

    Thank you both! I will keep an eye on this thread. My Great-Uncle was called Jos Southern and died on 17/12/44. My Grandma is pretty sure that she has some letters that he sent home, I'll share any info that I find from them!
     
  19. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    The good thing about Field Company RE War Diaries is that they tend to name soldiers because the unit is small. Ask Gary Tankard to source you the pages for in and around 17 Dec 44 the next time he is at the National Archives. He charges a pittance for the service. The War Diaries may mention under what circumstances he was killed.

    At the time, 220 Fd Coy RE were in the Po Valley but stuck in grim conditions.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  20. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Molly,

    Here is the page from 17th December 1944. Your Great-Uncle was killed by shelling at 1830hrs while building a bridge across the River Lamone in Faenza at this location - Ponte delle Grazie - Google Maps

    220_Fd_Coy_RE_Dec_44_0005.JPG

    220_Faenza.jpg

    220_Faenza_2.jpg
     

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