8th Armoured Division Engineers

Many thanks again Steve for your insight and knowledge - I'm learning a lot!

 

Hi Graham

A few extra bits

My reading of the papers is that he is posted to No.3 Coy Hampshire Fortress Engineers on 15/5/1939. The later entry relates to his being raised in pay grade - as has a specialist role.

No.3 Coy was apparently largely made up of men linked to the Bournemouth Sports Club, and the unit was treated as something of a social extension of this.

Their summer camp in July 1939 was on the Isle of Wight. On mobilisation they returned there to man searchlights linked to the various gun batteries on the Isle of Wight. Searchlights were RE, Guns RA. Fort Warren was Company HQ. The ORs used the Totland Bay Hotel. A lot of soldiers' families took lodgings on the Isle of Wight

I think the May posting is when No.3 Coy was converting to 577,578 & 579 Coy, taking on c1000 men at Colchester between them. 578 then trained at Merley for around 4 months. Sgt Bell, L/Cpl Weaver and L/Cpl Bousefield leading the training (though I suspect the officers and CSM thought they had some part) all later being promoted. Quite a lot of the former TA men ended up in OCTUs.

Hope some interest there.

 

Thanks Dorche, very interesting. I don't yet know dates, but I remember him telling me that he was stationed on Culver Cliff (battery) early in the war. I've always assumed that he was involved in the upgrading of the battery itself, but from info I've found on here and in several books it appears he was part of the searchlight operations located in what is now the car park of the Culver Haven pub. Would they have travelled from Totland for each 'shift' or would they have been billeted closer, perhaps at Bembridge Fort? Your note about 3 Coy makes sense as he enlisted at Boscombe.