Goch 1945 on - any information please

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by Nigel Simpson, Sep 14, 2021.

  1. Nigel Simpson

    Nigel Simpson Member

    Good afternoon, can anyone point me in the right direction on further reading about what the Royal Engineers were doing in Goch from early 1945 onwards after moving on from Evreux please. My father in law was there from early 1945 through VE Day to his 21st birthday on 3rd June 1945 and then onwards for quite a while.
    He was in the 176 Workshop and Park Company Headquarters section. I also think that they were with the Canadians at this point.
    Thanks for any info.
     
  2. Christopher Barr

    Christopher Barr New Member

    There were 37,000 RE personnel in the surrounding area in March 1945 in the build up to the Rhine crossing, Operation Plunder. My father was in 554 Field Coy RE and I believe they operated storm boat ferries and a class 9 raft at the commencement of ops. Many RE companies were involved in the multiple bridges put over the Rhine both temporary and permanent so were in the area for some time.There are excellent threads on the Battle for the Rhine by trux and others on this site, which, have very detailed information of the planning for this major battle. British Army of the Rhine battlefield guide for Op Plunder is available on battlefield historian site.
    Hope this is of use.
     
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  3. Historic Steve

    Historic Steve Researching 21 Army Group/BAOR post VE day

    On VE Day 176 Workshop and Park Company RE were part of 18 Army Group RE command 1 (BR) Corps from 21 May 45 1 Corps District in Goch less two platoons in Belgium, the grid reference shows then located to the north-east of the town, the were indeed a large number of RE troops in the area.

    Best of luck with your research

    21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)
     
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  4. Nigel Simpson

    Nigel Simpson Member

    Thanks for the tips. Here are a few photos from Goch. A couple of VE Day showing the dump closed for the day and the officers against other ranks celebration football match.
    I've read quite a bit of the army advancing but not a lot of the support services following on behind. Ron was there on D-Day or one or two days afterwards where the landings of his company of 260 guys were split into 8 landings with different groups to set up stores bases as the advance took place. I'll probably visit Kew in the New Year to get the company war diaries for 1943, (I have 1944), 1945, 1946 and 1947 when Ron was demobbed.
     

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