‘gelignite men’ BEF 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by Stuart.tdb, Jan 15, 2010.

  1. Stuart.tdb

    Stuart.tdb Member

    Hi All

    Spent some time last summer recording my uncle Bill, who was a sapper in 216 field company RE with the BEF in France right from ‘39 through till Dunkirk.
    Obviously he has lots of stories but one of the one’s that stuck out was his role as ‘gelignite man’ – his description. He was initially building radars until the Germans advanced and was then detailed to ‘blow up anything that wasn’t tied down’ – his description again – bridges, fuel dumps etc
    He’s 90 now, as bright as a button but a bit vague about when and how and I’d like to fill in some gaps.
    Does anyone know what his responsibilities/duties would have been as the ‘gelignite man’? – He does remember it gave him terrible headaches……..
     
  2. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Some 216 Field Coy casualties from Geoff's Search Engine, some around Dunkirk time.

    001 BANFIELDR2070376 216 FIELD COY 30/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    002 BELLGS2074540 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    003 BRAYPJ2036967 216 FIELD SURVEY COY 12/01/1941ROYAL ENGINEERS

    004 HEWETTV2069526 216 ARMY FIELD COY 30/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    005 HOADFG2070377 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    006 MORRISDT2034168 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    007 PENDREDFS1877935 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    008 ROBINSONSJJ2070869 216 ARMY FIELD COY 10/10/1940ROYAL
    ENGINEERS

    009 RUSHTONGR2070302 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    010 WESTGSC2074181 216 FIELD COY 28/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS
     
  3. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi Stuart

    I don't know where you are based, but if you can get to the National Archives at Kew, there is a war diary for 216 Field Coy, RE.

    The reference number is WO167/972 and it covers the period from Sept 1939 to June 1940.

    Cheers - Robert
     
  4. Stuart.tdb

    Stuart.tdb Member

    Some 216 Field Coy casualties from Geoff's Search Engine, some around Dunkirk time.

    001 BANFIELDR2070376 216 FIELD COY 30/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    002 BELLGS2074540 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    003 BRAYPJ2036967 216 FIELD SURVEY COY 12/01/1941ROYAL ENGINEERS

    004 HEWETTV2069526 216 ARMY FIELD COY 30/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    005 HOADFG2070377 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    006 MORRISDT2034168 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    007 PENDREDFS1877935 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    008 ROBINSONSJJ2070869 216 ARMY FIELD COY 10/10/1940ROYAL
    ENGINEERS

    009 RUSHTONGR2070302 216 ARMY FIELD COY 29/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS

    010 WESTGSC2074181 216 FIELD COY 28/05/1940ROYAL ENGINEERS
    Cheers geoff,
    Thats amazing info....could tally with his memories of being shelled in a forest or blowing bridges - there was one occasion where they had to quickly blow a bridge as german tanks about to cross, losing men in the process ....from your dates the 29th and 30th May were bad days...
     
  5. Stuart.tdb

    Stuart.tdb Member

    Hi Stuart

    I don't know where you are based, but if you can get to the National Archives at Kew, there is a war diary for 216 Field Coy, RE.

    The reference number is WO167/972 and it covers the period from Sept 1939 to June 1941.

    Cheers - Robert
    Thanks Robert
    I've been meaning to take a trip to Kew for a while now, this has fired me up to find out more
    Thanks for your help
    Stuart
     
  6. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Stuart - The war diary covers the period from Sept 1939 to June 1940, not 1941. Apologies for my mistake.

    Robert
     
  7. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    – He does remember it gave him terrible headaches……..

    Found this:

    Effects of overexposure to Gelignite and its derivatives

    Ingestion inhalation or absorption through skin contact may cause headache,
    nausea, blood vessel dilation, vomiting and convulsions. In extreme cases, death may occur. Gelignite is a slight irritant to the skin and eyes. If ingested, medical advice should be sort if persistent headaches or chest pains occur. The Nitric Esters are coronary vasodilators.
     
  8. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    216th are listed, as most of the CWGC records suggest, as an Army Field Company and were BEF GHQ troops. This means that they could have been utilised pretty well anywhere to fill the gaps when things went pear-shaped.

    Because they were attached to GHQ, it may also be worthwhile looking at the diary for the C.R.E. or memoirs from the Engineer-in-Chief, Pakenham-Walsh.

    It is much more difficult to research units other than Armoured and Infantry regiments through published literature and you'll be amazed how much specific info the diaries can contain when compared with an expensive bookshelf full of more general books.
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    The unit became part of Polforce on 18th May.

    On 28th May they moved on to Mont Des Cats performing a rear action in the infantry roll. The men list killed on the 29th buried at Mont Des Cats were killed by the Luftwaffe dive bombing their positions in a dug out. The WD lists a 2nd Lieut. R. Tunstall, RE amongst the casualties but he's not listed on CWGC.

    They seem to be blowing bridges all over the place from 10th May according to the WD's.
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  11. leccy

    leccy Senior Member

    A common explosive in use in 1940 (and still in use in 1986) was PE 808.
    It had a tendency to weep and did give you serious headaches after handling even relatively small amounts, I can personally testify to that. PE 2, 2A, 3 and 4 tended to be more stable so you were not as likely to be affected.

    Having cratered using a camouflet kit on a packed dirt road with a team of four, I feel for L/Cpl West continuing to do one on his own on the night of 22nd to 23rd
     
  12. Stuart.tdb

    Stuart.tdb Member

    Thanks for the WD’s Andy

    Sadly my uncle Bill passed away before Christmas aged 90.
    He left me all his army papers and photos from 39 – 45 and I sat down to go through them today when I saw your post.
    I’m trying to piece together his actions in 1940 for the rest of the family, who have no idea of his time in the army. Thanks to the forum I know loads more that I ever though I would - I’ve seen the diaries - and the POLFORCE diaries - which were really helpful but still left gaps in his movements in the last days of June.
    I know he was at Mont des Cats around 28 – 29th but not sure where he went from there, not sure if he was still part of POLFORCE but he did not travel back with the 216th RE officers to Dunkirk on 29th – He travelled on his own and thought it took him a day and a night, just not sure when.
    There is no mention of the date of his landing back in the UK in 1940 in his pay book – will I have to get his records from the MOD or is there another way to find out?
    One thing the pay book does mention is that he was a Pioneer grade, though he was in the 216th Fld Coy RE – would that be an untrained RE grade?

    Stuart
     

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