234 Field Coy. RE

232, 233, 234 Fd Coys and 235 Fd Park Coy, RE, were all in 50 Div, until it was reorganised into a Motor Division in 1938. It then lost the 149th Infantry Brigade (all Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) and a lot of the Divisional troops that were nominally attached to that brigade. Included within those Divisional troops lost was 234 Fd Coy, RE. They were sent at that time to Northern Command, along with the 506th Fd Coy (which I believe was the post-Munich crisis duplicate of the 233rd Fd Coy, RE.)

They were II Corps troops as at 10 May 1940: https://usacac.army.mil/cac2/CGSC/CARL/nafziger/940BEAA.pdf. They would be allocated tasks by II Corps, not any of the Divisions therein, albeit II Corps could have attached them to one of the three Divisions for particular tasks.

Unfortunately, I have no information on the 234th Fd Coy other than that earlier in this thread and here.

Suggest that the 234th Fd Coy’s applicable War Diary may be the only source of better information and if none exists, the II Corps War Diary for the same period.

Hope this helps!

Best,

Steve.

 

LST's - Group L1
NAN RED


Serial 1153 is an LST(2) 425, Lt P.M. Wilcockson, RNR carrying:

On the Tank Deck.

• 6 x Crusader AT Tractor towing 6 x Trailer No 27 and 6 x 17pdr AT guns - 246 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 3 x Jeep - 246 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 2 x Carrier - 246 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x M14 Halftrack - 246 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 72 men - 246 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 2 x Jeep - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x 15 cwt Water - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x 15 cwt GS - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x 15 cwt Battery Charging - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x Motorcycle - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 18 men - 248 Battery, 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x Jeep, 2 x motorcycle & 6 men - 670 Artisan Works Company RE. Recon Party
• 4 x Jeep & 11 men - ‘B’ Battery, 9 Survey Regiment RA
• 1 x M14 Halftrack & 7 men - 234 Field Company RE
• 1 x M14 Halftrack - Headquarters 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x Carrier Universal - Headquarters 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x Jeep - Headquarters 62 AT Regiment RA
• 1 x Motorcycle - Headquarters 62 AT Regiment RA
• 12 men - Headquarters 62 AT Regiment RA.

​

On the Main Deck:

• 1 x Jeep - ‘A’ Flight, 652 AOP Squadron
• 1 x 15 cwt GS - ‘A’ Flight, 652 AOP Squadron
• 4 men - ‘A’ Flight, 652 AOP Squadron
• 1 x 15 cwt Water - 234 Field Company RE
• 1 x 15 cwt Compressor - 234 Field Company RE
• 1 x 15 cwt FFW - 234 Field Company RE
• 4 x 3 ton 4 X 4 Austin - 234 Field Company RE
• 4 x 3 ton 4 X 4 Winch, Karrier, - 234 Field Company RE
• 1 x Trailer, Stella Water Purification - 234 Field Company RE
• 3 x M14 Halftrack - 234 Field Company RE
• 52 men - 234 Field Company RE - 234 Field Company RE
• 1 x 15 cwt GS - ‘A’ Echelon, 17 Movement Control Group
• 1 x Car 2 seater - ‘A’ Echelon, 17 Movement Control Group
• 1 x Motorcycle - ‘A’ Echelon, 17 Movement Control Group
• 24 men - ‘A’ Echelon, 17 Movement Control Group
• 1 x White Scout Car - ‘A’ Echelon, 5 ARRE
• 1 x 3 ton 4 X 4 GS - ‘A’ Echelon, 5 ARRE
• 7 men - ‘A’ Echelon, 5 ARRE
• 2 x 3 ton 4 X 4 GS - 155 AA Operations Room
• 1 x Generator Trailer - 155 AA Operations Room
• 1 x 3 ton Mobile Operations Room - 155 AA Operations Room
• 1 x 15 cwt Wireless House - 155 AA Operations Room
• 55 men - 155 AA Operations Room
• 2 x 15 cwt GS - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 2 x Motorcycle - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 1 x 15 cwt Water - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 1 x 3 ton 4 X 4 GS - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 1 x 3 ton 4 X 4 Albion Machinery - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 1 x Car 4 seater - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 24 men - 274 Battery, 86 HAA Regiment RA
• 1 x Amphibious Jeep & 4 men - 996 Port Operating Company RE
• 1 x Amphibious Jeep & 4 men - 998 Port Operating Company RE
• 1 x Amphibious Jeep & 4 men - 1018 Port Operating Company RE
• 18 men - 112 Pioneer Smoke Company
• 12 x 10 cwt trailers - CRASC 3rd Canadian Infantry Division

​

 

Hello,

My first post here.

Very interesting post, and very useful even though over a decade old. Thanks to the OP and all others who have updated this thread of history.

My grandfather Alfred Leonard Portlock was a sapper with 234 Filed Co RE in 1944. He'd been a regular in '39 I think and was at Dunkirk with the BEF. However, I'm not sure if he would have been with the same unit at that time.

He spoke very little about his service, other than telling a 10-year-old me "Never drop a Sten gun."

He was wounded in the arm at some point and, so my grandmother said, saw fairly heavy action at Caen.

My grandmother told me that he landed with the Canadians at Sword, and that he'd told her about bulldozing bodies into pits at Belsen concentration camp.

There was a BBC article today about a veteran from 224 Field Co who recently went back to France (to find a girl).

World War Two: Soldier reunited with girl he met in France

Does any of this ring any bells for anybody?

I currently live near Amsterdam and would like to travel his unit's route from France to Germany.

What do you think are the next steps for finding his service record?

Thanks again.

Nathan

 

I am a newcomer to this discussion group. I have just found out that my father was a captain in 234 Field Company with his record of service in Northern France showing from 29.9.39 to 27.5.40. Can anyone shed light on what they were up to during that period? With thanks.

 

I've asked Drew5233 if he has the unit war diary for 1940 .
Hopefully he has.

 

I can tell you Captain A Nixon was the company 2 IC. Is this your fathers signature?

 

Yes, indeed, that was his signature.

 

He left 234 Company on the 3rd April to become the commanding officer of 18 Field Park Company.

 

I shall follow up your War Diary link to the National Archives. I shall be there next month.
Thank you for that.

Very helpful. Thanks.

 

I'm researching a relative (now deceased) who according to his army record was in 234 Field Company RE. It says on his record that he entered NWE on 11th June 1944. From what I've read here his unit took part in the action on D-Day. Would it be normal for some of the unit to follow on later?

Thanks

Martin Hooper

 

Movements post VE Day 8 May 45

234 Field Company – 1 Corps from 21 May 45 1 Corps District Troops – 18 Army Group 2 Jan 46 to 26 Feb 46
Hüthum west of Bocholt – Hasselt south-west of Bocholt 23 May 45 – Dortmund-Aplerbeck 16 Jul 45

21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)

 

Does anyone have a copy of "The Circus" - a link was posted in this thread a long time ago .. http://www.tinyland.org/andy/the_circus_234 _field_company.pdf and its no longer active.

Many thanks

 

Hi Mike,

Also not sure how to get a copy of the Circus but there's a lead here:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500111330

Somebody also put excerpts onto X:
https://x.com/234company?lang=ar

Another potential source but a paywall:
234th Field Company, Royal Engineers in the Second World War 1939-1945 - The Wartime Memories Project -

Image attached of the company (from X).

Best,

Nathan

 

Hi there, I'm replying here as I can't find a way to start an original post, I hope that's okay.

My Dundonian Granda A.G., was part of the 234th field company of Royal Engineers, with the 51st Highlanders. According to his POW questionnaire which has just become available on Ancestry. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide any info on where he enlisted (only the date of 1939) nor who liberated them (only that it was in April, 1945).

He spent almost 5 years in Poland in the camps. The only thing he ever told my Mum was that he had it much better than those out in the field.

If any of you could point me in the direction of finding out more info about him/his f.c/experiences of others who were in the camps also, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you,

Maureen

 

Maureen,

Welcome.

The best way ahead is to start a unique thread on your subject's service in WW2, it will get more attention that way. This is a thread about a unit pre-war.

The area to start is: Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy

We always recommend applying for the subject's full service record. Yes, it may take a year to arrive - either from the MoD or National Archives (TNA). It is not available online and is the definitive record. There is nothing you can do about the wait. The records were never intended to be read today. See: Get a copy of military records of service

Guidance is on: How to Start a new Thread / Edit Post / Upload Image

A visual guide to ‘Start’ is in Post 19 in: George William Knock

More tomorrow if I can.

 

I have now read through this thread as 234 Field Coy was not attached to the 51st. It was with II Corps apparently. See: 51st (Highland) Division - Wikipedia and 51st (Highland) Division - Wikipedia

237 Field Company, assigned to 51st, was from Dundee originally, so would fit your description.

What makes you think he was with the 51st?

I started the post with the new passage, but stopped when 234 Field was officially not part of the 51st. There is a mass of information here, scattered in several threads, on the 1940 experience of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, which ended with their surrender @ St Valery or in full: Saint-Valéry-en-Caux. A Belgian member, Christian L., had a thread on their time.

The 51st Division was reformed in the UK in August 1940, their Order of Battle does not include 237 Field Coy (or 234 Field). See: 51st (Highland) Division - Wikipedia

There are a few threads on 237 Field Coy. id'd with an online search: "237 Field Company" site:ww2talk.com

They became part of another division see: 78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

Even more reason to start a new thread, with the correct units! Mistakes happen.

 

Hi Chris, this thread is quite old, but just read it, my grandfather was in 234 company James Condie from hamilton. You can read his story in the following link. Just copy and paste it into your browser.

Thanks

Kevin

Jim Condie

 

My grandfather James condie was in the 234 company, you can read his story through the link below, copy it into your browser.

Jim Condie

 

Kev,

The opening post author Chris Basey last posted in 2009 and last logged in 2013.

Thanks for adding the link too. Maureen who posted In February 2026, never logged back in.

 

No worries Maureen, I'm new to this site, I seen a few posts regarding copies of the book, The Circus: Diary of 234 Field Company R.E., D-Day - if anyone has a PDF of this book it would be much appreciated, as the links previously posted unfortunately no longer open, thanks again