New member - Interested in 227 Field Park Company info

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by Dozer, Jan 3, 2022.

  1. Dozer

    Dozer Member

    Hi,
    I've just registered as I'm looking into any info on my Grandads unit, the 227 Field Park Coy.
    I've just re-read some letters from my Grandads friends who signed up and served with him, letters that were sent to me 20 years ago. I wish I'd followed up on it back then, but there's always something else getting in the way. My Grandad was Harold Cecil Bull, 2072800, driver in the RE.

    I have some info for example, a letter from Bill Freke...

    I will start at the beginning. I was born in Avonvale Rd a few hundred yards from Harolds father’s shop.
    On Church Rd was a fishmongers son Bert Pearce. The three of us were school boys together. At the age of eighteen the three of us joined the T.A.
    We remained friends throughout the war and also after being de mobbed.
    In Aug 1939 we went to Bulford on Salisbury Plain for our annual camp. Harold and I were in Field Stores Section. I was learning to drive and I believe Harold was training to be a blacksmith but later became a driver.
    Bert was posted to another Coy in 1942 but Harold and I stayed together until the 227 was disbanded in Egypt and I was posted to Italy.


    Another from Fred Tanner...

    I will now give you a brief history of the 227th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers. To begin, following World War 1, the Royal Engineers Territorial Army unit was based at 32, Park Row, Bristol. It was then known as the South Midland Royal Engineers (S.M.R.E.). It was part of the 48th Division T.A. The S.M.R.E. included companies in Birmingham, Reading and Bristol. Three in all. They were all known as “Field” Companies.
    On the outbreak of World War 2, the Bristol 224 Field Coy R.E. was split to create two companies. Thus, 224 Field Coy and 227 Field Park Coy. Actually, this split had been done about a month before the war began, in anticipation that war was coming. However, 227 moved to Great Boxwell on the 4th of September 1939. Then to Beau Regard near Wallingford on Thames. Then to Longworth.
    After being reviewed by King George II in January 1940 the company embarked at Southampton for France on January 12th. We landed at Cherbourg. We then went in convoy by road to Rasches (Pas du nord).
    227 Coy, carried out training during the period known as “the phoney war”. On May 10th the German Army struck at Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. The next day 227 entered Belgium to a position, east of Brussels, near a canal or river (could have been the River Dyle). From there we moved almost daily backwards. Through Tournai and Kortrijk then Tourcoing, Bailleul, Poperinge, Wormhaut and Bergues where we stayed for 2 or 3 days before going to Dunkirk. We destroyed our vehicles at Bergues, and marched by foot to Dunkirk. Going through the town to the beach we marched along that beach to Bray Dunes, where we stopped to wait for shipping. We dug “funk-holes” to protect ourselves from German aircraft.
    We were eventually reformed and marched to the pier or “mole” at the entrance to Dunkirk docks. This under enemy shell fire.
    This pier or “mole” was badly damaged but it was possible to walk along it to British destroyers which had laid up against the timber sides. I left on the V & W class destroyer “Whitehall”. This took place on the morning of May 31st.
    Back in Britain 227 was reformed at Monmouth Castle. Some month later we moved the company to Okehampton. Then on to Lifton.


    So I have some info, and I have many of my Grandads photos from during the war, training in Lifton, Holton Hall Wragby, cleaning trucks, assault courses, Egypt etc., and I have photographs from reunions and marches - They went to De Panne in Belgium a lot.
    I also have poems from Captain Edgar L Plunkett, written during the war, and a scan of a local newspaper interview with him.
    I have a nominal roll taken 31st May 1940 of the 227's, so I also have a lot of names.

    I was wondering if it's worth getting any info from the National Archives, and how I would go about this? We have my grandads record, but I'm interested in his company too. Wragby_February_1942.jpg
     
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    For general history see Post 20: Buckinghamshire Battalion (Ox and Bucks LI ) and Post 7 in: 1883598 Staff Sergeant John DEBLING, Royal Engineers

    These are the only threads that clearly involve 227 Field Park. Nothing in the Royal Engineers Journal.

    The National Archives only have one War Diary, for 1943: Royal Engineers: 227 Field Park Company (RE Fd Pk Coy) | The National Archives It is possible their diary for France 1940 was lost and never written up later.

    There is a well-known poet called Plunkett, however his first name is not Edgar: Lord Dunsany - Wikipedia I cannot readily identify a Plunkett being a RE officer in WW2.

    Good luck.
     
  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Welcome to the forum
     
  4. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    There seems to be a full compliment of war diaries for 227 Field Company, Royal Engineers (1943 excepted when there is one for 227 Field Park Company).

    It maybe these are one of the same unit but it doesn't match the comment that the unit was disbanded in Italy; after 1943 the diaries are for NW Europe.
     
  5. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Being in 48th Div they were probably reviewed by the king in Savernake Forest prior to embarkation at Southampton.
    "After returning from leave preparations began for moving overseas. A few days before embarkation, the regiment was inspected by King George VI in Savernake Forest. The units were lined up in one of the forests many rides and then paraded past the King who took up position in a clearing. (excerpt from "Ramsbury at War" by Roger Day).

    The reference of "funk holes" (We dug “funk-holes” to protect ourselves from German aircraft) by Fred Tanner, I find interesting as they were mentioned in a letter I have from Italy in 1944 "along every main road the Jerries have dug funkholes every few yards as refuges from merciless ground strafing". I thought it was an American term acquired at Anzio. Obviously not
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2022
  6. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Welcome aboard.
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    The term "Funk holes" was used in The Great War.
    There is an example of one in this photo.
    Life at the Front Photographs - Funk Hole | Canada and the First World War
    Welcome to the forum Dozer.
     
  8. Dozer

    Dozer Member

    Thanks both. I think I will look at the possibility of obtaining the War Diary.
    Regarding Captain Plunkett, he was a man from Bristol. I've attached a newspaper scan of an interview if anyone's interested, and below is one of his poems.

    THE QUEST

    Down the broad highway of life I strode,
    Seeking to find in life a code,
    A means whereby my restless soul night find,
    The riddle of the universe - mankind. '

    I found a world bewildered and beset,
    With maze of tangled thoughts, and deep regret,
    Of visions beautiful, sublime,
    Immersed beneath a sordid bed of slime.

    I sought in all the corners of the earth,
    To find the answer to the birth,
    Of Him whom we call Christ - who died,
    To save such men as us - was crucified.

    I searched the very waterfronts of Hell,
    Delved deep in shadows, oft-times fell,
    Beyond the reach of life's set moral law,
    And in so doing found an earthly flaw.

    It was that human greed for wealth - for gain,
    Had filled the world with misery - sorrow - pain,
    Had crushed beneath a callous cloak of lust,
    That precious gem called friendship - into dust.

    That gift of humans - Christ bestowed,
    That eases life's severest load,
    Of pain, of hunger, mind or soul,
    That leads man upwards to his goal.

    On - On - I searched, through fo'castles motley herd,
    Where common oaths, were used as friendships word,
    For reasons why such men of diverse creed,
    Could still possess the grain of Christ's own seed.

    In shelteredhome - in sordid slum,
    Thro' peaceful village - city's hum,
    I wandered on, possessed, aflame,
    To find if "Christ" was but a name.

    Thence on amongst the serried ranks,
    Of men who fought and died in tanks,
    Of boys who went unquestioned to their doom,
    Until this simple answer pierced the gloom.

    That touch divine of He who cried,
    To the robber hanging by His side,
    Fear not my friend - tonight with me,
    In Paradise - eternally.

    This then my friends is but the answer found,
    To all life‘s mystery - profound,
    Some call it love, a deeper love than sex,
    That goes beyond this life into the next.

    Who knows when I have left this life,
    And passed beyond the realms of mortal strife,
    That He, who judges all with Divine Grace,
    Will let us meet again, yes - face to face.

    To wander once again the vale of years to be,
    Along celestial paths our eyes yet fail to see,
    Yes - hand in hand, with laughter uncontrolled,
    Where life begins anew, where none are old.

    Because I know, the kindness that has come,
    Deep from your hearts - yes everyone,
    In offering friendships gift to me,
    Has eased my path to Destiny.


    E.L. Plunkett. EGYPT. 1945.

    Written just prior to returning home on "Python"
    after some four years and six months overseas, and
    presented to brother officers and others as a token
    of what I felt at the time. - ELP. '
     
    4jonboy and Owen like this.
  9. Dozer

    Dozer Member

    Two more messages before I finished my above reply - thanks to you too.
    I've attached the nominal roll scan I have for the 227's, might be of use to someone.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Dozer

    Dozer Member

    Thanks Gary, I'll look into this and see if they are indeed the same.
     
  11. Dozer

    Dozer Member

    I just found another letter I received from one of my Grandads friends. I'd asked about the Robbers Roost board in the above photo, which I have in some other photos too.
    Mr Alf Scorer told me:

    You were asking how the name Robbers Roost came about? Well if I remember right; around the camp were a lot of tall trees, and a lot of "Jack Daws" roosted there, and they picked up anything that was lying about. As a matter of fact, I reared a couple of chicks, which were quite tame. We called them 'Bull Shit' & 'Blanko'. They used to fly over head when we were on parade, shouting "Bull Shit & Blanko". Also they were making a mess in the billets and Mr Waddell Lt made me get rid of them (you have to believe me)!
     

    Attached Files:

    Wobbler and Owen like this.

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