2126063 Corporal Thomas Duncan BROWN, 85 Field Coy, Royal Engineers: 09/06/1944

Hi there,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this thread, but does anyone know anything about this unit of the Royal Enginners? My Grandfather, Thomas Duncan Brown, served with them and was killed on June 9th, 1944. He is buried in Bayeux.

This weekends events in Normandy have encouraged me again to try and find out more. I have obtained some detial and copies of records from the Army, but my greatest hope would be to find someone who actually knew him!

His daughter - my mother - and I have been to Bayeux to see his grave and remain hopeful one day to find more information!

thanks to all for any help or pointers!

 

Hi Angelaw and welcome

I presume this is your relation:-

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2955642/thomas-duncan-brown/
Name: BROWN, THOMAS DUNCAN
Initials: T D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
Unit Text: 85 Field Coy.
Age: 36
Date of Death: 09/06/1944
Service No: 2126063
Additional information: Son of Thomas Ritchie Brown and Florence Annie Brown; husband of F, Elizabeth Mary Cathcart Brown, of South Cliff, Scarborough, Yorkshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XV. B. 20.
Cemetery: BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY

Cheers - Robert

It seems like you have a lot of information, but we do have a Veteran on this site that might tell you more about what this unit did, but probably not have known him.

 

Hi there,

Does anyone remember my Grandfather, or know anywhere I can find our any further information? He was a corporal in the 85 Filed Coy of the Royal Engineers, and was killed on June 9th, 1944. He is buried in Bayeux.

The events this weekend have encouraged me again to try and find out more. I have obtained some detial and copies of records from the Army, but my greatest hope would be to find someone who actually knew him!

His daughter - my mother - and I have been to Bayeux to see his grave and remain hopeful one day to find more information!

thanks to all for any help or pointers!

 

Hi and welcome to the forum


I've just done a bit of Digging in ATB's D-Day and there is one entry on 85th Field Co. They were the company that concreted over the famous Fascine AVRE that blocked a exit on 6th June just inland from Juno beach.

The RE's worked frantically to open the route from the beach....

From reading the info it appears the initial Engineers (26th Assault Squadron) left it in place and the road was concreted over by No.85 Field Company Royal Engineers.

(The full story is told in After The Battle No.15) I don't have the magazine but I suspect there will only be a small entry in it regarding 85 Field Co. RE.

Here's a picture and some basic info:


Lost in France - Day 7

I thought there would be more info on this AVRE on the net but I'm struggling to find anything.

 

Hi Robert,
Thanks for the quick reply. This is my Grandfather, and so any further knowledge about the unit would be fantastic.
Angela

 

Hello Angelaw,

Welcome to the forum.

Have you applied for your grandfathers service record? It would give you quite a bit of information regarding his service. As your mother is next of kin, it would be her that has to make the application, or at least, sign the paperwork.

Regards
Peter.

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Angelaw,

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Best of luck on your enquiries.

Regards
Tom

 

Peter,

Those forms are the wrong ones according to Glasgow when I rung them up. I'll get my scanner out later and scan all the paperwork I received and post it up.

Regards
Andy

 

We got a duplicate thread going on here for the same individual under two different titles:

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-history/19858-85-field-coy-royal-engineers-june-1944-a.html

They need to be merged.

Cheers - Robert

 

Thanks Robert, didn't realise

Regards
Peter

 

Hi all,

Thank you so much for the information so far, and apologies for the dupilcation. I'm new to this, and was not sure how to progress. I have obtianed some records from the Army, but am happy to continue researching for anything further.
Angela

 

Hi there,
Thanks so much for the help with this. Owen, is it easy enough to get access to the war diary information at Kew if I go in person? Could you expand on what sort of information I might be able to find? Drew, really useful thanks, gives me some more ideas of places to do more research.
Thanks all!

 

Angela,

Without wishing to pry but if you can share the info the MOD has given it may help to open more avenues for you

Cheers
Andy

 

Drew,
I have detail from the MOD which suggests the 85 Field company was part of the Royal Artillary Unit I. I have his serrvice number, and a few other detials. What do you think might be helpful to pursue this further?
thanks

 

There's quite a few RA buffs on here.

I would suggest you type everything you have up in list form (Verbatum) and post it on here.

That way members can go through it with you. Sometimes the smallest thing can be the key.

Have you applied for his service records?

Cheers

 

There were RE Workshops attached to Royal Artillery Units. Maybe the service record would indicate where he was attached to and/or the war diary for this unit.

 

May I help? It is extremely unlikely that this Sappers Company would be attached to an RA unit... (The question immediately springs to mind What ever for?) Both the RE and the RA belong to. and serve a greater command.

What may have occurred, is that the RE Fld Coy and the RA belonged to, or were under command of a greater unit? Division? HQ? Field Companies are usually part of an established unit such as a Division or an Army group.

I have looked through my records, and can find no trace of a 85 RE Fld Co. That I cannot find it? does nothing really.....BUT! I have a record that I post here. It could be that being the records are sketchy that is really 85 or the other way round?
So this is what I have:

The Development of the Beaches ...D Day

RE 101 sub area landed HQ 18 GHQ troops, 84 Fd Coy. 91 Fd Coy. 50 Mech Eqpt Sec and 8 and 9 Stores Sect. Together with 53 Pnr Coy on D Day.

Leading recce parties and exit teams landed up to time at 8 H + 30 and H + 45 respectively with the exception of two of the eight exit teams whose craft were hit and failed to discharge.

There is more of this, but nowhere is there any mention of that Company again.

This record of 84 Fld Coy is under the heading of "Other RE Units"

That I have no record of 85 RE does not indicate anything, for there were masses on units that were "Under Command"

I hope I have not made this even more mysterious?
I don't know if any of this is any help? So I Post it just for information
Sapper

 

An RE Fd Coy would never be attached to a RA unit as support.... That is not the nature of their existence.... If the RA needed help or support? their are specialists like the REME or other SUPPORT troops. There is nothing in a a RE Fld Coy that could be of the slightest help to the RA
Cheers sapper