1st London Field Company Royal Engineers
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The 1st London Field Company, Royal Engineers (Territorial Force) was a Territorial engineer unit of the British Army active during the Great War.
On formation in 1908 it was part of 56th (1st London) Division.
The company was based on City Road in London.
On 23 December 1914 the company transferred to 6th Division in France, and served the rest of the war with them.
It formed a second-line formation, the 2/1st London Field Company, which replaced it in the 56th Division.
On 9 August 1915 the 6th Division attacked and recaptured the chateau at Hooge. Number 4 Section of the company joined in the attack alongside the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, and the company suffered its highest casualties in a single day.[1] The work of the company in fortifying the newly-captured position with barbed wire received special mention in the report by GHQ.[2] Sapper Berry received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions in the attack.[1]
The company was later renamed as 509th Field Company RE.
In November 1918 its commanding officer was Major H. G. Bambridge, M.C., R.E.(S.).
In August 2002 William Burnett, probably the last surviving member of the company, was awarded the French Legion of Honour.[3]
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b War Diary of 509th Field Company, Public Record Office, London.
- ^ http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20115 A Short History of the 6th Division
- ^ http://www.ambafrance-au.org/article.php3?id_article=425 Award of Legion of Honour to William Burnett
Becke, A.F. (1945). History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions: Territorial Force & Mounted Divisions Pt. 2A. London HMSO.
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