• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Royal Engineers Inland Waterways and Docks

Linda

Linda

master brummie
Hello Everyone
My husbands grandfather was a private in the above in 1918, I cannont find anything out about them . I looked on the Royal Engineers website , but did not come up with anything.

He used to work on the Canal barges , so it seems an appropriate outfit for him to be in, However, I was hoping to find out where he might have been posted.
We have his regiment number, but cannot find his service records. I beleive lots of records were destroyed in bombing raids, so I suppose his could have been among them.

Any of you keen military men have any ideas?

Linda
 
Linda,
Weedon Barracks in Northamptonshire,has a canal running through it with a watergate each end of the barracks,with links to the Birmingham and Oxford canals.It is a good guess your,grandad went there with supplies,the cavalry were there during the first world war.I took some photo's there last year,but can't find them:rolleyes:. shall have another look around.
 
Thanks Mike I had not spotted that bit on the Royal engineers museum website...I will investigate further

Linda
 
Thanks Ray, that too looks a possiblity , I was unable to follow the link though...I will have another go.

Linda
 
Hello Chris

I found his number on the absent persons 1918 Electoral Roll so hope it is correct.

It is 336951 Peter James Teasdale

Linda
 
Linda.
the last time I heard of thus particular RE Sqn was at Marchwood Military Docks, nr Southampton in the 1970's, then they were mainly stevadoring for the likes of the Sir Gallahad and the fleet auxillary service, only with huge RoRo fork lifters and frieght handlers.
paul
 
Looks like 336951 was definitely Inland Waterways and Docks. It would have been prefixed "WR".

I've checked men who were numbered nearby, using "Soldiers Died in the Great War" and cross-referencing them to the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. All numbered within a reasonable distance were IW&D men and all died in the UK in late 1918. Without exception they died of illnesses - I suspect Spanish Flu got most. Sapper WR/336950 William Turton was among them.

Looking for service records, I found

WR/336921 Edgar Cliffe, a 36 year old timber feller from Gloucester, was conscripted on 22 May 1918. He did not qualify as a Sapper and remained at the rank of Pioneer. No details are given of his postings but he was, by evidence that he was at Calais at times, on cross-Channel traffic.

WR/336967 Elijah Chumley - who came from Wolverhampton - was conscripted on 23 May 1918. He was aged 26 and was a boatman in civilian life. On 12 July 1918, after passing the trade tests necessary to be made a Sapper, he was posted to the IW&D depot at Richborough in Kent. From that time on he was on cross-Channel traffic. Interestingly he was accidentally wounded in the thigh when shifting ammunition at Calais in November 1919. A shell exploded and he was hit by fragments. He made a good recovery and was discharged in 1920.

So it seems your husbands grandfather was conscripted on 22 or 23 May 1918, and my bet is that he also served at the Richborough port (although this is far from certain). This is a fascinating and little known area - a very large port developed during the war, that even included roll-on-roll-off trains for carrying ammunition trains and tanks! Good article about it here: https://www.open-sandwich.co.uk/town_history/richborough/richborough_port.htm

IW&D units stationed at Richborough in November 1918 included
units at Richborough IWT Depot Nov 1918

Workshop and Shipyard Companies:
11 to 17, 19 to 27, 37 to 40 and 43 to 48.

Construction Coy's
96, 97, 117, 118, 132, 136. 141 and 142.

Marine Coy's
HQ and 70 to 75

Traffic Coy's
HQ and 56 to 61

Train Ferry Coy's
HQ and 85,86.

Stores Coy's
HQ, 90 and 91.

Accounts Coy
95

(list of units thanks to Charles at the Great War Forum).

Hope that helps!
 
Thank you Chris for going to so much trouble.

I am pleased to report that 336951 Peter James Teasdale lived to a ripe old age, he died in1966.


Linda
 
I don't know where to post this, so please forgive me for being wrong, I have just waved goodbye to my dearest youngest son. Sapper William Harry Stacey 51 Sqn RE Airborne, aged 22yrs. He is posted to his second tour of Afghanistan, my heart is filled with pride and dread, I just wish to thank him and his mates for their first class dedication and bravery wish them all a safe and successful tour.
paul
 
Paul i,ll drink to that i wish they were all back home from what seems to me an imposable task. Dek
 
I came across this thread whilst searching for information on the RE Inland Waterways and Docks companies.

I have looking up a member of the unit who is buried locally, he died in November 1918 and was drowned. I suspect that might have been a common cause of death in that unit.

He would have been working on the Caledonian Canal at Corpach. 1500 mines a week were brought from from the US to Corpach, they were then shipped through the canal to Inverness. There were 65 US Navy personnel but the British handled the shipment through the canal.

https://www.twgpp.org.uk/information.php?id=1026992

https://www.mbriscoe.me.uk/page172.html


MB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top