709 Construction Co.

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by SapperTyke, Sep 29, 2013.

  1. SapperTyke

    SapperTyke Member

    Hello,

    My late father, ex-Sapper Albert `Tyke` Tricker, limped all his life and when, as a child, I asked him how he had hurt his foot he said that it was badly damaged while training with the Royal Engineers in WW2. He passed his Trade Test as a bricklayer in March 1940. He said that the training was for "quite a famous mission" and that he was training as one of the back-ups to replace men killed or injured. I`m really keen to trace `Tyke`s` movements from 1940-1943 to try and find out where this injury might have occurred. I have applied for his Service Records but will have to wait a year apparently. Here is what I know already.

    I know he was trained at Chatham and was building defences on the Hoo Stop Line in September of 1940 and that the Kent Fortress XD unit was also in the area (according to the XD book by C.C.H Brazier) and had been reinforced with Sappers from the Training Units. I suspect `Tyke` was one of them. He also had the following postings which I presume were post injury. If possible, I would like to find out where these units were and what they were doing?

    Posted to 709 General Construction Company (17.01.41 to 19.05.41)
    Posted to 142 Officer Cadet Training Unit (26.05.41)
    Attached to 696 Company (09.10.41 to 26.10.41)
    Attached to Battle Camp Wing (08.03.43)

    Any information about the location or what these units were doing in these time frames would be incredibly welcome from the patrons of this great forum. My father`s WW2 service is slowly becoming less baffling and every nudge in the right direction is most welcome.

    Thanks to all,


    Paul Tricker
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here's some of the unit war diaries that apply to his service if you can get to the National Archives

    WO 166/3891 709 General Construction Company 1940 July - 1941 Dec.

    WO 166/3880 696 Artisan Works Company. 1940 Mar.- 1941 Dec.

    Let me know when you find out the rest of his units and I'll let you know if there are any diaries for them.
     
  3. SapperTyke

    SapperTyke Member

    Hi,

    Many thanks Drew5233, very much appreciated. A trip to the National Archives looks as if it might possibly bear some fruit, it has certainly whetted my appetite for a visit, anyway.

    Regards,

    Paul
     

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