Hi there Does anyone know if the 116 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers visited Nantes, France in 1940 please? I have been asked (by a French gentleman) to research a specific British soldier who served with the 116 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers. The soldier in question was George Herbert Wright, who was born on 27 November 1909, in Harrogate, Yorkshire. On the 17 June 1940, George became one of the victims of the Lancastria disaster off the French Vendée coast - so he was obviously somewhere in France at that time. I have been able to discover family information, from Ancestry, but I have asked if George could have been in Nantes in 1940 ... this is impossible for me to find out. Thus I am hoping that Forum members can help me in this quest. Many thanks in advance, Heather
I am a little confused because if he was a victim of the Lancsatria disaster which happened off St Nazaire he would have to have been in Nantes in order to gain access to the Lancastria. Or am I missing something else?? TD
Sorry, I did not appreciate that the Lancastria left from Nantes ... I think the Frenchman is looking to discover if a longer stay was involved though, other than a very swift embarkation. Is he likely to have been billeted in Nantes for long enough to have formed friendships? Thank you.
Not sure how I would know that - or anyone else for that matter. Are you saying that your 'client' is French from Nantes and thinks that George Wright could be his father?? Perhaps uploading the evidence you have would help TD
this is the casualty however talking of liaisons should possibly be looked at on a personal basis and not broadcast openly Driver WRIGHT, GEORGE HERBERT Service Number 2189389 Died 17/06/1940 Aged 30 116 Road Constr. Coy. Royal Engineers Son of Arthur John and Ida Ann Wright, of Harrogate, Yorkshire. INSCRIPTION GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS
Things happened very fast in the fall of France during 1940, chaos ruled and it was almost every man for himself during June 1940 On [or around] the 5th June 1940 the Germans began to move west and south out of NE France following Dunkirk and St Valery, by the 16th June 1940 they had siezed Nantes. So any soldier that was in eastern France had very little time to move west. I would have thought his prime objective and thoughts would be to get himself back to 'Blighty' TD
CL1 ... yes, I have identified and discovered much about him but not how long the Royal Engineers may have been in Nantes. Tricky Dicky ... not a client, nor a son just a rumour being investigated apparently - all dependent upon length of time the Royal Engineers may have been in Nantes. Looks like that is a fact not known. Thank you both for replying ... it's appreciated. I had to ask to know ...
116 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers | The National Archives Reference: WO 167/938 Description: 116 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers Date: 1939 Sept.-Nov. 1940 May-June Held by: The National Archives, Kew ROYAL ENGINEERS: COMPANIES: 116 Road Construction Company. | The National Archives Reference: WO 166/3615 Description: ROYAL ENGINEERS: COMPANIES: 116 Road Construction Company. Date: 1940 July Held by: The National Archives, Kew If you obtain copies of the War Diaries as above then you will know where the unit was from Sept 1939 until end of July 1940, ?they may have been based in Nantes but that to me is highly unlikely. But that of course is only the diary of the unit, where your particular man was at anytime during that period is a guess. TD Sorry should have added - the top one will obviously cover their time in France and the second their time back in the UK afterwards hence the difference between the WO 167 & WO 166
On the 15th the Coy was in Blain, St Nazaire 16th and 17th. Just 4 officers and 21 ORs from the whole company survived the Lancastria.
