Can someone help me solve this please - Uncle's RE service

I am researching my Uncles War records.
which appears to be quite complicated in my eyes


259 th Field Coy RE

Sailed from Ostend in November 1944 1 - 8 November


Attached to 41st commandos landed on Walcaren under heavy shelling from gun sights on the ridges of sand dunes which were bombed by our own aircraft and flooded the island

The 59th Division RE was formed after Caen as GHQ Troop



!789167 Sapper J W G Allen 211 Field Park Squadron RE

 

Not sure what there is to solve apart from the 'gun sights' likely being a mis-wording of 'guns sited'....

 

James William George Allen's service number 1789167 (leading figure is 1 not !) shows that he enlisted with the Royal Artillery, 231 searchlight, and transferred to the Royal Engineers on 16/5/44 (see findmypast). He claimed 1939/45 & France/Germany Stars, Defence & War Medals (see Ancestry)

Have you applied for his official records? Get a copy of military records of service: Overview - GOV.UK You will need these to draw up a timeline of the various units that he served with to enable you to undertake further research via diaries/histories etc.

 

Thank you Tony that is a great help. I know about Military Records which I will be getting But you've helped with the information Given
Once again Thank you for your help and support

 

Just in case you haven't seen this already...

 

Duplicate.

 

Have the following details from May 1945 taken from higher command documentation:

211 Field Park Company – 30 Corps Troops add District 11 Jun 45 – 7 Armoured Division 5 Apr 46 – redesignated Squadron 27 Apr 46 – Neinburg-Langendamm 24 May 45 – Neinburg 19 Jun 45 – Itzehoe 5 Apr 46 – 1 Engineer Training Establishment Hameln 27 Jun 46 – Bad Rothenfelde south-east of Osnabrück 30 Jun 46 – Marlborough Barracks Münster 23 Sep 46

3 Jan 47 – redesignated 145 Field Park Squadron: Major DV Hutchinson MBE by Oct 47 – redesignated 45 Field Park Squadron 1 Nov 47 – disbanded 15 Mar 48 – Hobart Barracks Detmold 18 Jul 47 – 1 Engineer Training Establishment Hameln 13 Mar 48 with personnel forming Depot Regiment RE

21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine (under construction)

 

Title: Why My Uncle in 509 Field Company RE Was Given a Pithead Flash in Caen (Oct ’44)

I’m researching my uncle, Sapper James William George George Allen (1789167), an electrical engineer who served with 509 Field Company, Royal Engineers. Family stories say that when he was in Caen in October 1944, he was given a Pithead Flash to sew onto his tunic.

At first this confused me, because 509 Field Company didn’t wear the Pithead Flash. It turns out the flash belonged to the GHQ/Army Troops Engineers — the specialist “Pithead” units who were doing the heavy rebuilding work in Normandy after Caen was destroyed.

These units were short of skilled tradesmen, especially electricians, so they often borrowed men from field companies. Because my uncle had an electrical background, it looks like he was temporarily attached to one of the Pithead units working in the Caen area — most likely 15 or 16 GHQ Troops Engineers, or a 21st Army Group electrical section.

When a man was attached, he was issued their formation patch, which explains the Pithead Flash.

If anyone has info on these GHQ Troops Engineers, or knows of similar temporary attachments from 509 Field Company, I’d love to hear more.

 

Melvin,

Welcome back.

An online search with: "509 Field Company" site:ww2talk.com id'd only three threads. With: "509 Field Coy" site:ww2talk.com id'd three different threads, all about a single casualty. With just: "509 Field" site:ww2talk.com it looks like duplicates already id'd.

A new search with: "Pithead Flash" site:ww2talk.com id'd just two threads here, not at a glance about sappers. Four threads id'd with: "Pithead" site:ww2talk.com

For other readers the subject's Service Record has been examined and is the last post on Melvin's other thread: Military Records