I am Hoping to draw on some of the expertise on this forum to help me progress my Grandfathers service history. I have recently received the records for Frank George Eggleton - Sapper - Royal Engineers - Army Number 2161092 From looking at his service record he appears to have served from 1942 in a number of Artisan Works companies before joining 722nd Artisan Works and disembarking England on 3 or 4th June 1944. I think (emphasis on think) that the 722nd AW were assigned to the 21st Army Group and headed for Sword Beach 101st Beach Sub Area. I also know that he was mentioned in despatches ( appeared London Gazette March 22nd 1945). My questions are these: What exactly did the Artisan Works companies get up to, especially on Sword Beach? Did they ever fight ? How can I find out what he did to merit a mention in despatches, the gazette entry is a list of names with no further detail..? Is there a war diary for the 722nd which covers this period and if so how do I view it? I am also wondering what kind if delay there is between being mentioned in despatches and appearing in the London Gazette as this may hinder knowing what diary to look at? I would greatly appreciate any help with this as I seem to have hit a bit of a brick wall and am not sure how to progress. Thanks for your time Steve
Hi Steve These are the war diaries refs at the National Archives for the unit. You can either view them in person or get someone to copy them for you. Click the red link at the bottom of my post if your interested in me copying any for you. WO 166/3903 722 Artisan Works Company. 1940 Oct.- 1941 Mar. WO 169/1925 722 Artizan Works Company (Art Wks Coy) 1941 Apr.- Dec. WO 169/5345 722 Artizan Works Company (Art Wks Coy) 1942 Jan.- Dec. WO 169/10757 722 Artizan Works Company (Art Wks Coy) 1943 Jan.- Dec. WO 170/1764 Companies: 722 Company 1944 Jan.- Mar. WO 171/1696 722 Coy 1944 Apr.- Dec. WO 171/5635 722 Company 1945 Jan.- May WO 171/8517 722 Art Works Company 1945 June - Sept., Dec. WO 171/9467 722 Company 1946 Jan.- May Cheers Andy
Hello Drew, thanks very much for your reply. I really appreciate the info. Thinking about taking a trip to Kew myself but will come back to you if its looking like it wont happen.
No dramas, just shout. Ref D-Day have a go on the forums search engine. There's some knowledgeable chaps on here regarding the 6th June
Have not found a lot about the 101 beach sub area on sword or the activities of the 722nd works co. I did stumble accross this info online and thought it my be worth sharing, apols if it appears elsewhere .. 722nd Artizan Works Coy RE Active by Sep 1940 (WO Reserve). Served with CMF (probably Italy). Served with 21st Army Group 1944-45 [Normandy landing (101st Beach Sub-Area)]. Disbanded Sep 1945+. The Army Beach Groups were the main units in a Beach Sub Area. The core of each Beach Group was an infantry battalion. The infantry battalion provided a fighting capability for mopping up elements of the enemy that were still active in the beach areas after the assault forces had moved inland and for defending the beaches against possible counter-attack. They also provided a large labour force for the tasks of beach organisation. For the specialist tasks in beach organisation, each Beach Group included units of the Royal Engineers, Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps, Military Police and the Pioneer Corps. The commander of the infantry battalion (a Lieutenant Colonel) was the overall commander of the Beach Group Beach Organisation for the Invasion of Normandy, 1944 To control and facilitate the landing, assembly and onward dispatch of personnel, stores and equipment across the invasion beaches, the British and Canadian sectors were organised into three Beach Sub Areas. 101 Beach Sub Area covered the SWORD assault area, 102 Beach Sub Area covered the JUNO area and 104 Beach Sub Area covered the GOLD area. These Beach Sub Area organisations were responsible for setting up Beach Maintenance Areas in which there were dumps to hold the petrol, ammunition, rations etc. that were being landed, and assembly areas for the arriving personnel and their vehicles. Also to be organised was traffic in the opposite direction, i.e. the removal to the U.K. of casualties, prisoners of war and salvaged equipment. To achieve all this, a large organisation was required composed of specialists from all three of the armed services. The units selected for this work, apart from their own technical training, all received Combined Operations training and practised alongside each other in the months preceding the invasion. Each Beach Sub Area organisation was composed of Royal Navy Beach Commando units, Army Beach Groups, an R.A.F. Beach Squadron and an R.A.F. Beach Balloon Squadron. These units were under the overall command of an Army Colonel supported by a Beach Sub Area Headquarters. 101, 102 and 104 Beach Sub Areas, along with H.Q. 4 Lines of Communication Sub Area (set up to control Arromanches Mulberry harbour and Port en Bessin harbour) all came under the control of H.Q. 11 Lines of Communication Area.
Steve, I have found the Sword Landing Tables which contain details of 722 Artisan Works Company. I will extract the relevant items and post later. Only a six man reconnaissance party was scheduled to land on D Day. There were long delays in unloading so they may have landed on D+1. The remainder were scheduled to land on D+1 anyway. Mike
As promised. 722 Artisan Works Company RE. Queen White. H+12 hours from LST by Rhino Ferry. 2 Jeeps from 722 Artisan Works Company RE. Reconnaissance party. 2 Motorcycles from 722 Artisan Works Company RE. Reconnaissance party. 6 men from 722 Artisan Works Company RE. Reconnaissance party. The time is when LSTs should be off the beaches and ready to start unloading onto Rhino ferries. Unloading would take some time even in good conditions. Rough seas and damage to the Rhinos meant that all unloading was seriously delayed. D+1 from LSTs. Scheduled to arrive at H+22 hours. 259 men from 722 Artisan Works Company RE. On four different LSTs. D+1 from three different MT Coasters. These were timed to arrive at H+25½ hours, about 0700 0n D+1. They were unloaded onto LCTs of the Ferry Service which took them to shore. Since at this time they were anchored six miles off shore unloading took some time. 7 3ton 4 X 4 GS, Austin, with 14 crew. 1 water trailer from 1056 Port Operating Company. Towed by a lorry above. 1 15cwt GS 4 X 2 with 2 crew. 1 15cwt Water with 2 crew. All should have been ashore by the end of D+1. Artisan companies provided a reserve of skilled trades to assist the other engineer units. There are only a couple of mentions, one when they helped with bomb and mine clearance in the beach area and one when they assisted with road works. They were trained to fight if necessary but only in emergency situations. They were however shelled on Sword for a month until it was eventually forced to close. Pioneer companies were available to provide labour. For a general idea of the work of engineers in 101 Beach Sub Area see the Sword Beach thread on this forum. Mike.
That's fantastic, thank you very much. What are the chances of finding out what part of the deployment my Grandfather was doing or is the general info about what the company was doing about as detailed as i can expect to find. Your opinion would be appreciated.
I fear that it is unlikely that you will find any detail about individuals. War Diaries are very hit and miss. They very rarely mention individual other ranks. Once in a while a War Diary has an appendix with a movement order or similar listing all the personnel and the vehicles they should be in but it is very rare. Diaries vary from hundreds of pages including appendices and my favourite monthly diary which says 'too busy to keep records'. The RE Field Companies are usually responsible for carrying out tasks and Artisan Works, Mechanical Equipment and Pioneer units send detachments to assist on specific tasks. I am afraid that awards and mentioned in despatches is not something I know about. Do we have a clue as to what grandfathers trade would be? Mike
Possibly a painter / decorator as that was his listed trade on joining... Not sure there would be much call for that during a war though !
Not so Steve. There was a considerable demand for painter/decorator. They appear on most RE War Establishments and were a vital part of Military Police work, painting traffic signs. Mike
Steve, All RE personnel were multi skilled. They were trained in the basic engineer tasks of construction, demolition, mine laying and mine clearing etc, as well as having a specialist skill. Every engineer platoon had two painters and decorators on the establishment as well as carpenters, joiners, blacksmiths, bricklayers, plumbers, sheet metal workers. Signs really were much in demand. You never see a bailey bridge without large signs giving speed limits, hazard warning, the name of the bridge and who built it. Where carpenters, joiners and sheet metal workers go painters will be close behind. Mike
I see, so he wouldn't have just been a painter and decorator, he would have also been involved in other work but that was his specialism, now I understand. Thanks for the info and apols for the late reply.
Mike, would it be correct to assume the 722 artisan works on Sword were then attached to he 3rd infantry division as part of the 21st Battle Group? Or have I got that all wrong.
Steve, They would have no connection with 3 Division. I am not sure I know where they went when Sword closed but they would be kept busy in the rear areas. I would think that they initially went to another beach and then joined one of the Engineer works groups. They could be engaged on a wide variety of tasks. See what I can find but I have no great hopes. Mike
