With the release of the RE Casualty and Tracer cards recently has me wondering if the most RE casualties taken in single day in WW2 could be at the battle of Lion Box Kanglatongbi during the Siege of Imphal when on the 7th April 1944 they took 49 casualties (19 killed 30 wounded). I can’t think of any other single major RE engagements during the Burma Campaign but am happy to be corrected! The only other possibility of greater losses would be during the D-Day landings. Thoughts? Lionboxer
How many were killed & wounded in making the Liri crossings in May '44 ? There were many casualties for those who contructed the Amazon bridge. There were other bridges too. I'm unable to look it up at the moment.
Surprisingly, actual deaths on the Liri crossings in May 44 were light - given the enormity of the ask. F
17 September 1944 CWGC shows 31 RE's killed - the bulk of them were lost in the glider crash in Somerset where 21 Sappers of 9th Field Company were killed - not sure about wounded on that day. Sticking Royal Engineers in CWGC for D-Day lists 144 dead - 17/6/1940 (date of the Lancastria sinking) shows 290 RE war dead.
Thirty RE were killed on 7/1/45 in a massive explosion when mine clearing in Germany. They are buried at Brunssum War Cemetery in the Netherlands. Brunssum War Cemetery Graves 7/1/45
On the 19th November 1942 (well for most on the night 19-20) there are 28 listed on CWGC - the vast majority being from Operation Freshman with again 9th Field Company being badly hit