Does anyone know what happened (I can't find it) to the RE website that listed all or most of the RE units with a brief history of most of them? I'm trying to identify what happened to the Excavator Company in Gibraltar after August 1942 and failing miserably. Any pointers as ever, greatly appreciated. Cheers Andy
Is this what you are after Andy? https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5ggxq_P9V-YJrbat.com/site/uk_orbats/files/6/RE%2520World%2520War%2520II.pdf+89th+Chemical+Warfare+Company,+RE&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiiDm__hsscw0wooXLv5kFoettGn31VmyPXBcmkEwnxteVY1tgPEfgC9ueaBT6gh2NyR3V1OqXet0ToXV5afyemc-5l7eTUXMMAEa2qaAjiYQAf_T-ATX-vBK61qlwkPCiiUzSb&sig=AHIEtbQjIjK11WJdZN-W5dd49omxK_hzjA
I don't know Derek's site... If you type 'Gibraltar' in the search bar of the link I sent you it reveals seven Companies that served there; there is also a separate Company with 'Excavator' in its title. This may narrow down your search and show where the unit you are looking for was posted later. Hope this helps. Best, Steve.
Drew Try http://orbat.com/site/uk_orbats/files/6/RE%20World%20War%20II.pdf There are errors in it but gives you the best look
Service Records say Gibraltar Excavator Company I have the diary under this name upto Aug 42. But records state he stayed with this Coy in Gib until Aug 43. Service records state redesignated 811 Coy Nov 43 and I have these diaries. Neither files have any clues to fill the gap. So in short to fill the gap I need to find out what 'Gibraltar Excavator Company' was called after Aug 1942 - I suspect they were given a number and they dropped the Gibraltar title.
From the RE History Vol 8: ... the following R.E. units arrived early in 1942: 855th Quarrying Company. 807th Road Construction Company. An Excavator Company. The Excavator Company was specially organized for the task, and included a Canadian Section with diamond drilling equipment and a strong workshops section. It goes on to say that the new runway wasn't finally completed until 1945, so it may be that the excavators were incorporated into the remaining units: By the spring of 1944 most of the reinforcements had been withdrawn for service elsewhere as, with the Mediterranean cleared and Italy out of the war, the threat to Gibraltar had subsided. All but two of the Cs.R.E. left, and of the units only the following remained on the Rock: 1st and 32nd Fortress Companies, 218th Army Troops Company, 711th Artisan Works Company, and 172nd Tunnelling Company. Those which had left were partly replaced by two companies of Italian Pioneer Corps. They might be the place to look?
I checked the RCE history and it discusses in detail the operations of 1st and 2nd Tunneling Companies, RCE but it does not list the RE Excavator Company that they served with
Thanks all. I don't suppose there is anything about 811 Company RE is there? The chap I'm looking at joined 811 Coy in Nov 1943 and the entry before that on his records says 'redesignated'. I'm wondering if if gives a clue there as to what they were re-designated from? There is no clue in 811 Coys war diary from Nov 1943.
Thanks all. I don't suppose there is anything about 811 Company RE is there? The chap I'm looking at joined 811 Coy in Nov 1943 and the entry before that on his records says 'redesignated'. I'm wondering if if gives a clue there as to what they were re-designated from? There is no clue in 811 Coys war diary from Nov 1943. I believe it was the Excavator Coy that was redesignated. If you look at the service record; link: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/royal-engineers/48478-driver-re-wwii.html second sheet, you will notice that the handwriting for the three lines showing the disembarkation and redesignation are all in the same handwriting, AND the Part II Order entry against the disembarkation states 'Ex Coy, 34/43'. This suggests that the whole Excavator Coy arrived back in the UK and was redesignated. Best, Steve.
Indeed and I had already figured that bit out but it must have had another name when it left as it was called 'Gibraltar Excavator Company'. It wouldn't make sense to call it that in the UK. Either that or there is no unit diary for around 12 months which doesn't seem possible to me, so therefore I think it must have been given a number. Cheers Andy
