Mobilisation Following the
Munich Crisis, the TA was doubled in size. As a result, the London Division became the 1st London Division and created the 2nd London Division in August 1939. These two formations would be renumbered as the 56th (London) and 47th (London), respectfully. Their RE organised as follows:
1st London Divisional RE • 220 (2nd London) Field Company – at Chelsea • 221 (2nd London) Field Company – at Chelsea; became independent later in 1939; to I Corps • 222 (2nd London) Field Company – at Chelsea; became independent later in 1939; to II Corps • 223 (London) Field Park Company – reformed at Chelsea 1939; to BEF; later to London defences • 501 (London) Field Company – from 2nd London Division 7 September 1939 • 563 Field Park Company – formed 15 January 1940, including 223 Fd Park Co's bridging section and transfers from 220 and 501 Fd Cos
2nd London Divisional RE • 501 (London) Field Company – formed at Chelsea, to 1st London Division 7 Sep 1939 • 502 (London) Field Company – formed at New Barnet • 503 (London) Field Company – formed at New Barnet • 504 (London) Field Park Company – formed at New Barnet
Battle of France 1st London Division was not sent to join the new
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France, but most of its divisional RE went independently and did serve in the
Battle of France: 221 Fd Co joined
I Corps Troops, Royal Engineers (I CTRE) and 222 Fd Co joined
II CTRE, while 223 Fd Park Co (less its bridging section) was with Force X, a group of TA RE units working on the BEF's
lines of communication. The three companies mobilised at
Hurst Park Racecourse and then embarked for France in October 1939. The engineers spent the
Phoney War period working on defensive positions. 223 Field Park Co with Force X was building reinforced concrete pillboxes along the Franco-Belgian frontier. I CTRE attached 221 Fd Co to
1st Division as an additional field company. Its role on the outbreak of hostilities, in conjunction with 1st Division's bridging section, was to open the road from Tournai to
Brussels and maintain an important canal crossing. When the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May 1940, the BEF abandoned the frontier defences and advanced into Belgium in accordance with 'Plan D'. 221 Field Co found itself in the lead, advancing ahead of the scouting armoured cars. Similarly 222 Field Co had been assigned by II CTRE to assist
3rd Division and went forward to blow the Dyle bridges round
Louvain. Shortly afterwards the
German Army broke through the
Ardennes to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again, and by 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut and then went back to the so-called 'Canal Line'. 221 Field Co was tasked with destroying bridges along a 10 km stretch of the
Brussels–Charleroi Canal to delay the German advance, then to prepare a 'stop line' on the
La Bassée Canal. 222 Field Co also fell back, destroying bridges as it went. During the retreat to the Escaut a dangerous gap opened up between the BEF and the French to the south. The GHQ assembled a scratch force at
Orchies to fill this gap under the command of the Director of Military Intelligence, Major-General
Noel Mason-MacFarlane, and known as 'Macforce'. It was formed around
127th (Manchester) Brigade with some artillery and supporting services; 223 Fd Pk Co was assigned from X Force to Macforce, working on emergency defences. By 23 May the French had filled the dangerous gap in the line, so Macforce was shifted north to the Forest of
Nieppe to extend the Canal Line. By 26 May the BEF was cut off and the decision was made to evacuate it through
Dunkirk (
Operation Dynamo), with II Corps acting as flank guard against the German penetration where the Belgian Army had surrendered, and I Corps acting as rearguard, its sappers blowing bridges and cratering roads to form a defensive perimeter 221 Field Co moved down to Dunkirk and destroyed its vehicles and stores before boarding a variety of vessels. One party was on the
Queen of the Channel, which was bombed and sunk on 28 May: the passengers and crew were picked up and taken to England aboard the
Dorrien Rose. Another party from the company arrived the following day on
HMS Greyhound. 222 Field Co reached
Bray-Dunes on 30 May and also embarked on several vessels, most on
HMS Calcutta, which landed them at
Sheerness next day, the OC's party and several field park personnel aboard
HMS Halcyon, which landed them at Dover. 223 Field Park Co was evacuated in small parties from the open beaches east of Dunkirk.
56th (London) Divisional RE Apart from a composite section from 220 and 501 Fd Cos that saw action in the
Norwegian Campaign, the divisional engineers had been training round
Tunbridge Wells in
Kent during the winter. They moved to
Tenterden in May, and after the Dunkirk evacuation were engaged in constructing anti-invasion defences along the South Coast. 221 Field Co reassembled under I CTRE at Newark, but in June was converted from a motor to an infantry division, and required a third field company, so 221 rejoined. 1st London Division held the critical south-east corner of England throughout the period of greatest invasion threat. The divisional engineers worked closely with the Petroleum Warfare Department, installing flame installations on beaches at
Dumpton Gap and
Deal. 563 Field Park Co built the first flame-projector mounted on a
Universal Carrier, which was later developed into the 'Wasp' and the
Churchill Crocodile. On 18 November 1st London Division was redesignated 56th (London) Division. From November 1940, 56th (L) Division alternated with
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, being based at
Maidstone and the
Medway towns until February 1941 and then again from June. In November 1941 the division drove through London to join
XI Corps in
East Anglia. The division was now fully equipped and undergoing intensive training. In May 1942 the divisional RE attended a bridging camp at
Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and in June the division was ordered to mobilise for overseas service.
Middle East During August 1942 the division moved to the embarkation ports of
Liverpool and
Glasgow, and sailed for the Middle East on 25 August. The fast troop convoy reached South Africa safely, but the slow convoy carrying guns and vehicles was heavily attacked by
U-boats off the coast of West Africa and lost several ships. From South Africa most of the troops sailed to
Bombay, while the RE drivers were sent to Egypt to collect the vehicles that had escaped the U-boats, which arrived at
Suez in December. The main. body sailed from Bombay to
Basra in
Iraq on 4 November and then by road and rail to
Kirkuk where they were joined by the drivers who had brought the transport overland from Suez. 56th Divisional RE spent the spring of 1943 training for mountain warfare, particularly bridging ravines. In March,
168th (2nd London) Brigade accompanied by 501 Fd Co was detached to
Palestine. Then the rest of the division began an overland drive to join
Eighth Army in
Tunisia, driving some between 18 March and 19 April. An advanced party of RE officers and NCOs had gone forward earlier (covering in four days) to be attached to
51st (Highland) Infantry Division for battle experience.
Tunisia On 22 April
201 Guards Motor Brigade joined the division as temporary replacement for 168 Bde, bringing with it 42 Fd Co, which became part of divisional RE for the rest of the year. Next day 56th (London) Division went into action for the first time at
Enfidaville. The infantry were roughly handled, and the divisional RE suffered its first casualties, from shellfire and mines. The final attack on
Tunis (
Operation Strike) began on 6 May, the division meeting strong resistance before the Germans surrendered on 12 May. 56th Divisional RE built its first operational bridge (a
Small Box Girder (SBG) bridge) just before the end of the fighting. By the end of the month division had been pulled back to
Tripoli to train for the invasion of Italy. Divisional RE lost 10 men to an accident with Bangalore torpedoes, while Sapper Robert Southall of 221 Fd Co won a
George Medal for gallantry while clearing mines.
Sicily While the rest of 56th (London) Division trained for the assault on mainland Italy, 168 Bde and 501 Fd Co took a leading part in the
Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) with
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. The company had trained at the Combined Operations Training Centre at the
Great Bitter Lake in Egypt, then sailed in convoy from Alexandria. 168 Brigade Group landed on 13 July (D+3), after the rest of the division had taken its objectives; 501 Fd Co disembarked dryshod on the quay at
Syracuse. The company was involved in 168 Bde's failed night attack beyond
Primosole Bridge on 17/18 July, and later built a
Folding Boat Equipment (FBE) bridge across the River Dittano there. It was then set to clearing mines and suffered several casualties. The retreating Germans had destroyed the cliff road at
Taormina, and while
XXX Corps Troops, Royal Engineers bridged the gap and a tunnelling company of the
Royal Canadian Engineers excavated the cliff, 2 and 3 Platoons of 501 Fd Co were tasked with mine clearance on the beach below. While reconnoitring forward they became involved in a firefight with a German patrol. The other two platoons were landed north of Taormina to begin clearance from the other side. 50th (N) Division reached
Messina on 17 August, when 168 Bde Group left the division. 501 Field Co constructed an SBG bridge and prepared launching points for the assault crossing of the
Straits of Messina (
Operation Baytown) on 3 September. After the beachhead had been secured and Eighth Army began driving north, 168 Bde and 510 Fd Co crossed over to travel overland to rejoin 56th (L) Division, which had landed at
Salerno on 9 September.
Operation Avalanche 56th (London) Division landed as the right hand half of
X Corps at Salerno before dawn on 9 September 1943 in
Operation Avalanche. There were few beach defences, but once ashore there was plenty of work for the sappers. 503 (London) Fd Co (
see below) was also present with one of the beach groups landed immediately after the first infantry waves. Bulldozer drivers from 220 Fd Co towed out seven bogged-down
Sherman tanks of the
Royal Scots Greys on the first morning. 221 Field Co sent a party to
Montecorvino Airfield to disarm suspected demolition charges, but got involved in a firefight: the airfield was not fully cleared for several days. 563 Field Park Co came ashore during the morning and had a stores dump organised by evening. Sapper F. Martin of 563 Fd Park Co won a
Military Medal (MM) for his work with a
D7 armoured bulldozer, during which he was badly wounded. There was bitter fighting for 10 days along the Salerno beachhead: on 12 September 220 Fd Co took up defensive positions with its brigade when a German counter-attack threatened to break through, and on 14 September both 220 and 221 Fd Cos acted as infantry and took heavy casualties. On 22 September the Allies broke out and X Corps headed north towards
Naples. Meanwhile, the divisional reconnaissance unit (
44th Reconnaissance Regiment) sent a mixed pursuit force, including a platoon of 220 Fd Co, eastward along Highway 18 to make contact with Eighth Army advancing from the south. It was held up by demolitions at
Battipaglia, so 220 Fd Co built the first
Bailey bridge on this front. There was another blown bridge further on, so 220 Fd Co constructed a bypass while 221 Fd Co began work on a second Bailey bridge. On X Corps' main axis of advance over the
Sorrento Peninsula another platoon of 220 worked 'feverishly' to repair a damaged mountain road, and road clearance and repair became a major job as the force advanced across the plain of Naples. The retreating Germans had blown every bridge across the
River Sarno for inland, but 56th Division captured an intact bridge at
San Mauro and continued past Naples to
Capua, where the Germans were making a stand on the
River Volturno.
Volturno and Garigliano The attempt to cross the Volturno began with a feint attack at Capua by 201 Guards Bde using assault boats, which was repulsed, but the neighbouring divisions got across, and 56th (L) crossed by a US-built bridge. The RE then set to work to build additional bridges, the main one being a Class 30 (30 ton load) Bailey pontoon, the first of its kind to be built operationally under fire, and something 56th Divisional Engineers had never tackled before. It became a joint effort of 220 Fd Co, 270 Fd Co from
46th Division and a corps RE company. 168 Bde Group, including 501 Fd Co, rejoined 56th (L) Division at
Caserta during these operations. After the Volturno, X Corps made rapid progress up Highway 6 until it reached the
Bernhardt Line in the mountains round Monte Camino. The sappers built
jeep tracks through the mountains, but there was bitter fighting on Monte Camino itself that lasted until its capture on 9 December, when the division was rested. The next obstacle in front of X Corps was the lower
Garigliano river south of
Monte Cassino. 56th (London) Division's attack on the night of 17 January launched the
Battle of Monte Cassino. Many assault boats were sunk in the crossing, but the divisional RE built and operated rafts of varying types: 501 Fd Co providing a Class 40 Bailey pontoon ferry powered by eight outboard motors, which operated for a week without being hit by the enemy's accurate mortar fire. Two nights later construction began on a Class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge, which was completed by the evening of 20 January. However, fierce counter-attacks prevented X Corps from advancing far beyond the river.
Anzio On 30 January 168 Bde (with 501 Fd Co) was about to resume the offensive on the Garigliano when it was hurriedly withdrawn to reinforce the landing further up the coast at
Anzio, which had run into trouble. On 6 February the rest of 56th Division (less 201 Gds Bde and 42 Fd Co, which now left the division) was also withdrawn from the Gariglianao and landed as reinforcements at Anzio. Much of the work for the sappers consisted of repairing roads in the bridgehead, including quarrying the necessary stone, all under heavy artillery and air bombardment. There was also a programme of laying defensive wire and minefields. The infantry were continually engaged, and by 25 February were down to less than half strength, so the engineers had to go into the fighting line while enemy counter-attacks were repulsed. On 9 March the exhausted division and 501 Fd Co were evacuated from Anzio, but 220 and 221 Fd Cos remained behind working on roads and quarrying until 18 March. 56th Division now went back to Egypt for rest. While driving south to
Taranto to embark, the divisional engineers spent a day bulldozing the road clear of volcanic ash from the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius. On arrival at
Port Said the division went into camp, leave was granted, and RE training resumed at various locations in Palestine and
Syria. On 10 July the refitted division left Port Said to return to Taranto, from where it was sent to join
V Corps with Eighth Army on the Adriatic coast of Italy.
Gothic Line Massive engineering works were required in preparation for Eighth Army's assault on the
Gothic Line (
Operation Olive), including opening up two heavily demolished roads and erecting 40 separate Bailey bridges, of which 220 and 510 Fd Cos built one apiece near
Pergola. V Corps opened the attack on 25 August, and by 1 September the Gothic Line had been cracked open, but 56th (L) Division coming up from reserve still had hard fighting at Monte Capello,
Montefiore Conca village and the
Gemmano ridge. During the
Battle of Gemmano one RE bulldozer was forced by a German counter-attack to retreat down the ridge at speed, towing out a bogged jeep ambulance as it went. Eventually, 56th (L) Division bypassed the Gemmano ridge and crossed the Conca river, and finally took Gemmano village on 9 September. After a short rest, the division advanced on 16 September and fought its way to the swollen
Fiumicino river by the beginning of October. At
Savignano 501 Fd Co built a major bridge nicknamed 'Itsonitsoff' because the operation was 'on' and 'off' so many times during the week of fighting to secure the bridging site. By 7 October 56th (L) Division was exhausted and withdrawn, together with 563 Fd Park Co, while the field companies and 563's bridging platoon remained working in the line a few days longer.
Argenta Gap In the middle of December the division returned to the line, moving via
Forlì to
Faenza, where it spent the winter months, divisional RE working on road maintenance, mine clearance, and repairing the floodbanks of the
River Lamone. For 56th (L) Division the
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy began on 5 April with an operation to clear a triangle of ground between the
River Reno and the south-west corner of
Comacchio Lagoon. 220 Field Co built a Class 40 and a Class 12 raft at dusk, ready to be towed into position, when No 1 Platoon would cross with the infantry. Then 221 and 501 Fd Cos were to build a Bailey pontoon bridge at dawn the following day. The infantry assault went in at 23.00 and early on 6 April a tug pulled the Class 40 raft up, to be loaded with a bulldozer. Unfortunately there were still Germans dug in on the far bank, who sank the raft with an anti-tank (A/T) rocket, the dozer driver being drowned. In the subsequent firefight and recovery attempts led by the CRE, Lieutenant-Colonel R.E.C. Hughes, the OCs of 220, 501 and 563 Cos, and the
Regimental Sergeant Major all became casualties. After a tank shelled the Germans, the post surrendered to Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes. The sappers then cleared dozens of mines from the approaches to allow the pontoon bridge to be built. On the night of 10/11 April 56th Division launched Operation Impact Plain to widen the bridgehead and open the 'Argenta Gap', for which the divisional RE had been reinforced by a company of the
African Pioneer Corps and by
Royal Army Service Corps troops transporting bridging equipment and dozers, and driving tipper lorries. Prior to the assault 56th Divisional RE built two Bailey bridges to allow amphibious
LVTs known as 'Fantails' to reach their assembly area, then following behind the advance built several bridges across the network of irrigation and drainage canals. On 15 April 501 Fd Co put up a FBE bridge and 221 Fd Co a Bailey. 56th Division renewed the attack that day, and on 16 April it took Bastia in Operation Impact Royal. However, it was held up at the Marina Canal. During 17 April 501 Fd Co was employed making a diversion route across country to the canal. Next day the divisional RE began to dam the canal, but handed the work over to 8th Army Troops RE in order to keep up with its division as the advance accelerated. On 25 April the division reached the
River Po. This was a formidable obstacle, but 56th (L) Division planned to make an assault crossing that night using LVTs and storm boats, while 220 and 221 Fd Cos built and operated three Class 9 close support rafts and two Class 40 rafts; there was also a Class 50/60 raft built and operated by H Assault Squadron of 2nd Armoured Regiment, RE. 501 Field Co supported 169 Bde in the assault and built ramps for the LVTs. In the event the infantry got across by storm boat in the afternoon to occupy
Crespino, and the river assault after nightfall was almost unopposed. The Class 50/60 raft had arrived without motors, so the engines from close support rafts had to be used for it, reducing the number available. The division pushed on to the
Adige, where 501 Fd Co found a suitable bridging site near
Rovigo and began a pontoon Bailey, which it then handed over to 221 Fd Co and 564 Fd Co of
V Corps Troops RE for completion. 56th (London) Division and
2nd New Zealand Division were given the task of capturing
Venice, which they did on 28 April after a brief action. The war in Italy ended on 2 May with the
Surrender of Caserta. 56th (London) Divisional RE remained in the area of
Trieste and
Pula, building camps, frontier posts and hospitals, until they were disbanded in the summer of 1946.
47th (London) Divisional RE The 2nd Line divisional RE mobilised with its HQ at the Duke of York's HQ and its men scattered around houses in
Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea. The recruits had at least benefited from attendance at the 1st Line's 1939 summer camp. Almost immediately, 501 Fd Co formed at Chelsea transferred to 1st London Division, the other 2nd Line companies forming at
New Barnet. While under training there, 503 Fd Co laid a water main to nearby
Hatfield House to allow it to be used as an emergency hospital. In January 1940 the companies moved to St Albans, and then each was given responsibility for bomb disposal across a county: 502
Cambridgeshire, 503
Northamptonshire, 504
Bedfordshire. They were then moved round the Midlands until June when they accompanied the division to
South Wales on anti-invasion duty (HQRE at
Hay-on-Wye, 502 at
Carmarthen, 503 at
Porthcawl and 504 at
Skenfrith). The division was converted from a motor to an infantry division, requiring an additional field company, and was joined by 222 Fd Co. After Dunkirk,
see above 222 Fd Co had reformed with the rest of II CTRE at
Blandford Camp in
Dorset, going into billets round Sutton Veny in
Wiltshire; it now moved to a tented camp at
Kington, Herefordshire, to join the 2nd London Division.) As part of the anti-invasion preparations, the companies were set to manufacturing '
Molotov cocktail' petrol bombs in large quantities for the
Home Guard. In the autumn they were moved into winter quarters: 222 at
Leominster, 502 at
Stourbridge and 504 at
Rugeley; 503 remained at Skenfrith with the field park under cover at Blackbrook House. On 21 November the 2nd London Division officially became 47th (London) Division. In February 1941 it moved to the South Coast of England, with HQRE at
Hurstpierpoint and the companies with their brigade groups: 222 at
Haywards Heath then
Worthing, 502 at
Chichester, 503 at
Withdean and 504 at
Billingshurst. The sappers were tasked with re-laying and plotting the minefields that had been hurriedly laid during the previous summer's invasion scare, and suffered some casualties from this dangerous work. They also demolished coastal bungalows to improve fields of fire, and installed hidden bridges round
RAF Tangmere to allow for rapid counter-attack in case it was attacked by enemy paratroops. In July the division was moved back from the coast into reserve, with HQRE at
West Hoathly, 222 at
Cuckfield, 502 at
Goodwood, 503 at
Chelwood Gate, and 504 at
Crawley with
Three Bridges railway station yard as its stores depot. The sappers constructed a divisional battle HQ in the grounds of
Knepp Castle near
West Grinstead, while the field park set up a production line for blackout screens. The winter quarters that year were at Winchester (HQRE, with 222 at
Cottesmore School),
Sparsholt (502 at Northwood House),
Sheffield Park (503) and
Bishop's Waltham (504, with the station sidings for the RE dump). In December 1941 the division was placed on a lower establishment, though still with an operational role in Home Forces. 503 Field Co left on 29 November 1941 (
see below), and 504 Fd Park Co was reduced to field stores section in January 1942. In January 1943 502 Fd Co moved to
80th Infantry (Reserve) Division in
North Wales; it later transferred to
38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and remained with it in the UK until the end of the war. By now 47th (London) Divisional RE consisted solely of 222 Fd Co. It was joined by a new 601 Fd Co on 5 February and by 179 Fd Co (which had served as a tunnelling company in
Gibraltar) on 8 February. 179 Field Co left the division on 22 September 1943 and was replaced by
507 Fd Co from
148 Bde Group. On 2 October 1943 222 Fd Co left (
see below), breaking the last link between the division and its original London engineers. In January 1944 the division was downgraded to reserve status, but it was given a third field company once more when 93 Fd Co (converted from a chemical warfare company) joined on 20 April 1944. However, on 30 July 1944 all three field companies (93, 507, 610) and the field stores section left (probably disbanded), and 47th (London) Division was dispersed in August 1944.
76th Infantry (Reserve) Division was redesignated 47th Infantry (Reserve) Division on 1 September, bringing with it 250 (East Anglian) Fd Co together with a field stores platoon. Finally, 507 Fd Co returned on 29 January 1945, together with 649 Fd Co.
222 Assault Squadron In October 1943 222 Fd Co left 47th (L) Division and was converted into an Assault Squadron to join
42nd Assault Regiment, RE, in
1st Assault Brigade, RE, of
79th Armoured Division at
Aldeburgh in
Suffolk. The rest of the regiment comprised Lancashire RE squadrons from the disbanded
42nd Armoured Division. The regiment was to be equipped with the
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) for the Allied invasion of Normandy (
Operation Overlord). 222 Assault Sqn was joined by about 40 tank drivers from the
Royal Armoured Corps and began training at
Orford Battle Area. Although the regiment trained hard in its new role, it was not until April 1944 that the first production Churchill AVREs arrived. 42nd Assault Rgt was not committed on
D Day, and remained in reserve, with 222 Assault Sqn quartered at
Woodbridge, moving in July 1944 to Worthing for final training before embarkation. It landed at
Juno Beach on 17 August and for the next week the whole of 1st Assault Bde was concentrated at the
River Orne for training on the new Class 50/60 tank raft.
Le Havre 42nd Assault Rgt went into action in
Operation Astonia to capture Le Havre on the evening of 10 September. Each attacking infantry brigade was supported by an assault team from 79th Armoured Division: a mixed group of Churchill AVREs,
Sherman Crab mine flails and Churchill Crocodile flamethrowing tanks. Part of 222 Assault Sqn provided AVREs for
56 Bde while 2
Troop was with
146 Bde, both of
49th (West Riding) Division. Three of the chosen lanes of attack crossed the fortress's A/T ditch. For these the regiment employed bridgelayer tanks and the AVRE 'Conger' mine clearance device (a flexible hose filled with liquid explosive) for its first use in action. An AVRE of 222 Assault Sqn deployed an older AVRE 'Snake' (utilising a rigid pipe instead of a flexible pipe), but this exploded as it was pushed across the ditch. The AVRE was then put out of action reversing over a mine, and the following bridgelaying AVRE also struck a mine. Thus the 'Hazel' lane through the defences had to be abandoned. In another lane the SBG bridge on the AVRE was hit and fell. A reserve bridge was brought up but was hit from the ditch. The AVRE crew dismounted and under heavy fire succeeded after 20 minutes in winching it into position. Several AVREs were knocked out by
88 mm A/T guns, but the remainder silenced enemy guns and used their
Petard mortars against concrete positions. Once the town was entered, 2 Trp of 222 Sqn pushed on with 146 Bde to take
Harfleur, destroying A/T guns and roadblocks as they went. At one point the AVREs used their petards to fell trees and fill in a ditch. The capture of Le Havre was completed on 12 September.
Low Countries 79th Armoured Division's squadrons with their varied equipment (the 'Funnies') were often widely scattered and rarely under regimental control. On 4 November 51st (Highland) Division attacked towards
's-Hertogenbosch with support from 79th Division, including a troop of 222 Assault Sqn, which transported an SBG bridge across of difficult terrain and laid it successfully over a ditch to allow armour to cross. Offensive operations came to a virtual halt during the winter, and 222 Aslt Sqn rested at Waterscheide. Early in 1945 the squadron took part in
Operation Blackcock to clear the
Roer Triangle. On 17 January a troop laid three bridges for
7th Armoured Division's attack on
Susteren, while the other two troops operated with two columns formed by
8th Armoured Bde and
52nd (Lowland) Division. Captain Herbert Baynton-Jones of 222 Sqn supporting
4th/7th Dragoon Guards was awarded a
Military Cross (MC) for dismounting to take control of an RE mineclearing detachment and then leading his troop of AVREs to attack a village with their petards.
Germany 42nd Assault Rgt next participated in the Battle of the
Reichswald (
Operation Veritable). On 8 February 222 Assault Sqn supported 51st (Highland) Division, which advanced down three lanes cleared by flails. In each lane the flails were followed by two AVRE bridgelayers and two carrying
Fascines. In the right hand lane all went well; the centre lane was blocked by a knocked-out flail tank, but the AVREs completed a fascine crossing by the evening; the third lane was impassable due to mud. Captain D. Hamilton, OC 1 Trp, was awarded an MC for this operation. On 13/14 February 51st HD crossed the
River Niers and took Heijin, where 222 Aslt Sqn bridged a crater and destroyed a roadblock, then laid a bridge that allowed the division to enter Hommersum. 222 Assault Sqn next helped 51st HD to capture Hervorst on 17 February; during the fighting 3 Trp attacked and destroyed a large pillbox with petards. Then on 19–20 March the squadron helped 51st HD capture
Goch, penetrating the defences and reducing pillboxes. While Veritable continued, 42 Assault Rgt was withdrawn to
Nijmegen to train for the
Rhine crossing (
Operation Plunder), particularly operating Class 50/60 rafts. These consisted of five linked
pontoons supporting a section of roadway to ferry a tank. For the final stretch of their journey to the riverbank, the heavy pontoons on sledges were towed by AVREs. Once launched, the ferries were hauled to and fro across the river by
RAF Barrage balloon winches. For the crossing on the night of 23/24 March, 42nd Assault Rgt was assigned to
15th (Scottish) Division leading
XII Corps' attack at
Xanten. Having hauled their pontoons through the mud, 42nd Assault Rgt began assembling its rafts at 02.45 on 24 March, and had three operational by 21.00 that night. Two ferry points were used, each with two rafts; 222 Assault Sqn and half of 81 Assault Sqn operated the ferry point codenamed 'Abdullah'. The regiment ran its ferries until the afternoon of 26 March when a Bailey bridge was completed (by 503 Fd Co,
see below), during which period it carried 311 tanks and self-propelled guns and a few wheeled vehicles. After the Rhine crossing,
21st Army Group fanned out over North Germany towards the
River Elbe. 222 Assault Sqn was in
Second Army Reserve, then supported
3rd Division in crossing the flooded approaches to
Bremen, using their petards to flush defenders out of strongpoints, and skid Baileys to cross breaches in the causeways. Most of Bremen was in British hands by 27 April. 21st Army Group continued its advance until the
German surrender at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May, when the squadron had reached
Baden, Lower Saxony. It was intended to reorganise 42 Assault Rgt for service in the Far East, but this was cancelled after the
Surrender of Japan, and 222 Aslt Sqn was disbanded at
Garlstorf in Germany.
Italy The company next went to Gaza to join 35 Beach Group, in training as a reserve unit for Operation Husky. It was then assigned to Operation Avalanche, the landing at Salerno (
see above). It was transported by road and sea to Algeria, concentrating at
Bougie.
Company Sergeant Major L.J. King was awarded a George Medal for rescuing some gunners from a vehicle whose ammunition was burning after a bombing raid. 35 Beach Group landed at Salerno on 9 September immediately after the leading infantry. The sappers' task was to lay
Sommerfeld tracking and create roads across the beach to the intended supply dumps, as well as clear minefields. They suffered numerous casualties from shellfire, and won an
MBE, two MCs and two MMs during the beachhead fighting. After the armies moved north, 503 Fd Co remained at Salerno for the rest of the year, carrying out municipal and civil engineering, repairing the sewer system and the
airfield, and operating a stone quarry for the usual road repairs. Formally, 503 Fd Co was now part of 14th GHQ Troops RE.Early in January 1944 the company moved north to the Volturno, then to
Teano near Naples. In early March the company was withdrawn and sailed from Naples to the UK
Holland and Germany 503 Field Co spent the winter of 1944–45 in
South Holland on bridge and road maintenance. At
Gennep in February it participated with 7th ATRE in building the longest Class 40 Bailey bridge yet constructed, ( including the approach viaducts across the floods at each end), followed in March by a Class 40 floating Bailey at
Well, Limburg, and a Class 70 high level pontoon bridge at
Venlo. For the Rhine crossing (Operation Plunder,
see above) 503 Fd Co and 7th ATRE built a Class 40 tactical pontoon Bailey at Xanten, utilising an existing ferry site. Craters in the ferry approach road had to be filled by tipper trucks before zero hour while the barrage was being fired, but the bridge was built in 31 hours, the first one completed during the operation. It carried 29,139 vehicles in the next six days as 21st Army Group advanced across Germany. 503 Field Co was then ordered to
Münster, but while the rest of 7th ATRE advanced to bridge the
Elbe, the company was diverted back into Holland to join HQ Netherland Force, just before
VE Day. Over the following months the company was engaged in rehabilitation work in the liberated area, principally bridging rivers and canals, installing Bailey bridges with lifting sections. It also trained 5 Engineer Company of the
Royal Netherlands Army in Bailey bridging, and supervised German
Prisoners of War clearing mines on the
Frisian Islands. 503 Field Co remained in Holland until November 1945 and was eventually disbanded in
Minden, Germany. ==Postwar==