This unusual element of the Corps of Royal Engineers had originally been a unit of the Militia but became a unit of the Special Reserve when it was formed in 1908. It can trace a continuous history back to 1539 and as such is considered to be the oldest still-surviving regiment of the British Army. It shared with the similar Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers the distinction of twice having the word “royal” in its full title. The name sometimes appears as “RMRE (SR)” in documents of the Great War era.
Under the new 1907 regulations, all men enlisting into the Special Reserve of the Royal Engineers were placed into either the RMRE or RARE.
Depot
Monmouth Castle.
Units
Details given are accurate but this section is an incomplete work in progress
- 1st Siege Company
- Existed before the war. Was sent after mobilisation for duties at Belfast.
- 4 November 1914 landed at Le Havre in France from the ship “Blackwell”, reported as 7 officers and 229 men. On 9 November moved to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques
- Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (244)
- Final cadre departed from Dunkirk on 11 July 1919.
- 2nd Railway Company
- Existed before the war. Left depot for Railway Troops Depot at Longmoor, Hampshire, late August 1914
- 10 November 1914 departed from Longmoor in Hampshire and embarked at Southampton, landed next day at Le Havre in France from the ship “Manchester Importer” (Le Havre Base reported its name as 1 Railway Company)
- 16 November 1914 arrived at Saint-Omer and marched out to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques
- Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (4052)
- 11 May 1919 company diary ends with company being at dispetsal camp at Boulogne.
- 3rd Railway Company
- Existed before the war. Left depot for Railway Troops Depot at Longmoor, Hampshire, late August 1914
- 10 November 1914 departed from Longmoor in Hampshire and embarked at Southampton, landed next day at Le Havre in France from the ship “Manchester Importer” (Le Havre Base reported its name as 2 Railway Company)
- 16 November 1914 arrived at Saint-Omer and marched out to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques
- Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (4052)
- 5 May 1919 at Auxi-le-Chateau, company ceased to exist
- 4th Siege Company
- Formed at the depot … moved at some point to Chatham
- 13 December 1914 departed for Southampton with total complement of 243 officers and men.landed next morning at Le Havre in France
- 24 December 1914 departed by railway, going via Rouen and arrived at Saint-Omer 26 December. Marched out to Tatinghem
- Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (403)
- Diary ends with company at Longeau near Amiens on 31 May 1919.
- 5th Siege Company
- …
- 1 July 1915 left Port Said for Alexandria
- 3 July 1915 departed Alexandria on ship “Mercian”, landing at Mudros 7 July 1915
- 19 July 1915 landed at “Lancashire Landing”, Cape Helles, Gallipoli
- War diary 4275 describes events at Gallipoli
- 30 November 1915 strength reported at 6 officers and 134 men
- … subsequently served in Egypt, Palestine and France
- 28 April – 7 May 1918 now called 5 Field Company and under command of 74th (Yeomanry Division), arrived at Marseilles in France
- War diary 3150 describes events in France
- Company ceased to exist at Grammont in Belgium 26 June 1919.
- 6th Siege Company
- Formed at the depot date unknown
- 27 May 1916 left Monmouth for Southampton and sailed on ships “Caesarea” and “Bellerophon”, arriving at Le Havre in France early next morning
- 30 May 1916 received orders to send detachments to Etaples (half the company), Rinxent and Saint-Omer. Next morning, left by railway for Rouen and Abbeville
- Main body of company remained based at Etaples until 6 September 1917 when it relocated to Elzenwalle near Ypres
- Company remained in France and Flanders throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (331)
- Diary ends with company at dispersal camp at Hazebrouck on 6 June 1919.
- 7th Army Troops Company
- Formed at the depot date unknown
- …
- 9 June 1917 left Monmouth for Southampton (3 officers and 133 men strong) and sailed next day, arriving at Le Havre in France 11 June 1917
- 13 June 1917 moved to Trouville and then to Deauville to work on constructing a convalescent camp
- Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (399)
- Diary ends with final cadre of company leaving Cambrai for dispersal 25 June 1919.
- 8th Army Troops Company
- Formed at the depot date unknown
- …
- 11 June 1917 arrived at Le Havre in France
- 13 June 1917 moved to Trouville to work on constructing a convalescent camp
- 30 October 1917 moved to Rouen and prepared for move to Italy
- … served remainder of war in Italy
- Locations and details in its war diary (France 4049 and Italy 4206)
- Reserve Battalion
- Details as yet not found except that it was located at Monmouth and organised into lettered depot companies.
Sources
- War diaries (National Archives WO95 series) 244, 331, 399, 403, 3150, 4049, 4052, 4275
- “Work of the RE in the European War, 1914-19: the organisation and expansion of the corps, 1914-18”.