Quarrying Companies of the Royal Engineers

This page is a long term work in progress. The Quarry Companies are not well documented and I am adding details as I find them. The information shown here is accurate but inevitably incomplete.

198th Quarry Company RE

Formed at the Royal Engineers Tunnelling Troops Depot at Clipstone Camp August 1916
Moved immediately to France
Surviving service records suggest a strong representation of Leicestershire men
Details of air raid casualties on 24 September 1917 at Gazetteer of the Western Front: Rinxent

From the army service record of Sapper 196154 James Bowers (National Archives WO363). He was at the depot at Clipstone Camp when transferred to 198 Quarry Company on 24 August 1916, becoming one of the first to serve with such a unit. He had only begun service on 4 August 1916, but as an experienced quarryman he would not require lengthy military training.

199th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Tunnelling Depot at Clipstone Camp 1916
Moved to France

Article from the “Evening Despatch” of Monday 8 January 1917 (British Newspaper Archive)
The Selkirk ‘Southern Reporter’ included this information in its edition of Thursday 25 January 1917

320th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Landed at Le Havre 26 February 1917, consisting of 1 officer, 100 men. An additional officer, 164 men, 2 horses arrived next day
Surviving service records suggest a strong representation of North Wales men

321st Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot, mainly from men from Guernsey
Landed at Le Havre 17 February 1917, consisting of 3 officers, 264 men, 2 horses

From the army service record of Guernseyman Albert Couch. Standing just 4 feet 11 inches in height, weighing 98 pounds and with an expanded chest of 34 inches, he enlisted at the age of 42 on 2 February 1917 and served with 321 Company in France until 1919.

322nd Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Landed at Le Havre 18 March 1917, consisting of 2 officers, 264 men, 2 horses
Moved to Calais 28 March 1917

323rd Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Landed at Le Havre 12 May 1917, consisting of 4 officers, 264 men, 2 horses
Moved to Marquise 14 May 1917

From the South Gloucestershire “The Gazette, Times and Weekly News” of Saturday 6 December 1919. The soldier was James Hallett Pimm, who joined 323 Quarry Company at Buxton on 23 April 1917 …
… most unusually, the citation for his MSM is contained with his army service record (National Archives WO363).

324th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Landed at Le Havre 28 March 1917, consisting of 2 officers, 265 men, 2 horses
Left Le Havre 1 April 1917
Spr 262380 Cecil Porter died of meningitis on the day of arrival and is buried in Le Havre

From the “Belfast Telegraph” of Tuesday 1 May 1917. Similar adverts ran in a number of regional and local newspapers (British Newspaper Archive)
Advertisement that appeared in various newspapers during May 1917 (British Newspaper Archive)

325th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Pnr 261620 Robert Anderson, said to be of this company, died in hospital in Buxton of illness on 1 April 1917
Landed at Le Havre 2 June 1917, consisting of 4 officers, 264 men, 2 horses
Moved to Marquise 5 June 1917

326th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Buxton RE depot
Landed at Le Havre 23 May 1917, consisting of 4 officers, 264 men, 2 horses
Moved to Marquise 27 May 1917

327th Quarry Company RE

Formed at the Curragh Camp (Ireland)
Landed at Le Havre 2 June 1917, consisting of 4 officers, 241 men, 2 horses
Moved to Beaulieu 5 June 1917

328th Quarry Company RE

Evidence of formation in Ireland by 11 April 1917
Moved to France

329th Quarry Company RE

Formed at Boulogne on 29 May 1917

348th Quarry Company RE
Formed at Aldershot* 12 October 1917
Landed at Le Havre 28 October 1917, consisting of 4 officers, 264 men, 2 horses
Moved to Boulogne 31 October 1917 and then to Calais
Responsible for provision of roadstone for repair and construction in Boulogne and Calais areas
Good war diary exists covering up to December 1918

*This is likely to be the Road and Quarry Troops Depot which was actually at Guadeloupe Barracks at nearby Bordon.

Imperial War Museum photograph Q9708. Officers of the Royal Engineers and men at the marble quarries at Marquise, 25 November 1918.

Composition

The structure of a Quarry Company RE as defined in July 1916:

1 Captain in command of company
3 subalterns (Lieutenants or Second Lieutenants)
2 Warrant Officer Class II, appointed Company Sergeant Major and Company Quartermaster Sergeant
4 Sergeants
8 Corporals
12 Lance Corporals
228 Sappers (197 being skilled quarrymen; 16 steam engine drivers; rest assorted trades)
1 Cook
4 Batmen
1 attached driver of the Army Service Corps

Employment

Most of the companies were engaged at the quarries at Rinxent near Marquise, and others in the Calais area, producing road and other stone for repair and construction work.

Sources

War diary of Le Havre Base
War diary of 348 Quarry Company RE (WO95/4057)

Links

The Corps of Royal Engineers

Gazetteer of the Western Front: the quarries at Rinxent