A detailed history of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) can be viewed here and here.

During the Great War the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) was organised as follows (details given are accurate but incomplete as yet) (with grateful thanks to The Long, Long Trail Website created by Chris Baker)

• 1st Siege Company

  • Existed before the war and based at Monmouth.  Deployed for mobilisation duties at Belfast.

  • 4th November 1914, disembarked at Le Havre from the ship “Blackwell”.   Strength 7 officers and 229 men.  On 9th November 1914 the Regiment moved to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques.

  • Company remained in France throughout rest of the war.  Locations and details are contained in its war diary (WO 95/244).

  • Final cadre departed from Dunkirk for UK on 11th July 1919.

• 2nd Railway Company

  • Existed before the war and based at Monmouth.  Deployed to Railway Troops Depot at Longmoor, Hampshire, late August 1914.

  • 10th November 1914 departed from Longmoor in Hampshire and embarked at Southampton.   Landed next day at Le Havre from the ship “Manchester Importer” (Le Havre Base reported its name as 1 Railway Company)

  • 16th November 1914 arrived at Saint-Omer and marched to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques

  • Company remained in France throughout rest of the war.  Locations and details in its war diary (WO 95/4052).

  • 11th May 1919, company at dispetsal camp at Boulogne.

• 3rd Railway Company

  • Existed before the war and based at Monmouth.   Deployed to Railway Troops Depot at Longmoor, Hampshire, late August 1914.

  • 10th 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).

  • 16th November 1914 arrived at Saint-Omer and marched to Campagne-lès-Wardrecques.

  • Company remained in France throughout rest of the war. Locations and details in its war diary (WO 95/4052).

  • 5th May 1919 at Auxi-le-Chateau, company disbanded.

• 4th Siege Company

  • Formed at the outbreak of war at Monmouth and moved later to Chatham.

  • 13th December 1914 embarked at Southampton with total complement of 243 officers and men.   Landed next morning at Le Havre.

  • 24th December 1914 departed by railway, going via Rouen and arrived at Saint-Omer 26th December 1914.  Marched to Tatinghem.

  • Company remained in France throughout rest of the war.  Locations and details in its war diary (WO 95/403)

  • Company probably disbanded near Amiens on 31st May 1919.

• 5th Siege Company

  • Formed at the outbreak of war at Monmouth.

  • 1st July 1915 left Port Said for Alexandria.

  • 3rd July 1915 departed Alexandria on ship “Mercian”, landing at Mudros 7th July 1915.

  • 19th July 1915 landed at “Lancashire Landing”, Cape Helles, Gallipoli.

  • War diary WO 95/4275 describes events at Gallipoli.

  • 30th November 1915 strength reported at 6 officers and 134 men.

  • Subsequently served in Egypt, Palestine and France

  • 28th April – 7th May 1918 now called 5th Field Company and under command of 74th (Yeomanry Division), arrived at Marseilles, France

  • War diary WO 95/3150 describes events in France.

  • Company disbanded at Grammont in Belgium 26th June 1919.

• 6th Siege Company

  • Formed at Monmouth, date unknown.

  • 27th May 1916 left Monmouth for Southampton and sailed on ships “Caesarea” and “Bellerophon”, arriving at Le Havre early next morning.

  • 30th 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 6th 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 (WO 95/331).

  • Company disbanded at Hazebrouck on 6th June 1919.

• 7th Army Troops Company

  • Formed at Monmouth, date unknown.

• 9th June 1917 left Monmouth for Southampton (3 officers and 133 men strong) and sailed next day, arriving at Le Havre 11th June 1917.

• 13th 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 (WO 95/399).

• Cadre company disbanded Cambrai 25th June 1919.

• 8th Army Troops Company

  • Formed at Monmouth,  date unknown

• 11th June 1917 arrived at Le Havre.

• 13th 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 WO 95/4049 and Italy WO 95/4206).

• Reserve Battalion

  • Formed at Monmouth, possibly early 1916.   Organised into lettered depot companies.

Battle Honours

The Corps of Royal Engineers has no Battle Honours - its motto 'ubique', awarded by King William IV in 1832, signifying that it has taken part in every battle fought by the British Army in all parts of the world.