Aberdeen Fortress Royal Engineers

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City of Aberdeen Fortress Engineers
319th (City of Aberdeen) Searchlight Battery
RE Cap badge (King George V cipher)
Active1908–1945
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army
RoleCoast Defence
Field Engineering
Air Defence
Size1–2 Companies
Garrison/HQAberdeen
EngagementsWestern Front (World War I)
The Blitz
Normandy
North West Europe

The Aberdeen Fortress Royal Engineers was a Scottish volunteer unit of the British Army formed in 1908. Its main role was defence of the Scottish coast, but it served on the Western Front during World War I. In the 1930s it was converted into an air defence unit, in which role it served in World War II.

Origin[edit]

The unit was formed in 1908 when the Territorial Force (TF) was created from the former Volunteers under the Haldane Reforms. The 1st Aberdeenshire Engineer Volunteers, which had existed since 1878, was split to form the 1st Highland Field Company and Highland Divisional Telegraph Company of the Highland Division, and the City of Aberdeen (Fortress) Royal Engineers. The latter unit consisted of a single Works Company, which continued to share its headquarters at 80 Hardgate, Aberdeen, with the Highland Field and Telegraph companies.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

World War I[edit]

The TF was mobilised on the outbreak of war in August 1914 and the City of Aberdeen Fortress Engineers took their place in the Scottish Coast defences.[7]

Once it was clear that the threat to Britain's coastal defences was small, six of the fortress engineer units reorganised as 'Army Troops' companies for service on the Lines of Communication of the British Expeditionary Force. One of these was the Aberdeen Fortress Company, which embarked for France on 24 April 1915 and arrived at Calais.[8][9][10]

When the TF's RE companies were numbered in February 1917, it became 552nd (Aberdeen) Army Troops Company, RE.[11][8] Little is known of its service, other than it was on the Lines of Communication in January 1917, with IX Corps in September 1918, and Fifth Army at the time of the Armistice.[8][12]

The unit was demobilised in January 1920.[8][13]

In addition, 553rd (Aberdeen) Works Company was formed in 1915, probably as the 2nd Line duplicate of the original City of Aberdeen unit, and was numbered in February 1917. Nothing is known of its service.[8]

Interwar[edit]

When the TF was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in the 1920s, the City of Aberdeen Fortress Engineers reformed at Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen, consisting of No 1 (Works) Company, listed as Coast Defence Troops in 51st (Highland) Divisional Area.[14][15][16]

With the recognition of the increased threat of aerial bombing in any future war, the company was converted into an Independent Anti-Aircraft (AA) Searchlight Company in 1934 as 319th (City of Aberdeen) AA Company, RE. It gained a Regular RE officer as Adjutant, who was shared with 320th (City of Dundee) AA Company (converted at the same time from the Dundee Fortress Royal Engineers).[16][17]

World War II[edit]

See main article: 51st (Highland) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery

With the continued expansion of the TA's air defences, 319th (Aberdeen) Company and 320th (Dundee) Company combined with a newly raised battery at Cowdenbeath in 1938 to form 51st (Highland) AA Battalion, RE.[16][18][19][20] In August 1939, Anti-Aircraft Command was mobilised and 51st AA Bn took its place in the air defences of Scotland. A year later the RE searchlight battalions were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA), and the unit became 51st (Highland) Searchlight Regiment, RA (TA), serving throughout the Battle of Britain and The Blitz.[16][19][21][22][23]

In February 1942, the regiment was converted to the Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) artillery role as 124 (Highland) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA) and it served with Second Army in Normandy and North West Europe.[19][21][24][25][26]

Postwar[edit]

When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the regiment was reformed as 586 (Highland) LAA Regiment, RA (later 586 (Highland) LAA/Searchlight Regiment), based at Dundee, and the link with Aberdeen was severed.[21][27][28][29][30]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Beckett, Appendix IX, p. 320.
  2. ^ Westlake, p. 4.
  3. ^ London Gazette, 20 March 1908.
  4. ^ Aberdeen Fortress Engineers at Regiments.org
  5. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 22.
  6. ^ Monthly Army List, August 1914.
  7. ^ Conrad.
  8. ^ a b c d e Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 63, 68, 83.
  9. ^ 'Embarkation Dates', The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 162/7.
  10. ^ Morling, p. 38.
  11. ^ Fortress Companies RE at Long, Long Trail.
  12. ^ "Question at Great War Forum". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  13. ^ The War Diary in The National Archives, Kew, runs from February 1917 (when the unit was numbered) to January 1920.
  14. ^ Monthly Army List, January 1923.
  15. ^ Titles and Designations, 1927.
  16. ^ a b c d Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 103, 111–2.
  17. ^ Monthly Army Lists 1934–35.
  18. ^ Army List.
  19. ^ a b c "3 AA Division 1939 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  20. ^ Glasgow Herald 13 January 1938.
  21. ^ a b c Litchfield, pp. 274–5.
  22. ^ 51 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "3 AA Division 1940 at British Military History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  24. ^ 124 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45 Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ Joslen, p. 463.
  26. ^ Routledge, pp. 314–5, 319, 326, 366
  27. ^ Watson, TA 1947 Archived 5 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ 564–591 Rgts at British Army 1945 on Archived 10 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ 67–106 AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on Archived 2014-08-12 at archive.today
  30. ^ Litchfield, Appendix 5.

References[edit]

  • Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot: Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0 85936 271 X.
  • Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
  • Col L.F. Morling, Sussex Sappers: A History of the Sussex Volunteer and Territorial Army Royal Engineer Units from 1890 to 1967, Seaford: 208th Field Co, RE/Christians–W.J. Offord, 1972.
  • Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, OCLC 852069247.
  • Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army, London: War Office, 7 November 1927.
  • Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018, Tiger Lily Books, 2018, ISBN 978-171790180-4.
  • R.A. Westlake, Royal Engineers (Volunteers) 1859–1908, Wembley: R.A. Westlake, 1983, ISBN 0-9508530-0-3.

Online sources[edit]

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