Malaya

In 1787 the Corps of Royal Military Artificers was authorised and six service companies were raised for work on fortifying the home ports. The officers came from the newly named Corp of Royal Engineers. Six more companies were raised in 1793 for active service in Canada and the West Indies. One of these companies served in Nova Scotia with a detachment in the West Indies, and in 1806 was numbered 11th Field Company.  It was based in Halifax whose coat of arms includes the tiny golden-crested kingfisher which was, in time, adopted as the Squadron emblem (known affectionately by the soldiers as the “budgie”) As a result of the increased importance of military fieldworks carried out by the Royal Military Artificers, they were renamed Royal Sappers and Miners in 1813.  In 1854 11th Field Company took part in the Crimean campaign, remaining there for two years before moving to India in 1857. The previous year saw the Royal Sappers and Miners integrated with the officers of the Royal Engineers, henceforward becoming known as the Corps of Royal Engineers. The Company was involved in the later stages of the Indian Mutiny until it became a Fortress Company in India from 1858 onwards. It reverted to being called a Field Company again in 1887.  Meanwhile the Company moved to Egypt in 1885 and were dispatched to the Sudan as part of the force sent to try and relieve General Gordon besieged by Mahdist dervishes in Khartoum. In 1899, 11th Field Company embarked for service in South Africa as part of 1st Division. Under the command of Lord Methuen they took part in the relief of Kimberley and then remained in Western Transvaal as railway troops for the next three years. (A troop Commander during this period was Lieutenant CB Thompson who later became Lord Thompson, Secretary of State for Air, and was killed in the airship R101 disaster in October 1930) Elements of 11th Field Company were involved in the siege of Mafeking before the Company returned to England in 1901 and was based at Shornecliffe.  It was in 1914 that the Company was sent to France as part of 2nd Division and became involved in the infamous retreat from Mons when they marched 256 miles. On the subsequent advance they built pontoon and trestle bridges over the Rivers Marne and Aisne. That same year they acted as infantry during the first battle of Ypres.  Still with 2nd Division, in 1928 the Company were to be found in Aldershot but reduced to 4 officers and 132 men and formed into two half companies each commanded by a Lieutenant. The unit MT consisted of one motor cycle, the remaining transport being horse drawn wagons and limbers. The sappers had also designed hand-drawn rool carts. The officers usually owned their own chargers. By 1932 the Company had been reduced further to cadre strength.  In 1939, 11th Field Company was mobilised at Aldershot and sent to France as part of 2nd Division in the British Expeditionary Force.