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10 Squadron

10 Field Squadron was raised in 1811 as the 5th Coy of 1st Bn at Woolwich, seeing service in Malta and Corfu. It was re-titled 10 Coy in 1819 serving in many places around the world including The Kaffir War of 1846, Crimea, China War 1858 and the Abyssinia Campaign in 1867. It was then re-designated a Railway Company in 1885 serving in the Boer War, Sudan and both World Wars. In 1956 the Sqn was sent to Singapore and again re-designated this time as a Port Squadron and disbanded in 1964.

In Nov 64 it was re-formed as 10 Field Squadron (Airfields) and moved to Aden/Gulf remaining there until 1969. Between 1969 and 1973 N. Ireland and British Honduras took up most of the squadrons manpower. From 1973 the unit returned to supporting the RAF in the Harrier Support role until it was disbanded in 1993 having been stationed in both Laarbruch and Gutersloh.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recognised the request from the RAF for more Royal Engineer support during operations. It agreed to the formation of 2 further Engineer Field Squadrons to support the RAF. All RAF stations where requested to look at their real estate with the view to housing an Air Support Squadron. With the demise of 234 Fd Sqn (Air Sp) (V), Leeming had an area. 2 years of planning and 12 months construction sees 10 Field Squadron located at the south-west corner of the station.

As Royal Engineers we are expected to be a Soldiers first, secondly a Combat Engineers and finally a Tradesmen. Each member of the Squadron has a trade, the range of trades is diverse, from Driver to Draughtsman and from Storeman to Surveyor.

The Squadron will have an all up strength of 172 with the capability to move as an independent unit anywhere in the world in support of the RAF. Possible tasks on deployment could be:

Design and construction of living accommodation.
Runway repair.
Aircraft Accommodation.
Construction of Fuel farms.
Water Supply
Demolitions.
Mine clearance.

These are only a few of the varied capabilities of the unit.

Cities:

12 Squadron

12 Field Squadron and 55 Field Squadron, part of 28 Field Engineer Regiment, went from Korea to Christmas Island in 1956.

The email below was received on 8th December 2012 - can anyone help?

Hi. I signed up to your well organised site in an attempt to find out more about the 12th Independent Field Squadron RE’s, it is not mentioned on your site nor the Royal Engineers sites anywhere! The squadron went out to Christmas Island and helped to build the Air strip in 1956 and again in 1957/8 to build the Main Camp sewage system and started the constructing of the permanent wooden accommodation. They also saw all 5 Hyd/Atomic during that second tour. I did the Accommodation store with one other Sapper and a R.A.S.C driver. One reason for my interest is that I received a Commendation from the Grapple commander but have never known who recommended me for it. I can supply a copy of the commendation and photos of the time I was on the Island.

This commendation held me in good stead in getting a Civilian job as soon as I left the force. I joined the UKAEA and was a radiation worker for 32 years, plus the three bombs, you would think that I would glow in the dark! I retired, in good health, when 52 years of age on a full pension and at 73 am still enjoying good health and the pension!

I was also at Farnborough ,3TRRE and went on to NCO Cadre in the mid 1950’s but am unable to be precise for I have mislaid my pay book after some 60 ish years. I have tried to get my service records, to no avail, any help in this direction would be appreciated. I also have photos of this time.

I didn’t get my first L/Cpl stripe until my return from Christmas Island and was posted to Barton Stacey, I don’t know who recommended me for that stipe either! I was a 9 year regular but as I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere and I had joined before my eighteenth birthday I had the 3 year option to come out, which I did. I would like to know the Regiment I was with at Barton Stacey.

If you can give me any pointers I would appreciate it.

Regards

Cliff Barnard

Cities:

13 Squadron

This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon

From Brian Osborne - 13 Field Survey Sqn was based at B Camp Barton Stacey up until it replaced 22 Map Production Squadron at A Camp Barton Stacey on the disbandment of 22 Sqn around 1977/8

Cities:

19 Squadron

Cities:

Hermitage

Aden

Barton Stacey

20 Squadron

I've had a message from Trevor asking me to put a link on here to his website, which specialises in the period of the Falklands. The link is

http://www.freewebs.com/20sqnrefalklands/and there are a lot of other sappers on there from that time period. Good luck with it.

Cities:

Maidstone

Aden

Ripon

24 Squadron

The 24 Field Squadron RE Jersey,
Corp Colours, personalised with your
Name or Nickname,
Troop (1, 2, HQ, etc)
and years you served there. (eg 1972 - 1978)

They are taking orders now at this link -

http://www.tour-tops.co.uk/store.html#!/~/product/category=8438106&id=33...

for a discounted price of £36.50 for the first 30 tops sold,
giving a fantastic saving of £7.00 per top.

These are made to order and are not produced in bulk.

Squadron logo on the front left breast

and dominating the rear of the shirt.

Made from 320gm Heavy Weight Eyelet material which will not shrink or fade,
they wash at low temps and dry quickly naturally.

Cities:

48 Squadron

Cities:

Waterbeach

Ripon

Aden

50 Squadron

Bob Young sent me this - "Hello Gordon,A bit more info for you,50 Sqn were in Osnabruck for a number of years-I can't help with the actual dates but I went to them in 1960 and they had been there for some time then,I left in 1963 and I believe that they left Osnabruck not long after that.Incidently,28 Amphibious Regt.started life as 1 troop 50 Sqn.during the time I was there.Regards Bob"

Cities:

521 STRE

I would like to give you some info about 521STRE, this was a Welldrilling specialist team of which I was a member on a few postings, namely 12 months in Kenya, 6 in Libya and 6 in Anguilla. All courses being done at RSME Gillingham, under Sgt "Dodger" Green ( now deceased ) and Cpl Bill Thomas. Major Theobald was OC for quite a while, WO1 Joe Bastin also a long serving member of the non drilling side of operations. I have a lot of photo's which you may be interested in of the team in Kenya and Anguilla.

Best Wishes TaffC

This from Tom Gleeson -

Prior to 1964, welldrilling in the corps was , in the main , represented by a wellboring section located at CEP Long Marston and a training facility at the RSME .

In the spring of 1964, 521 Specialist Team RE (Wellboring) was established as an entity , at Long Marston . Soon after , it relocated to the Old Barracks in Maidstone. The team personnel were ;

Lt `Russ` Theobald E & MO

SSgt `Tom` Gleeson C of W (M)

Sgt `Mick` Fisher Welldriller

Cpl ` Dodger`Green Welldriller

LCpl ` Scouse` Diable Welldriller

LCpl ` Hargy` Hargreaves Welder

Cpl ` Milly` Millington Stmn Tech

The first project undertaken by the team was to provide a series of wells along the proposed route of the ` Dhala Road `, linking the port of Aden with the township of Dhala on the Yemen border.

In July 1964, the team was joined by ten trainee welldrillers and two drivers.( the term wellboring was dropped in favour of welldrilling).The unit departed for Aden on the 6th August 1964. Leaving three of the trainee drillers in Aden, to form the nucleus of a welldrilling section within MELF Park Sqn, the remainder of the unit returned to the UK. in April 1965.

In the early seventies, the team relocated to Barton Stacey and in the mid eighties, moved to Chillwell , where it is now part of 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group.

Cities:

523 STRE

If you know anything about this unt, places it has been or titles it has had then please email them to me at gordon@sappers.co.ukI had a message from Dave Sparks saying he was in worldwide planning for 523 -

It must have been 523 that I was with on planning world wide, Places included St Helena (Original Recce), Kenya Kerio Valley and Mao Masaii Safari Park, Gibraltar, N Ireland Loyalist Strike, Scotland, Norway, Camp Gagetown New Brunswick Canada,

Brian Davies kindly sent me this in July 2014 -

523 STRE in Aden through to1967 was responsible for the improvements and maintenance of camps, airfields and military installations at Mukieras, and at Beihan in the Federation of South Arabia (FSA) (*1) employing DEL; plus main contractors engaged in the construction of permanent accommodation and associated buildings for units of the Federal Regular Army (FRA). The Clerks of Works office/bedroom and works yard were in the FRA camps. (I had no personal involvement and therefore I refrain to comment on the works in the State of Aden, or Ataq-Shabwah in the FSA that 523 STRE was also responsible for). I should mention the security situation that on 18 January 1963, the Colony of Aden was incorporated into the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South against the wishes of North Yemen. The city became the State of Aden and the Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia (FSA). An insurgency against British administration known as the Aden Emergency began and a "state of emergency" was declared.

My unaccompanied posting to 523 STRE in Aden commenced 14 Dec 1966 - Gatwick 7hr flight - transferred to Normandy Lines in Khormaksar district on arrival.

15 Dec – Reported to 523 STRE HQ offices in Al Mualla district, the team’s office was on upper floor(s) in a multi-storied street property. Armed British soldiers patrolled the area on foot.

16 Dec – Told that I would be replacing CW(C) John Rainey in Beihan who was completing his tour of duty, but before this I would relieve CW(C) Ken Paige in Mukieras as he had been granted home leave R&R over New Year - who I already knew from 154 DCRE Rheindahlen.

18 Dec – Flew to Mukieras with Capt(GE) Skipp RE landing on an oiled airstrip runway.

19 and 25 Dec – Night - Mortar attacks near the tented British camp.

27 Dec – Ken Paige departed for leave.

After Ken Paige returned I flew to Beihan with Lt(GE) Broadbent RE.

Around June of 1967 Major Cole RE visited from Chatham to include in his training film the activities of the Well Drilling Troup (TA’s from Essex I believe); and my activities.

For the record, the FRA 5th Bn in Beihan eventually reduced their British permanent liaison personnel to three: a Major; a medic: Chris Briarwood (SRN); and a Sgt administrator: Eddie Matthews.

The British army based there was the Chestnut Troop of the RHA – subsequently withdrawn on May 9th. (*2) In the town the Church of Scotland had a doctor and nurses for medical needs of the locals.

Key 523 STRE DEL were Foreman: Ali bin Ali, and Chargehand Aworth bin Hussein, a member of the Hussein ruling family. On my departure the responsibility for the DEL was passed to a Greek PWD man who arrived from Aden. All signs, sapper flag and such belongings of 523 STRE were taken to HQ in Aden.I remained until the building contract was completed and I returned home to the UK on 3 Sep 1967.

In conclusion: In 1964, Britain had announced its intention to grant independence to the FSA in 1968, but that the British military would remain in Aden – that did not happen after a change of government in London decided otherwise. On 30 November 1967 British troops were evacuated. Along with any other units in post at the time 523 STRE therefore ceased to be based in Aden.

(*1) Not to be confused with neighbouring country Saudi Arabia.

(*2) Reported on May 9th 1967 in The Daily Telegraph.

Cities:

63 Squadron

Cities:

Sharjah

Waterbeach

Camberley - GIB Barracks

Minley

Aden

Chief Engineers Branch

located at Steamer Point. Note: Proper Title could be Chief Engineer MELF I think

Cities:

Aden

CRE Ops

From Roger Makin -

OP CROWN. THAILAND . I was part of CRE ops . Other units involved were 11 Sqn , 59 Sqn, 54 Sqn .
Cheers magpie

And this from David Morris-

Hi Gordon,

I was posted in Jan 1966 to Aden, to CRE (ops). It turned out to be a specialist unit associated with MEXE called Project Forsdale involved with the testing of various means petroleum storage and pumping. The small unit was made up of various branches of the army, me being there because I was an Engine Fitter IC &P (internal combustion and pump). The main force was made up of RAOC , REME and two RE staff. The OC was Major Vernon-Betts RE, with the 2 i/c being a Flt Lt Simmons RAF.

I know that it wasn’t the biggest RE work place in the world, but it was ours.

We lived in Anzio Barracks, and saw a few Squadrons come and go on their “short” tours of Aden.

Regards

D Morris (landrover)

Cities:

Thailand

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