Pioneer Corps, 42 Coy, France

[abby85]

Hello,

I've recently received a copy of my great grandads WW2 service records.

However, I'm finding it really hard to find anything about the first unit he was assigned to: no 42 a.m.p.c coy.

It says they disembarked for France on 13/11/39.
And then he was 'evacuated from BEF' on 28/05/40.

Can anyone recommend any websites etc or share any info that might help me with my research?

I would really just like to know where he was or what he might have been doing in those months from landing to being evacuated.

Thanks in advance, Abby

[abby85]

I've just found the war diary "42 Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC)" dated from march to june of 1940 so have ordered a page check 

[MaxD]

In outline:
13 Nov  39 Arrived France Nov 39 Located TEMPLENEUVE* – Part of ‘X’ Force (alongside 40 & 41 Coys) extending the MAGINOT Line   1 Mar 40 Located LA MADELAINE** working on the defence line North and East of LILLE, TURCOING and ROUBAIX 12 Mar 40 2Lt A A G Tulloch – tos 19 May 40 Ordered to return to DUNKIRK 25 May 40 Evacuated to UK
18 Jun 40 Located WESTCLIFFE and reforming. (War diary)
  *probably Templeuve south east of Lille   **North of Lille

MaxD

[abby85]

Thank you for sharing that!

Would the war diary hold any extra info, would it still be worth getting a copy of do you think?

[abby85]

I just spotted that he ceased to be attached to the RASC and was attached RAF 801(s) coy. However I can't find any mention of them anywhere, can anyone help? Also, I can't make out what is says when it states 'Posted to 801 ---- coy p.c / Worksop"

I've attached a copy of the record if anyone can help me with that I'd really appreciate it!

[MaxD]

Diary - as you have already got a page count coming, you might like to see how many pages it is in the original and if it is, say, four or five pages then perhaps worth going ahead.  The three or four AMPC diaries I have seen are very thin on detail, their activities, while valuable, were humdrum labouring in the main.

801 was a Royal Pioneer Corps Smoke Company at Worksop-  bit about their work here  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a3511982.shtml

After 13 Main (?) Supply Depot RASC the sequence is:
attached to the RAF at Hucknall (an RAF station near Nottingham)
two leave periods with ration allowance (money for his food while away from his unit)
posted to 801 Coy
21 days locked up for a string of charges - can't see them all!

MaxD

[Drew5233]

I collect BEF war diaries and currently have around 800 copied BEF diaries out of the 1447 that are listed at the National Archives. There's only a few pages in this diary with little of note and the month of May is missing from the file, most likely lost of destroyed when the unit was withdrawing towards the North West coast of France to be evacuated.