W.W. 2 Royal engineers reg.

[Wooden dog]

Does anyone have any info on British Army railway construction companies in Iran in 1942? I'm trying to trace my fathers military history, he was in the R.E. From1939- 1945. Finished up in Italy as a station master for the last two years of the war as part of the 8th Army.

[ScouseBoy]

I do not know specifics.

But start at Basra which may well have been the port base.

PS  was the name of the country  at that date Persia?

[frankie-d]

Have you already had his Army records from the personnel office in Glasgow?

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

Costs £30, money well spent in my case.

[Wooden dog]

Thanks for the super fast reply, scouseboy. In answer, yes, it was, I have a few silver items with Iran 1942 on them. He did talk a bit about building the railway from (in his words ) Persia into Russia. Apparently, his bunch actually met and had tea with the Shah of Persia, and the old man was very impressed by the Shah. In answer to getting access to his records, a bit hard as I'm a deadset novice to this online stuff and I'm sorta around the other side of the planet, so slowly, slowly for this old codger at first.

[ScouseBoy]

When my dad set out on his
(all expenses paid)
round the world cruise in 1941  with the British 18th Division I believe that the original plan was for them to land at Basra.   

[Spikey68]

After the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia in 1941 (the old Shah was supposd to be neutral but had sympathies towards the Axis), the country was split in half. The Southen part of Persia, centred around Basra, was adminstered by the Tenth Army.

The existing Trans-Iranian railway was taken over (another reason for the invasion was to allow another route for Land-Lease materials to the Soviets), and came under the command of Brigadier G D Rhodes. Under him were two RE companies...the 153 and 190 Railway Operating Companies. As the main line was already there, the two companies were mainly responsible for operating and maintaining it, thoug they added many sidings etc.

At the end of 1942 the Americans took over most of the operations of the railway.

I'm sure the war diaries for the two companies are available at the National Archives.

hth

[Wooden dog]

Thanks scouseboy, yes, from all the info I have in my library on the two World wars, Basra was probably their disembarkation point. I think I should have listened a bit harder to his yarns, but he went a long time ago and I think I've forgotten a fair amount, too. Cheers for your interest, anyhow, old mate.

[Wooden dog]

Spikey68, thanks for your input, yeah, I've also come across mention of the 159th railway construction coy. and seen photos of blokes possibly in that mob( one even looks quite like Dad! I guess what's fired me up is reading an older book in my library on Viscount Alanbrook the title of which is "The Turn of the Tide", a good read, even if it's a bit of a slog in places. If I can get a bit more info in the future, I'm going to try for an even more daunting task of tracing my grandfather who was in the R.N. In the Great War and was in the Dardenelles. Might be a stretch, though. I won't be posting for a couple of weeks now, I'm heading up to my farm- lotsa work coming up!

[Drew5233]

These are the units war diary ref's for 159 Railway Construction Company kept at the National Archives in London.

WO 166/3646 ROYAL ENGINEERS: COMPANIES: 159 Railway Construction Company 1940 July - 1941 Oct
WO 167/954 159 Railway Construction Company Royal Engineers 1940 Feb.-June
WO 169/5281 159 Railway Construction Company 1942 Mar.- Dec
WO 169/10629 159 Railway Construction Company 1943 Jan.- Dec.
WO 172/2951 Railway Operating Companies: 159 Company 1943 Feb.- Apr.- Dec.
WO 172/5364 Railway Companies: 159 Company 1944 Jan. - Apr., June - Dec.

WO 166 files is Home Forces
WO 167 is France
WO 169 is Middle East
WO 172 is the Far East

Cheers
Andy