Query re Royal Engineers 1897-1903

[vapcq45]

Hi, my ancestor Walter Symons was in the Royal Engineers from 1897 to 1909.  I could really appreciate some help with what he might have been doing in his career - see attached - at Home, in Malta and then I guess the Boer War?

There is no clue I can understand on his service papers.  He was a House Painter before the War.  I know he received the South Africa clasp Cape Colony and also the Imperial Service.

I hope someone can kindly sketch out how he spent his years in the RE.

Thanks so much!

[vapcq45]

I should add he was a House Painter when he attested and also mentioned being at Chatham when in the RE on his papers when he enlisted for WW1 in Canadian EF in 1915.

[tonepad]

The record is stamped '17th Field Coy RE' for 1903.
Assuming he was in this unit during the Boer War, the link below has the 17th Field Company at Durban with text and a photo.

https://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/190-royal-engineers/586-royal-engineers


Tony

[vapcq45]

Thank you Tony. Does that mean hewas in the 17th all of his career or just for the Boer War?

[Andy J2022]

Sadly there's no direct evidence in the military history sheet that he was in 17 Coy before 8 Dec1903, although he was obviously in South Africa at the start of the Second Boer War.
He signed up for the standard 12 years and did just short of 6 years with the Regular army before transferring to the Reserve on 12 Dec 1903 and finally completing his commitment on 30 Sep 1909 apparently without having been recalled during that later period. He was briefly promoted to Lance Corporal after his return from South Africa and held the rank for just under a year.

[vapcq45]

Thanks so much Andy. Do you know if he would have trained at Chatham?

[Andy J2022]

Yes Brompton Barracks Chatham is where he would have been trained.

[vapcq45]

Thanks very much Andy, much appreciated.