This page is one of a series of articles on researching a soldier who served in the Pioneer Corps during the Second World War. The Pioneer Corps was initially known as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps before it was redesignated in November 1940. My main page for the Pioneer Corps can be found by clicking on the link below:
I offer both a Second World War Soldier Research Service and Document Copying Service at the National Archives.
The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps Order of Battle for France May 1940
The information in the table was taken from the order of battle of the British Expeditionary Force in France for May 1940 held at the National Archives in London. Its catalogue reference is WO 212/235: Order of Battle: British Expeditionary Force in France: including Lines of Communication units. The table shows which group an Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps company was serving with at the time. Catalogue references for both the company and its group are also recorded. A war diary was written by an officer of a unit and they are the most important document to view to find out its location and activities. The war diaries of the British Expeditionary Force are part of the WO 167 series. I offer a copying service for these documents.
Most companies of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps served as part of a group which contained multiple companies. If you would like to find out as much information as possible regarding a company, then it is also best to look at its group’s war diary. There is usually information in a group’s war diary which isn’t found in the war diaries of the companies serving with it. Also, there may be reports from the company you’re researching in the group diary. For example, the 1st, 105th, and 109th Companies Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps served with the No.1 Group. If you’re researching the 1st Company’s involvement as part of the British Expeditionary Force, then it would be worthwhile checking the No.1 Group’s diary and also the war diaries of the 105th and 109th Companies. It is important to note that many companies served with more than one group during the campaign. A small number of company war diaries are missing the month of May 1940, when the unit was evacuated from France. Or, the month only contains field returns of officers and other ranks and not the daily entries. If so, then the war diary of the company’s group will be the primary source of information for the period.
The war diary of the 33rd Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps contains an annotated photograph album showing the unit celebrating Christmas Day at Rennes. Headquarters section is shown enjoying their Christmas dinner in the above photograph. It is very rare to find photograph albums in war diaries.
| Company | War Diary | Group | War Diary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WO 167/1237 | 1 | WO 167/1217 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 2 | WO 167/1238 | 2 | WO 167/1218 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 3 | WO 167/1239 | 2 | WO 167/1218 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 4 | WO 167/1240 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 5 | WO 167/1241 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 6 | WO 167/1242 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 7 | WO 167/1243 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 8 | WO 167/1244 | 4 | WO 167/1220 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 9 | WO 167/1245 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 10 | WO 167/1246 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 11 | WO 167/1247 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 12 | WO 167/1248 | |||
| 13 | WO 167/1249 | |||
| 14 | WO 167/1250 | |||
| 15 | WO 167/1251 | |||
| 16 | WO 167/1252 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 17 | WO 167/1253 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 18 | WO 167/1254 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 19 | WO 167/1255 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 20 | WO 167/1256 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 21 | WO 167/1257 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 22 | WO 167/1258 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 23 | WO 167/1259 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 24 | WO 167/1260 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 25 | WO 167/1261 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 26 | WO 167/1262 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 27 | WO 167/1263 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 28 | WO 167/1264 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 29 | WO 167/1265 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 30 | WO 167/1266 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 31 | WO 167/1267 | 4 | WO 167/1220 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 32 | WO 167/1268 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 33 | WO 167/1269 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 34 | WO 167/1270 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 35 | WO 167/1271 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 36 | WO 167/1272 | |||
| 37 | WO 167/1273 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 38 | WO 167/1274 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 39 | WO 167/1275 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 40 | WO 167/1276 | 11 | WO 167/1227 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 41 | WO 167/1277 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 42 | WO 167/1278 | 11 | WO 167/1227 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 43 | WO 167/1279 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 44 | WO 167/1280 | |||
| 45 | WO 167/1281 | 12 | WO 167/1228 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 46 | WO 167/1282 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 47 | WO 167/1283 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 48 | WO 167/1284 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 49 | WO 167/1285 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 50 | WO 167/1286 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 51 | WO 167/1287 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 52 | WO 167/1288 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 53 | WO 167/1289 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 54 | WO 167/1290 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 55 | WO 166/1291 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 56 | WO 167/1292 | |||
| 57 | WO 167/1293 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 58 | WO 167/1294 | 15 | WO 167/1231 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 59 | WO 167/1295 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 60 | WO 167/1296 | 2 Corps Troops | ||
| 61 | WO 167/1297 | 1 Corps Troops | ||
| 62 | WO 167/1298 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 63 | WO 167/1299 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 64 | WO 167/1300 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 65 | WO 167/1301 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 66 | WO 167/1302 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 67 | WO 167/1303 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 68 | WO 167/1304 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 69 | WO 167/1305 | 6 | Lines of Communication Troops | |
| 70 | WO 167/1306 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 72 | WO 167/1307 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 73 | WO 167/1308 | 10 | WO 167/1226 | Advanced Air Striking Force |
| 74 | WO 167/1309 | 14 | WO 167/1230 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 75 | WO 167/1310 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 76 | WO 167/1311 | |||
| 77 | Foreign Labour Company | |||
| 78 | WO 167/1312 | 3 Corps Troops | ||
| 79 | WO 167/1313 | |||
| 81 | WO 167/1314 | 15 | WO 167/1231 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 82 | WO 167/1315 | 15 | WO 167/1231 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 83 | WO 167/1316 | 15 | WO 167/1231 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 87 | WO 167/1317 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 88 | WO 167/1318 | Foreign Labour Company | ||
| 93 | WO 167/1319 | Foreign Labour Company | ||
| 100 | WO 167/1320 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 101 | WO 167/1321 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 102 | WO 167/1322 | 5 | WO 167/1221 | General Headquarters Troops |
| 103 | WO 167/1323 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 104 | WO 167/1324 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 105 | WO 167/1325 | 1 | WO 167/1217 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 106 | WO 167/1326 | 8 | WO 167/1224 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 107 | WO 167/1327 | 2 | WO 167/1218 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 108 | WO 167/1328 | 9 | WO 167/1225 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 109 | WO 169/1329 | 1 | WO 167/1217 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 110 | WO 167/1330 | 2 | WO 167/1218 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 111 | WO 167/1331 | 3 | WO 167/1219 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 112 | WO 167/1332 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 113 | WO 167/1333 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 114 | WO 167/1334 | 7 | WO 167/1223 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 115 | WO 167/1335 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 116 | WO 167/1336 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 401 | WO 167/1340 | 6 | WO 167/1222 | Lines of Communication Troops |
| 601 | 13 | WO 167/1229 | Lines of Communication Troops |