Field Company Royal Engineers Order of Battle B.E.F.

This page looks at the order of battle of field companies of the Royal Engineers who served as part of the British Expeditionary Force in France between September 1939 and June 1940.  It will show which infantry division a field company served with.

I also offer a Soldier Research and Document Copying Service

Field Companies Royal Engineers Order of Battle for the British Expeditionary Force

The field companies of the Royal Engineers which served as part of the British Expeditionary Force are listed below, along with the division in which they served and a link to their war diary. This was written by an officer of a unit and is the most important document to view if you want to learn where a field company was and its activities. I offer a copying service for war diaries which are held at the National Archives in London.

5th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 5th Field Company was a regular field company of the Royal Engineers which spent the duration of the war serving with the 2nd Infantry Division.

  • Date: September 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/903
  • Notes:

7th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 7th Field Company served with the 3rd Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: September 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/905
  • Notes:

9th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 9th Field Company served with the 4th Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 16 February 1940 and then joined the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division in which it served until 12 November 1941.

  • Date: September 1939 – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/907
  • Notes:

11th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 11th Field Company served with the 2nd Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 4 May 1940 before joining the 44th (Home Counties) Division in which it served until 26 November 1942.

  • Date: September 1939 – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/908
  • Notes:

23rd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 23rd Field Company served with the 1st Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: September 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/916
  • Notes:

26th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 26th Field Company served with the 1st Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 28 February 1940 when it joined the 51st (Highland) Division. On 12 June 1940, the Company was captured with the Division at

  • Date: September 1939 – February 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/917
  • Notes:

38th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 38th Field Company served with the 2nd Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 29 January 1940, then joined the 5th Infantry Division in which it served until 7 April 1942.

  • Date: September 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/919
  • Notes:

59th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 59th Field Company served with the 4th Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: September 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/921
  • Notes:

200th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 200th Field Company served with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division between 3 September and 18 October 1939, then rejoined the Division on 27 April 1940 and served with it until 31 October 1941.

  • Date: August 1939 – May 1940, April missing
  • Reference: WO 167/962
  • Notes:

201st Field Company Royal Engineers

The 201st Field Company served with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 31 October 1941.

  • Date: April – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/963
  • Notes:

202nd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 202nd Field Company served with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 11 April 1940. On 7 June 1940, the Company joined the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and remained with this formation for the rest of the war.

208th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 208th Field Company served with the 44th (Home Counties) Division from 3 September 1939 until 4 May 1940 when it joined the 2nd Infantry Division. The Company then remained with this Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: August 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/965
  • Notes:

209th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 209th Field Company served with the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division from 3 September 1939 until 26 November 1942.

  • Date: April – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/966
  • Notes:

210th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 209th Field Company served with the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division from 3 September 1939 until 26 November 1942.

  • Date: April – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/967
  • Notes:

224th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 224th Field Company served with the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 13 March 1943.

  • Date: January – April 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/978
  • Notes:

225th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 225th Field Company served with the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 16 February 1940 and then joined the 4th Infantry Division in which it served for the remainder of the war.

  • Date: January – June 1940, April missing
  • Reference: WO 167/979
  • Notes: Have

226th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 226th Field Company served with the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: January – May 1940, April 1940 missing
  • Reference: WO 167/980
  • Notes: Have

227th Field Company Royal Engineers

  • Date: January – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/981
  • Notes:

236th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 236th Field Company served with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 12 June 1940.

  • Date: September 1939 – July 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/987
  • Notes:

237th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 237th Field Company served with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 12 June 1940.

  • Date: January – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/988
  • Notes:

238th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 238th Field Company served with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 29 February 1940 and then joined the 1st Infantry Division in which it served for the remainder of the war.

  • Date: March – April, then 10 – 30 June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/989
  • Notes: The war diary for March and April consists of field returns for officers and other ranks only. There is no war diary for May and the war diary for June only begins on 12th once the unit is back in Britain. This is a very poor war diary.

241st Field Company Royal Engineers

The 241st Field Company served with the 52nd (Lowland) Division On 11 June, the 241st Field Company sent its vehicle party to France, with the personnel being embarked on board the Prince Charles. This party landed at Cherbourg the next day and they were evacuated from the port on board the Clan Manonar on 17 June, arriving back at Southampton the next day. The rest of the 241st Field Company embarked at Southampton on board the Royal Sovereign on 13 June 1940 and landed at St. Malo the next day. Its service in France was very brief as on 15 June, the Company embarked on board the Antwerp at St. Malo and arrived back at Southampton on the morning of 16 June.

  • Date: 01 – 30 June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/992
  • Notes: This is a good war diary, though there’s not much to report for the main body of the 241st Field Company as its service in France was very brief. However, the vehicle party has a very interesting and detailed war diary. There are a wide variety of appendices, including a large map of Northern France 1:1000:000 scale showing the main roads and a location statement for the units of the 52nd Division dated 14 June 1940.

242nd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 242nd Field Company served as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division between 3 September and 19 October 1939.

  • Date: September 1939 – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/993
  • Notes:

252nd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 252nd Field Company served with the 5th Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: October 1939 – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/999
  • Notes:

253rd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 253rd Field Company served with the 3rd Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: September 1939 – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1000
  • Notes:

262nd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 262nd Field Company served with the 12th (Eastern) Division between 7 October 1939 and 10 July 1940.

  • Date: April – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1002
  • Notes:

263rd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 263rd Field Company served with the 12th (Eastern) Division between 7 October 1939 and 10 July 1940.

264th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 264th Field Company served with the 12th (Eastern) Division between 7 October 1939 and 10 July 1940.

  • Date: April – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1004
  • Notes:

270th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 270th Field Company served with the 46th Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: April – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1006
  • Notes:

271st Field Company Royal Engineers

The 271st Field Company served with the 46th Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: April – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1007
  • Notes:

272nd Field Company Royal Engineers

The 272nd Field Company served with the 46th Infantry Division for the duration of the war.

  • Date: April – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1008
  • Notes:

273rd Field Company Royal Engineers

  • Date: May – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1009
  • Notes:

505th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 505th Field Company served with the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division between 3 September 1939 and 30 November 1944.

  • Date: January – May 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1013
  • Notes:

507th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 507th Field Company served with the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division between 2 October 1939 and 29 June 1940.

  • Date: May – June 1940
  • Reference: WO 167/1015
  • Notes:

554th Field Company Royal Engineers

The 554th Field Company served with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division between 7 December 1939 and the end of the war.