1st London Field Company, Royal Engineers
A Territorial Force Royal Engineers field company formed in East London in 1908 and active during the First World War.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The 1st London Field Company, Royal Engineers was a Territorial Force military engineering unit of the British Army. It was created in 1908 during the Haldane reforms, when the former Volunteer Force was reorganised into the Territorial Force. The East London (Tower Hamlets) Royal Engineers (Volunteers), whose drill hall stood at Victoria Park Square in Bethnal Green, became the engineering element of the new 1st London Division. The reorganisation produced the 1st London Field Company, the 2nd London Field Company and a divisional signals company, all associated with the Bethnal Green drill hall. At the outbreak of the First World War, the 1st London Division was travelling to its annual training camp at Wareham when mobilisation orders required it to return to London. The unit’s pre-war preparations enabled its personnel to move quickly to wartime stations and undertake duties including the protection of strategically important railway infrastructure. Territorial Force arrangements then separated volunteers for overseas service from personnel who remained on home service. The overseas element became the 1/1st London Field Company, while a second-line formation was established as the 2/1st London Field Company and later additional reserve arrangements were created. The 1/1st London Field Company joined the Regular Army’s 6th Division in France on 23 December 1914. It served with that formation for the remainder of the war, carrying out the characteristic tasks of a field company: constructing and repairing fortifications, preparing obstacles, improving communications and roads, supporting attacks, and helping consolidate newly captured ground. In February 1917, a Royal Engineers renumbering changed its designation to the 509th (London) Field Company. The company participated in major operations on the Western Front, including the fighting at Hooge, the Somme battles, the operations around Lens and Hill 70, the Battle of Cambrai, the German Spring Offensive of 1918, the battles around Bailleul and the Kemmel Ridge, and the Allied Hundred Days advance. At Hooge in August 1915, one of its sections took part in the attack and subsequent fortification of the captured position. The company’s work in placing barbed wire was specifically recognised in higher-command reporting, and Sapper Berry received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. At Cambrai in November and December 1917, the divisional engineers helped consolidate positions captured during the tank offensive. In the absence of the divisional pioneer battalion, they also supervised infantry labour. When German counter-attacks threatened the position, the engineers fought as infantry for several days. During the withdrawal on 3 December, the company destroyed a large ammunition dump to prevent its capture. During the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, the field companies suffered heavily while helping to resist the advance, again performing infantry duties when required. The second-line 2/1st London Field Company initially served with the 2/1st London Division, later designated the 58th (2/1st London) Division. In 1916 it moved to France with the reorganised 58th Divisional Engineers and remained there for the rest of the war. From 1917 it was known as the 512th (London) Field Company. The wartime Territorial formations were demobilised in 1919. The unit’s institutional descendants continued through several Territorial Army reorganisations. The former divisional engineers were reformed in 1920, and after the London divisions were merged in 1935 the engineering organisation became a corps troops unit at Bethnal Green. During the Second World War its companies were dispersed to other headquarters; the 216th (1st London) Field Company served with the British Expeditionary Force in France and later went to the Middle East. After the Territorial Army was reconstituted in 1947, the Bethnal Green organisation became 114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment. It was redesignated as a field engineer regiment in 1956 and a corps engineer regiment in 1961, when 216 Squadron was disbanded. Memorial plaques near the former drill hall commemorate members of the East London Engineers, including a plaque to the 675 officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st London Divisional Engineers who died in the First World War.
History
The unit’s institutional origin lay in the East London (Tower Hamlets) Royal Engineers (Volunteers), an engineer formation associated with Bethnal Green. The Volunteer Force was absorbed into the Territorial Force in 1908 under the Haldane reforms. As part of this transformation, the East London engineers supplied the divisional engineer capability for the new 1st London Division. The organisation included the 1st London and 2nd London field companies and a divisional signals company. Their base was the drill hall at Victoria Park Square, built by the East London Engineers in 1896. The 1st London Division was mobilised at the beginning of the First World War. On 2 August 1914 it departed Waterloo station for annual training at Wareham, Dorset, but was recalled almost immediately as the international crisis developed. Before the declaration of war on 4 August, the division and its component units had begun moving to wartime duties. Engineers and other Territorial personnel guarded important infrastructure while rear details completed mobilisation and expanded recruitment. The Territorial Force created separate overseas-service and home-service arrangements. The original company’s overseas contingent became the 1/1st London Field Company, while the second-line 2/1st London Field Company was organised from home-service personnel and new recruits. A reserve company was subsequently created for training and reinforcement purposes; it was later redesignated the 516th Company before being absorbed into the central training system. The 1st London Division was progressively broken up during the autumn of 1914 to reinforce formations already being sent overseas. The 1/1st London Field Company joined the 6th Division in France on 23 December 1914. It remained with the division throughout the war and operated across the Western Front. On 1 February 1917, a general Royal Engineers renumbering changed its title to the 509th (London) Field Company. The company’s duties combined engineering and combat. It built and repaired trenches, dugouts and defensive works, laid barbed wire, maintained routes and communications, supported crossings and demolitions, and helped consolidate captured positions. When circumstances demanded, its sappers fought as infantry. At Hooge on 9 August 1915, the 6th Division attacked and recaptured the chateau position. Number 4 Section of the company advanced with the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. The company suffered its highest casualties in a single day during this action, but its subsequent work strengthening the captured ground with wire was praised in a GHQ report. Sapper Berry was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The 6th Division’s later operations included the Somme battles at Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Lesbœufs and the Transloy Ridges, as well as fighting around Hill 70 and Lens in April 1917. During the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, divisional engineers helped consolidate ground taken during the tank attack and directed infantry working parties because the divisional pioneer battalion was unavailable. When German forces counter-attacked from 30 November, the engineers were committed as infantry for three days. During the withdrawal on 3 December, the 509th Field Company demolished a large ammunition dump so that it could not be captured. In February 1918, the 6th Division held the Lagnicourt sector. The German Spring Offensive began on 21 March and forced the division back. The division’s infantry suffered approximately 3,900 casualties from a strength of about 5,000, while the field companies also experienced severe losses. The engineers again performed infantry duties. The official operational account placed the 509th Field Company in reserve to the 16th Brigade in the Hirondelle valley, where the German attack was particularly intense. The company subsequently fought in the battles of Bailleul, the First and Second Battles of Kemmel Ridge and the Battle of the Scherpenberg. During the Allied Hundred Days Offensive it took part in the operations at Épehy, the St Quentin Canal, Cambrai and the Selle. Major H. G. Bambridge, MC, RE, was its commanding officer in November 1918. The Territorial formations were demobilised in 1919. The 2/1st London Field Company followed a parallel but distinct wartime path. It served in Britain with the 2/1st London Division, later the 58th (2/1st London) Division, until February 1916. It then joined the 58th Divisional Engineers in France, which had been transferred to the reforming 1st London Division, later designated the 56th (1/1st London) Division. From February 1917 the unit was numbered the 512th (London) Field Company. After the war, the London divisional engineers were reorganised within the Territorial Army. The 56th (London) Division re-formed in 1920, with its field companies carrying the 1st London designation and the senior company numbered 216th. In 1935 the two London divisions were merged, leaving the former 56th Divisional Engineers as a corps troops Royal Engineers unit. It was based at Bethnal Green and was known first as 56th CTRE and later as 1st London CTRE. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the companies of 1st London CTRE were dispersed. The 216th (1st London) Field Company joined General Headquarters with the British Expeditionary Force in France. Following the Dunkirk evacuation it moved to the Middle East with III Corps Troops Royal Engineers, which was disbanded in April 1942. In 1947, the former 56th Divisional Engineers were reconstituted at Bethnal Green as 114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment. The organisation became a field engineer regiment in 1956 and a corps engineer regiment in 1961, when 216 Squadron was disbanded. Memorial plaques at St John on Bethnal Green preserve the memory of the East London Engineers and the personnel who died in the First World War.
- 2002
Recognition of William Burnett
[1]William Burnett, probably the last surviving member of the company, received the French Legion of Honour.
- 1961
Corps engineer redesignation
[1]The successor organisation became a corps engineer regiment, and 216 Squadron was disbanded.
- 1947
Reformed as 114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment
[1]The post-war Territorial Army reconstituted the Bethnal Green successor organisation as 114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment.
- 1935
Reorganisation as a corps troops unit
[1]Following the merger of the London divisions, the former divisional engineers became a corps troops Royal Engineers organisation at Bethnal Green.
- 1919
Territorial formations demobilised
[1]The First World War Territorial formations were demobilised after the Armistice and the subsequent end of active operations.
- 1918
German Spring Offensive
[1]The company suffered heavy losses while supporting the 6th Division during the German offensive and performed combat duties as infantry.
- 1917
Renumbered as the 509th (London) Field Company
[1]The Royal Engineers’ renumbering scheme changed the unit’s designation to 509th (London) Field Company.
- 1917
Service during the Battle of Cambrai
[1]The engineers consolidated captured positions, fought as infantry during the counter-attacks and destroyed an ammunition dump during the withdrawal.
- 1915
Action at Hooge
[1]The company took part in the recapture of the Hooge position and strengthened the captured ground with barbed wire.
- 1914
First World War mobilisation
[1]The unit was recalled from annual training at Wareham and deployed for mobilisation duties following the outbreak of war.
Products and positioning
A military engineering formation providing field construction, fortification, demolition, communications and combat-support capabilities to Territorial Force and British Army formations.
Recent events
- 2002
William Burnett received the French Legion of Honour[1]
Other
William Burnett, described as probably the last surviving member of the company, received the French Legion of Honour in August 2002.
Sources1 sources
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