The Wartime Memories Project

- 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers during the Great War -


Great War>Allied Army
skip to content


This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.


If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.



    Site Home

    Great War Home

    Search

    Add Stories & Photos

    Library

    Help & FAQs

 Features

    Allied Army

    Day by Day

    RFC & RAF

    Prisoners of War

    War at Sea

    Training for War

    The Battles

    Those Who Served

    Hospitals

    Civilian Service

    Women at War

    The War Effort

    Central Powers Army

    Central Powers Navy

    Imperial Air Service

    Library

    World War Two

 Submissions

    Add Stories & Photos

    Time Capsule

 Information

    Help & FAQs



    Glossary

    Our Facebook Page

    Volunteering

    News

    Events

    Contact us

    Great War Books

    About


Advertisements

World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

59th Field Company, Royal Engineers



16th Aug 1914 59 Field Company RE proceed to France  59 Field Company RE left their base at Curragh and arrived at Dublin docks, 4pm were aboard H.T. Bellerophon, which left Dublin 8.15pm for Le Havre.

18th Aug 1914 A long day for 59 Field Company RE  59th Field Company Royal Engineers arrived at Havre France 7am, the whole company had disembarked by 4.30pm.

20th Aug 1914 59th Coy RE depart from Le Havre  59th Field Coy Royal Engineers left Havre by train at 12.20pm. enduring a slow uncomfortable journey via Amiens and Le Cateau to Landrecies.

21st Aug 1914 59th Coy RE on the march  59th Field Coy Royal Engineers marched off from Landrecies to join the rest of the 5th Division at Mons. On arriving the Company was ordered to construct a defense at the bridgeheads over the Mons Canal.

22nd of August 1914  On the March

23rd Aug 1914 Patrols

24th Aug 1914 Rear Guard

25th Aug 1914 In Defence

26th Aug 1914 German Cavalry stampede column  At 7.15am the column is stampeded by German cavalry from Le Cateau. 59th Coy RE received the order to withdraw at 2pm.

26th Aug 1914 Orders

26th Aug 1914 Under Fire

27th Aug 1914 Defensive line

28th Aug 1914 On the March

28th of August 1914 An Exhausting March

29th Aug 1914 Bivouack

30th Aug 1914 On the March

30th of August 1914 A Hot March

31st Aug 1914 On the March

1st of September 1914 A Delayed March

2nd of September 1914 An Early March

5th of September 1914 March Finished

11th of September 1914 Marching

12th of September 1914 A Wet March

2nd of October 1914 Moonlit Relief

31st of October 1914 A Counter Attack   location map

7th of November 1914  Messines Attack Slow

21st of November 1914 Regiments Under-strength  location map

2nd of December 1914  A Moonlit Night  location map

15th of January 1915 Germans Fire Slowly  location map

17th April 1915 5th Division Attack  location map

1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling

2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits  location map

4th of March 1916 Snow All Day

19th of June 1916  Divisional Relief

2nd of July 1916 New Orders  location map

13th of July 1916 Readiness to Move  location map

15th of July 1916  Orders

19th of July 1916 Relief Carried Out  location map

22nd of July 1916 Front Adjustment Completed  location map

26th of July 1916 A Combined Offensive  location map

2nd of August 1916 A Relief and a Move

5th of August 1916 Divisional Dispositions

21st of August 1916  Training  location map

25th of August 1916 Warning Order Issued  location map

26th of August 1916  Into Action  location map

31st of August 1916  Warning Order Issued  location map

2nd of September 1916 Zero Hour Announced  location map

8th of September 1916 Prepare to Move

21st of September 1916 Situation Normal  location map

24th of September 1916 Foggy Night  location map

27th of September 1916 Division Moves  location map

30th of September 1916 Dispositions

2nd of October 1916  Reconnoitring the Line  location map

8th of March 1917  Divisional Relief  location map

19th of March 1917  Reliefs

20th of March 1917  Composite Division Formed  location map

24th of March 1917 Pioneers On the Move

27th of March 1917 In Corps Reserve  location map

2nd of April 1917  Positions  location map

4th of April 1917 Orders for Moves  location map

8th of April 1917 HQ Moves

12th of April 1917 Orders and Reliefs  location map

13th of April 1917  A Push Forward  location map

14th of April 1917 Orders to Move  location map

25th of April 1917 Canadians Take Over Front  location map

28th of April 1917 Rest and Training  location map

5th of May 1917  Wood Shelled  location map

12th of May 1917 Bailleul Shelled  location map

26th of May 1917 Quiet Day  location map

9th of June 1917  A Relief  location map

14th of June 1917 Relief  location map

15th of June 1917   Relief Completed  location map

17th of June 1917 Quiet Day  location map

18th of June 1917   Aircraft Active  location map

19th of June 1917  Quiet Day  location map

21st of June 1917  Brigade Relief Completed  location map

26th of June 1917  Quiet Day  location map

1st of July 1917  Front Line Adjusted  location map

5th of July 1917  Our Trenches Damaged  location map

6th of July 1917  A Brigade Relief  location map

10th of July 1917 A Raid Ordered  location map

12th of July 1917  Back Areas Shelled   location map

17th of July 1917 Quiet Time  location map

18th of July 1917 Direct Hits Made  location map

19th of July 1917   Situation Quiet   location map

21st of July 1917 Back Areas Shelled  location map

23rd of July 1917 Minenwerfer Active  location map

26th of July 1917  Very Quiet   location map

27th of July 1917  Gas Attack  location map

29th of July 1917 Brigade Relief  location map

1st of August 1917 MG Activity  location map

3rd of August 1917   Snipers Active  location map

4th of August 1917  Hostile Shelling  location map

7th of August 1917  A German Raid  location map

10th of August 1917 Mostly Quiet  location map

13th of August 1917 Two Minute Barrage  location map

16th of August 1917 MGs Active  location map

19th of August 1917  Gas Drums Plan  location map

22nd of August 1917 Railway Shelled  location map

25th of August 1917  TMs Hit Oppy Wood  location map

27th of August 1917 Quiet Time  location map

31st August 1917 Quiet Time  location map

3rd of September 1917  Quiet  location map

5th of September 1917 Brigades on the March  location map

6th of September 1917 Gas Shelling  location map

7th of September 1917 Training  location map

10th of September 1917  Division to Move

11th of September 1917  Artillery Marches

25th of September 1917 Entraining Continues  location map

27th of September 1917  Orders Received

28th of September 1917  On the Move  location map

4th of October 1917 Attack Launched  location map

5th of October 1917 Quieter Night  location map

17th of October 1917 Training  location map

8th of November 1917 Fairly Quiet  location map

15th of November 1917 13th Brigade Entrain  location map

16th of November 1917 15th Brigade Entrain

19th of November 1917  Pioneers Move

23rd of November 1917 Division Ordered to Move

26th of November 1917   HQ Closes and Re-opens

28th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy

9th of April 1918 Orders

10th of April 1918  Relief Postponed

11th of April 1918 Movement Details

18th of April 1918  Artillery Active  location map

19th of April 1918 A Raiding Party   location map

22nd of April 1918  A Gas Attack  location map

25th of April 1918  Division Attacks  location map

28th of April 1918 Artillery Quieter  location map

3rd of May 1918 Enemy Artillery Active   location map

4th of May 1918 Situation Quiet  location map

10th of May 1918 Gas Shells Used   location map

15th of May 1918 Our Heavies Busy   location map

17th of May 1918 Active Artillery  location map

22nd of May 1918 Enemy Active  location map

23rd of May 1918 Quiet Night  location map

30th of May 1918 A Relief  location map

5th of June 1918  Brigade Relief  location map

13th of June 1918  Brigade Relief Completed  location map

15th of June 1918  Operation Proposed  location map

20th of June 1918 Situation Unchanged  location map

22nd of June 1918  Slight Activity  location map

25th of June 1918 WO95/1510/4  location map

29th of June 1918 Enemy Guns Active  location map

1st of July 1918  Situation Unchanged  location map

7th of July 1918  Gas Shelling  location map

12th of July 1918 Back Areas Bombed  location map

18th of July 1918  Our Guns Active  location map

24th of July 1918  Relief Completed  location map

28th of July 1918 Quiet   location map

31st of July 1918 Relief Completed  location map

4th of August 1918 Divisional Relief Ordered  location map

9th of August 1918  Training  location map

10th of August 1918  Training

13th of August 1918 Entraining Commenced

15th of August 1918  Training

18th of August 1918 On the Move  location map

23rd of August 1918  Division Attacks  location map

24th of August 1918  5th Division Co-operates  location map

25th of August 1918 Brigades Move  location map

26th of August 1918  Enemy Retreats  location map

27th of August 1918 Quiet  location map

28th of August 1918   Situation Unchanged  location map

30th of August 1918  Advance Continues  location map

31st of August 1918  Counter-Attack  location map

1st of September 1918  Attack Sucessful  location map

2nd of September 1918 Strongly Defended

3rd of September 1918  Enemy Withdraws  location map

4th of September 1914 An Easier March

4th of September 1918 Divisional Relief

5th of September 1918 Rest and Training

8th of September 1918  Rest and Training  location map

17th of September 1918 Back Areas Bombed  location map

18th of September 1918 Attack Commences  location map

19th of September 1918 Enemy Guns Quiet  location map

20th of September 1918  Quiet Time  location map

22nd of September 1918 Field Guns Active  location map

30th of September 1918  Divisional Relief  location map

8th of October 1918 New Area  location map

9th of October 1918  On the Move   location map

10th of October 1918 On the Move  location map

11th of November 1918 Armistice and a Report  location map

13th of November 1918 Resting

4th of December 1918 Orders Issued  location map

10th of January 1919  Locations

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about the Royal Engineers?


There are:8628 items tagged Royal Engineers available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

59th Field Company, Royal Engineers

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Ashby Albert. Spr. (d.29th Oct1918)
  • Bates Robert. A/Sgt. (d.20th July 1916)
  • Cloutman VC.. Brett Mackay. A/Mjr.
  • Croucher MM. William Henry. Cpl.
  • Harrington Walter. Spr.
  • James MM.. Frederick John. A/Sgt.
  • Pearce Thomas. L/Cpl.

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers from other sources.


  • The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

  • 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.

Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.



Looking for help with Family History Research?   

Please see Family History FAQ's

Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.

Can you help?

The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.

If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.


Announcements

  • 28th March 2024

        Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263784 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.

      Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.





      We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates, add a comment or ask a question.

      If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.


      World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
      Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.






1206072

Spr. Albert Ashby 59th Field Coy. Royal Engineers (d.29th Oct1918)

Albert Ashby died on the 29th of October 1918 and is buried in the Etaples Military cemetery in France. He was the son of Arthur and Hannah Ashby. Native of Birmingham

s flynn




263395

Spr. Walter Harrington 59th Field Coy. Royal Engineers

Walter Harrington was mobilized at the Curragh on 6th August 1914. He had first joined the RE in 1907. He was reported missing on 30th August 1914 after having been taken captive. He spent the war years in Munster III POW camp and was repatriated via Hull on 27th November 1918.





253724

A/Sgt. Frederick John James MM. 59th Field Company Royal Engineers

Frederick James joined the Royal Engineers in 1905. He was the son of John and Thomasine James. After serving in Ireland, he came back to England as a reservist. At the outbreak of WW1 he was called to fight. He was awarded the Military Medal, which was announced in the London Gazette on the 12th of March 1917. Frederick suffered a severe shell wound from the Battle of Sanctuary Wood, o n the Ypres Front, on the 20th of October 1917. Transferred to England, he arrived on the 3rd of November 1917 at the University War Hospital in Southampton, then moved to Horton City of London War Hospital. He died aged 45 in 1930.

Josephine James




216884

A/Sgt. Robert Bates 59th Field Coy Corps Of Royal Engineers (d.20th July 1916)

Robert Bates, the son of Matthew and Catherine Bates, of Newbridge Lodge, Donabate, Co. Dublin died of wounds age 38 and is buried at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz.

S Flynn




1881

A/Mjr. Brett Mackay Cloutman VC. 59th Field Coy. Royal Engineers

Acting Major Brett Cloutman was commanding the 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers, when he won his VC, he was 26 years old.

His citation reads:

"On 6 November 1918, at Pont-sur-Sambre, France, Major Cloutman, after reconnoitring the river crossings, found the Quartes Bridge almost intact but prepared for demolition. Leaving his party under cover he went forward alone, swam across the river and having cut the 'leads' from the charges returned the same way, despite the fact that the bridge and all the approaches were swept by enemy shells and machine-gun fire. Although the bridge was blown up later in the day by other means, the abutments remained intact."

This was the last act to win a VC in the First World War.

Brett Cloutman later achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He served in The Second World War and in 1947 became Senior Chairman of the War Pensions Tribunal. He eventually became His Honour Lieutenant Colonel Sir Brett Cloutman VC MC. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, Kent.







Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.









Links


    Suggest a link
















    The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.

    This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.

    If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.


    Hosted by:

    The Wartime Memories Project Website

    is archived for preservation by the British Library





    Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
    - All Rights Reserved -

    We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.