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Major General
ALEXANDER WALLACE SPROULL, CB, CBE, FCGI
B.Sc(Eng.), M.I.Mech.E., M.I.E.E.
Royal Engineers
(November 2020)  

by

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  

Figure 1.  Brigadier Alexander Wallace Sproull, CBE, c. 1944.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery)   

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            I have sometimes been accused by fellow medal collectors of taking my research work too far.  This may be an example of just that.  In the photograph above, Sproull is wearing the ribbons for the CBE, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and an unknown ribbon thought to be from a foreign decoration.[1]  I do not have Major General Sproull’s medals in my collection.  Back in 1990 I purchased a Royal Engineers Rifle Association shooting medal with clasp 1932 engraved on the reverse as follows:

Class I
(Abroad)
-Major-
A.W. Sproull
41^st(Fort) Coy.
***
1932
***

            After many years I decided to research the life and military service of the man who won this medal.  You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that he had risen to the rank of Major General during the Second World War.

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION  

            Alexander Wallace Sproull’s grandfather was one William H. Sproull and his grandmother was Bonnella Mary Sproull (1826-?), née McDowall.[2] 

            His father was Alexander Macdonal Sproull (?-1894) of Honolulu, Hawaii and his mother was Nellie Sproull, née Wallace.  Alexander M. Sproull attended Queen’s College, Belfast where in 1875 he won the Peel Exhibition Award at the First University Examination in Engineering.  He returned to Hawaii where it appears that he may have been taken ill in 1894.  On the 24^th of July 1894 he prepared his last will and testament bequeathing all his assets to his wife Nellie.  He died on the 23^rd of August 1894.  His will was filed for probate in the Fifth Circuit Court, Hawaiian Islands on the 28^th of September 1896.[3] 

            Alexander Wallace Sproull was born in Honolulu on the 24^th of December 1892.   Unlike his parents he did not remain in Hawaii.  He returned to England as a youngster to attend St. Lawrence College in Ramsgate, Kent.  The 1911 Census of England and Wales shows that Alexander entered the City and Guilds College in London in that year.  He was a student there until 1914 and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.  He became an Associate of the City and Guilds Institute (A.C.G.I.) and later in his life he was elected to become a Fellow of the City and Guilds Institute (F.C.G.I.).  He also was an Assistant Demonstrator in the Civil Engineering Department at City and Guilds College and he graduated with First Class Honours in Engineering.[4]  Alexander demonstrated early on that he was an intellectual and that he was destined to become prominent in a number of technical fields of endeavor.

Figure 2.  The Seal of St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)  

Figure 3.  St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate, Kent.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

3.  ENLISTMENT AND COMMISSIONING  

Enlistment

             When the Great War broke out the 4^th of August 1914, Alexander Wallace Sproull immediately enlisted in King Edward’s Horse, a Special Reserve cavalry regiment.[5]  The regiment was immediately mobilized at the start of the war at the Duke of York Headquarters in Chelsea, London.  He served only 128 days in the ranks, when presumably he received some basic military training.[6] 

Figure 4.  Cap Badge of King Edward’s Horse.
(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia)

Commissioning

            While serving with King Edward’s Horse, his technical expertise and engineering qualifications may have come to the attention of someone in the regiment or in the Corps of Royal Engineers.  It is also possible that Sproull applied for a commission in the Royal Engineers feeling that his credentials as an engineer might better serve the war effort.  In any case, he was discharged from King Edward’s Horse on the 10^th of December 1914 and on the following day he was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (Special Reserve) on probation.[7]  At this point he may have been posted to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham for training in the duties of an officer in the Royal Engineers.

4.  ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Home Service (1915)

            Following the completion of his training 2^nd Lieutenant Sproull was posted to the 127^th Field Company, Royal Engineers, which had formed in Eastbourne, Sussex in February of 1915.  The 127^th Field Company was destined to join the 22^nd Division for service in the war.  The order of battle of the division is shown in Addendum No. 1.  It will be noted that the 22^nd Division originally had two field companies assigned to it, the 87^th and 88^th, both of which left the division in February of 1915.  The 99^th and 100^th Field Companies were then assigned to the division in that month to replace the two companies that had left.  The 127^th Field Company joined the 22^nd Division at Aldershot on the 1^st of June 1915.[8]  After three months of training with the division, the 127^th Field Company embarked for France on the 5^th of September 1915.

France and Flanders (1915)

            Sproull’s company, along with other units of the 22^nd Division, arrived in France on the 6^th of September 1915.[9]  By the 9^th of September the company was at Flesselles and on the 18^th of September it was located at Amiens on the St. Quentin Road.[10]

            The 22^nd Division was not destined to remain in France for very long.  On the 6^th of October 1915 the Germans and Austrians invaded Serbia from the north to begin what was to be known as the Macedonian or Salonikan front.  By the 8^th of October the Germans and Austrians had crossed the River Danube and on the 9^th of October they entered Belgrade.[11]  The 22^nd Division, along with other British and allied divisions, was selected to meet this threat in Macedonia.

            On the 25^th of October 1915 the 22^nd Division entrained at Longueu for Marseilles and on the 27^th of October units of the division embarked at Marseilles for Macedonia.  Sproull and his company were with this contingent.[12]

Macedonia (1915-1916)

            The 22^nd Division landed at Salonika on the 2^nd of November 1915 and became part of the British II Corps.  The division’s 65^th Brigade was immediately sent forward to reinforce the front.  The Commander Royal Engineers (CRE) of the 22^nd Division at this time was Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Murree Fitzgerald Hoystead, R.E. Hoystead now commanded the 99^th, 100^th and 127^th Field Companies as well as the 22^nd Divisional Signal Company, R.E.[13]

            The first battalion of the 65^th Brigade reached Doiran on the 6^th of December 1915.  It is not known whether elements of the 127^th Field Company were with this battalion.  On this date the Allied forces immediately became involved in the Battle of Kosturino.

            The Battle of Kosturino was fought between the 6^th and the 12^th of December 1915 in the initial stage of the Macedonian campaign. On the 6^th of December Bulgarian troops attacked the French and British-held trenches in Kosturino, at that time part of the Kingdom of Serbia (present day North Macedonia). The offensive was at first held in check, however on the 8^th of December Bulgarian troops managed to infiltrate the Memesli ravine. They then seized Crete Simonet, thus threatening to outflank the Allies. The Entente defeat at Kosturino led to the complete withdrawal of Allied forces from Serbia, thus enabling the Central Powers to build the Berlin to Constantinople rail line. The Allies in the meantime concentrated on solidifying their defenses in Greece.

            The battle at Kosturino and the subsequent evacuation of the Allies resulted in 1,209 British casualties, including 99 killed, 386 wounded, 724 missing and 10 artillery pieces.  It is believed that 2^nd Lieutenant Sproull may have been wounded during this battle or subsequent to this battle and invalided home, although the date of his being wounded has not been definitively verified (see Addendum No. 2).  According to Who Was Who 2020, he definitely was wounded.

Home Service (1916-1931)

The War Office

            On the 8^th of March 1919, presumably after recuperating from his wounds, Sproull was posted as a Staff Captain to the War Office, Department of the Master-General of Ordnance, Directorate of Fortifications and Works.[14]  His work in this assignment involved primarily electrical and mechanical duties, work for which he was eminently qualified based on his education.  His duties included the work on barracks improvements involving the provision of electric lighting in all barracks, the enlargement of War Office power stations at Aldershot, Tidworth and Ratfyn and work involving water supply and purification.[15]  

Electrical and Mechanical Courses

            He completed his assignment as Staff Captain in the War Office on the 7^th of March 1923 and was replaced by Captain G.D. Watson, R.E.  On the following day he was sent on a Special Electrical and Mechanical Course arranged by the War Office.[16]  He completed this course in about a year and was immediately sent to attend a Supplementary Course at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham in 1924.[17]  No sooner had he completed the course at Chatham than he was assigned to attend a second Electrical and Mechanical course and was then posted as Assistant Electrical and Mechanical Officer at Headquarters Eastern Command in 1925.[18]  It appears to be obvious that all of his schooling was aimed at assigning him to this post and for additional duties of greater responsibility.

Inspection & Experimental Staff, R.E.

            On the 3^rd of July 1926 Captain Sproull was appointed an Inspector of Royal Engineer Stores (Class CC).  He relinquished this position on the 31^st of December 1930 and was assigned as Assistant Inspector of Engineer Stores (Class CC) at Woolwich on the following day.  He remained in this assignment until sometime in March of 1931 when he was posted to Singapore as the Officer Commanding, 41^st (Fortress) Company, R.E.

Singapore (1931-1932[19]        

            Sproull, now a Brevet Major, took command of his company in March of 1931.  He was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel H.F.B. Moore, OBE, R.E. the CRE of Malaya Command.  Other officers in the 41^st (Fortress) Company included:

Lieutenant Godfrey James Bryan[20]   

Lieutenant N.A. Armitage[21]

Lieutenant W. Kirkbridge

Lieutenant P.J.L. Drewe,[22]

            The duties of Sproull’s company consisted primarily of supporting the fortifications located at Singapore, with special emphasis on electrical and mechanical work.  The company also provided services to installations located on Pulu Brani, an island located off the southern coast of Singapore.  Military training in fieldworks and musketry took place annually and as Sproull was an avid rifle marksman, the company’s rifle team took part in many competitions.  In October of 1931 the company shot in the Command Rifle Meeting, which consisted of shooting at 300 yards “deliberate” fire.  The company lost to the 1^st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, which is not surprising as the infantry should have been expected to field the best team.

            On the 11^th of November 1931 Major Sproull placed a wreath at the Singapore Cenotaph.  The Cenotaph War Memorial is located within the Esplanade Park on Connaught Drive within the central area of Singapore’s business district.  The wreath consisted of a floral Royal Engineers cap badge.  Little did anyone know at that time that Singapore itself would become a tremendous wartime disaster for the British Army only 11 years later.

Figure 5.  The Singapore Cenotaph.
(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia)  

            In December of 1931 Lieutenants Armitage and Kirkwood left Singapore for new posting at home.[23]  The new Commander Royal Engineers, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Gordon Hyland, MC, R.E. arrived this same month.[24]

Figure 6.  Frederick Gordon Hyland, CB, CBE, MC.
(Photograph courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery)  

            The Royal Engineers Corps Championship Match (Abroad) was held in March 1932.  The 41^st (Fortress) Company took part in this match as a company team and in Match V placed 17^th out of 20.  In Match VI the company placed 2^nd out of 20.[25]

            In addition to rifle shooting in March of 1932, Major Sproull also found time to play tennis on the company’s officer team.  Lieutenant H.C.W. Eking arrived as a replacement officer during this same month.[26]  The following month Lieutenant Michael Thomas Lean Wilkinson arrived in the company.

NOTE: Acting Lieutenant Colonel Wilkinson was in Singapore when the Japanese captured the city in 1942.  He was taken prisoner and was shot while attempting to escape, sometime between the 3^rd and 5^th of August 1943.  He was 39 years of age.  A/Lieut-Col Michael Thomas Lean Wilkinson, Royal Engineers was the younger son of Brigadier M L Wilkinson, CBE, late Royal Artillery, of Marlow, Bucks, and dear husband of Susan (née Tatham), of 24 Malvern Court, London SW7. He has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Column 37, in Kranji War Cemetery.  References: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission and The Times, 19 October 1945.  

            In May of 1932 the 41^st (Fortress) Company was visited by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Lawson, the Colonel Commandant, Royal Engineers.  During this month there also was a Royal Engineers Rifle Association Rifle Shoot.  Major Sproull shot a score of 33 out of a possible 70 points to win a bronze Royal Engineers Rifle Association medal in this match (see Section 7 for details). 

            In the following month the company took part in its annual fieldworks and musketry training and also participated in the King’s Birthday Parade held by the Malay Command.

            In November of 1932 the 41^st (Fortress) Company team shot in the Malay Command Rifle Meeting and placed 8^th out of 18 teams.[27]  In December both Major Sproull and Lieutenant Drewe departed Singapore for new assignments at home aboard H.M.T. Neuralia.[28]

Figure 7.  H.M.T. Neuralia.
(Postcard photograph in the author’s collection)  

Home Service (1932-1947)  

The War Office  

            Following a period of home leave, Major Sproull was posted as the Deputy Assistant Director, Department of the Quarter-Master General to the Forces at the War Office.[29]  His duties in this assignment consisted of working on modernization of coastal defences and bridging where he wrote specifications for needed equipment and facilities and inspected the completed works after building or production.  In 1935 he was serving as the Associate Member for the Royal Engineer Services on the Clothing and Equipment Committee.  Despite his multitude of duties he found time to shoot in the “Alexandria” Class M competition of the National Rifle Association at Bisley, winning a 1£ prize.

            On the 1^st of February 1937 Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Sproull was appointed to be Inspector (Class Z) for Engineer and Signals Stores at Woolwich.[30]  Although this was the date of his appointment, it appears that he continued his duties as Deputy Assistant Director of Fortifications and Works at the War Office until the 6^th of June 1937.[31] 

            On the 7^th of July 1937 he was assigned temporary duties as the Deputy Chief Inspector (Class Z) for Engineer and Signal Stores at Woolwich and on the 31^st of July 1938 he was appointed the Deputy Chief Inspector (Class Y).

Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Aircraft Production

            Beginning on the 28^th of February 1940, Sproull then an Acting Colonel, was employed by the Ministry of Supply.  During this period he worked as Chief Inspector of Engineer and Signal Stores and was very much involved with work on testing every Bailey Bridge panel that required welding of any sort.[32]

Figure 8.  A Bailey Bridge Panel
(Image courtesy of Machine Works International)

            The panel was the main structural component of Bailey Bridge and its integrity was of the utmost importance.  It was Sproull’s contention that any panel that required welding had to be tested to verify that integrity.

            In addition to the components of the Bailey Bridge he also inspected structures for the artificial harbor, the famous Mulberry Harbour, to be used to facilitate the unloading of supply ships off the coast of Normandy, France in 1944.  He also inspected bulk storage facilities, petrol pipelines and pumping stations.  While performing this work he was noted to be an inspiring worker, technically competent and full of common sense.[33]

            On the 1^st of August 1942 as an Acting Brigadier, Sproull was the Chief Inspector of Electrical and Mechanical Equipment.  His responsibilities included inspection of Service, Engineer, Telecommunications and Radar equipment.

            Sproull remained in this position until the 23^rd of November 1940 when he was transferred to the Air Ministry where he was involved with inspecting aircraft production and radar equipment.  His work with the Air Ministry was terminated on the 27^th of September 1942 when presumably he resumed his duties with the Ministry of Supply.

            In 1946, now Major General Sproull, was appointed Director General of Armament Production in the Ministry of Supply.  In this capacity he was responsible for the inspection of weapons, fighting vehicles, electrical and mechanical equipment, chemical equipment, stores and military clothing.  He held this position until his retirement on half pay on the 14^th of August 1947 and became a member of the Reserve of Officers.  After his retirement from the Army he was given a special appointment to the Ministry of Supply as a civilian because of his experience with this type of work.  He retained this special appointment for one year.

__________________________________________________________________________

            The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Sproull’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army.  They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career.  The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information and post-service life.

__________________________________________________________________________

5.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

            Alexander Wallace Sproull received the following promotions during his time in service:

TABLE NOTES:

(a)    Total service in the Special Reserve reckoned at 6 years and 98 days.  Army Number 11617.

(b)   The London Gazette of 11 February 1941 indicates that he was a Lieutenant Colonel (Temporary Colonel) to be Colonel with seniority from 1 July 1939. 

6.      MILITARY TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS  

Military Training: Sproull received the following military training during his time in service:

TABLE NOTE:  Dates are approximate since his service records were not available to the author.

Qualifications:   Sproull earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

 7.      MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

            Major General Sproull is believed to have received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service.  

TABLE NOTE:  In Figure 1 he is wearing the ribbon for an unknown medal (bottom row, right).  This may be the ribbon of a foreign award, but it has not been identified.  As an ardent rifle shooter he also may have received numerous shooting medals.  One such medal is in the author’s collection and was the reason for initiating this research work.

 Figure 9.  The CBE, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
(Photographs from the author’s collection)  

            Figure 9 shows the medals corresponding to the ribbons that Major General Sproull is wearing in Figure 1, less the unknown medal ribbon.  The award of the CB was made to him after the photograph in Figure 1 was taken.  The medals shown above are not in the author’s collection. 

            The figures below show the obverse of the Royal Engineers Rifle Association Medal and the reverse of the medal showing the engraving naming it to then Major Sproull.  The medal ribbon is characteristic of the colours of the Royal Engineers; that is, a red background with two blue stripes.

Figures 10 and 11.  The Royal Engineers Rifle Association Medal (obverse and reverse)
(Photograph from the author’s collection)  

8.  MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

Marriage

            Alexander Wallace Sproull married Adeline Frances Godby, the daughter of Brigadier General Charles Godby, R.E. in 1918.  Apparently the Sproulls had no children.      

Professional Associations

            While serving in the Army Sproull joined many professional organization that undoubtedly assisted his professional development as an engineer officer.  On the 2^nd of January 1918 he applied for associate membership in the Institution of Civil Engineers.[58]  At the time he was residing at 10 Dorset Road, Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex.[59]

            Sproull was admitted to the Institution of Civil Engineers as an Associate Member on the 13^th of January 1920.  The 1926 list of members of the institution shows that he was still and Associate Member, but it appears that he never became a full member; hence, his choice to not use A.M.I.C.E. as one of his postnominals.  The Electoral Register for 1930 shows that he and his wife were living at 16 Elderslie Road, Eltham, in southeast London.

            On the 17^th of November 1933 Sproull was elected to become an Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.  His membership was proposed by Lieutenant Colonel G.C. Gowland, R.E. and Captain C.H. Broughton, MBE.[60]  He subsequently became a Member of this institution. 

            In 1937 the Sproulls were living at 35 Glenesk Road in Woolwich.

Figure 12.  The Sproull Residence at 35 Glenesk Road, Woolwich.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)  

            The 29 September 1939 edition of the London Gazette indicates that Sproull was an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers at that time.  By February of 1941 he had become a Member.

            In December of 1946 Sproull was elected the 59^th President of the Institute of Engineering Inspection[61] and from 1946 to 1947 he served as the President of the Junior Institution of Engineers.[62]

Recreational Activities

            As indicated in the narrative, Sproull was an avid rifle shooter.  He was a member of the Royal Engineers Rifle Association and shot on his company rifle team when he commanded the 41^st (Fortress) Company in Singapore.  In 1939 he joined the Army Rifle Team (Army XX) and shot with the team until 1946.  He also enjoyed playing tennis and golf.

                                    9.  RELEASE FROM SERVICE

            Major General Sproull retired from the Army on half pay and was enrolled in the Reserve of Officers on the 14^th of August 1947.  He served in the Reserve of Officers until the 24^th of December 1950 and was released from that service when he attained the age limit of liability to recall.  His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

TABLE NOTES: Where precise days of the month are not known the 15^th day of the month has been assumed.  See notes below.  Where Location is indicated as “Home Service,” this is his commissioned service.
(a)    The date of his departure from Macedonia is estimated.
(b)   The dates of his start and end of Home Service are estimated.
(c)    The dates of his start and end of service in Singapore are estimated.
(d)   The date of his start of Home Service is estimated.

NOTES:  Time periods are approximate based on the estimates made above.  

10.  POST SERVICE LIFE  

Civilian Positions in Industry[63]

            After he relinquished his special appointment to the Ministry of Supply in 1948, Major General Sproull served as the Deputy Chairman of Ross Limited, a mathematical and optical instrument maker, until 1951.  During this period he also served as the Director of British Photographic Industries and associated companies.   British Photographic Industries Ltd was a holding company formed in 1915 holding majority shares in Houghtons, Butcher & Sons, Butchers Film Services, Houghton-Butcher Mfg. Co, Austin Edwards and Fordham & Co.

            In 1950 Sproull was appointed the Director of Phoenix Telephone and Electric Holdings, Ltd. located on Edgeware Road, Hendon, London.  In 1950 Phoenix Telephone and Electric Holdings Ltd incorporated as a public company to acquire Phoenix Telephone and Electric Works Ltd, manufacturer of telephone apparatus, electrical and mechanical domestic appliances, tinsel (a component of telephone cords) and tinsel decorations.   Subsidiary companies included E. Walker and Co (Electrical Engineers) Ltd, The Private Telephone and Electric Co Ltd, Clarion Equipment Ltd, Correx Communications Equipment  Ltd.  Clearly the directorship of a company of this type was in keeping with Sproull’s education and experience. 

            In 1952 Sproull was again associated with Ross Limited, this time as its Chairman and he remained in this position until 1954.  At the same time he was appointed as the Director of Sewell & Hulton, Ltd. of Mosley Mill, Pendleton, Salford, in the Greater Manchester area.  This company was a cotton spinners and manufacturing firm.  It was an unusual type of firm for an electrical and mechanical engineer to direct, but apparently his credentials were such that he was considered to be the right man for the job.  His mechanical engineering skills probably played a great part in his selection for this job as the firm was required to operate and maintain a large volume of spinning machines.  

            Sproull’s last civil appointment came in 1954 when he was made the Director of John Oakey & Sons Ltd., located on Westminster Bridge Road, London SE.  This firm produced emery wheels, sandpaper and polishing materials.  Presumably Sproull retained this position until his death in 1961.

Final Years

            In his final years Major General Sproull and his wife Adeline resided at 4 Wilderness Road in Chislehurst, Kent.[64]  The general was a member of the Army and Navy Club and he and his wife enjoyed traveling abroad, cruising in the Mediterranean and car trips in Western Europe.[65]

Figure 13.  Alexander Wallace Sproull, c. 1960.
(Photograph courtesy of the Royal Engineers Journal, June 1961)

            Alexander Wallace Sproull died on the 12^th of March 1961 at the age of 66.  His remains were cremated in Greenwich, London on the 16^th of March 1961.[66]   His will was filed for probate in London on the 24^th of May 1961 with his effects to Adeline Frances Sproull, his widow, and Henry Edmund Sargant and Richard Thomas Parker Wilson, both solicitors.  Sproull’s effects were valued at £25,163 1s (about $763,200 in 2020 US Dollars).[67]

            Adeline Frances (Addie) Sproull died at Farnborough Hospital in Farnborough, Kent on the 28^th of January 1984, aged 87 years.  Her will was field for probate at Brighton on the 13^th of March 1984.  Her effects amounted to £344,645 (about $1,634,400 in 2020 US Dollars).  No heir is listed in the probate calendar for 1984 to indicate the disposition of her effects.   

  ADDENDUM NO. 1  

Order of Battle
22^nd Division
1914-1918

65th Brigade

• 9th (Service) Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
• 14th (Service) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) (left 11 June 1918)
• 12th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (left 2 July 1918)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
• 8th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers (joined June 1918)
• 65th Machine Gun Company (joined 14 July 1916)
• 65th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 3 November 1916)

66th Brigade

• 9th (Service) Battalion, Border Regiment (left February 1915)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
• 8th (Service) Battalion, King's (Shropshire Light Infantry)
• 13th (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment (left 28 June 1918)
• 12th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (joined February 1915)
• 66th Machine Gun Company (joined 14 July 1916)
• 66th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 5 November 1916)

67th Brigade

• 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
• 7th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers
• 8th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers (left 30 June 1918)
• 11th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment
• 67th Machine Gun Company (joined 14 July 1916)
• 67th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 4 November 1916)

Divisional Troops

• 12th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire regiment (left February 1915)
• 10th (Service) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (left April 1915)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (left April 1915)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, Border Regiment (joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion in February 1915)
• 10th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (joined January 1919, left February 1919)
• 2nd Battalion, the QVO Rajput Light Infantry (attached January to February 1919)
• 10th (Service) Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment (joined January 1919, left February 1919)
• 1/10th Battalion, Jat Regiment (attached in January 1919)
• 95th Russell's Infantry (attached January to February 1919)
• Divisional Mounted Troops
• D Sqn, Lothians and Border Horse Yeomanry (joined July 1915, left 29 November 1916)
• 22nd Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps (joined February 1915, left November 1916)
• 22nd Divisional Train Army Service Corps
• 186th, 187th, 188th and 189th Companies (transferred to [30th Division in October 1915)
• 108th, 109th, 110th and 111th Companies (joined from 10th (Irish) Division in late 1915)
• 34th Mobile Veterinary Section Army Veterinary Corps
• 816th Divisional Employment Company (formed 10 October 1917)

Royal Artillery

• XCVIII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.)
• XCIX Brigade, RFA
• C Brigade, R.F.A.
• CI Brigade, R.F.A.
• 22nd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA (transferred to XII Corps January 1915)
• 22nd Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (R.G.A.) (joined XXIII Heavy Artillery Brigade on 31 August 1915)

Royal Engineers

• 87th Field Company (left February 1915)
• 88th Field Company (left February 1915)
• 99th Field Company (joined February 1915)
• 100th Field Company (joined February 1915)
• 127th Field Company (joined by June 1915)
• 22nd Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

• 66th Field Ambulance
• 67th Field Ambulance
• 68th Field Ambulance
• 39th Sanitary Section
  
  

ADDENDUM NO. 2

Movements and Work of the 127^th Field Company, R.E.
From June 1916 to February 1919[68]  

            As indicated in the narrative, Sproull was wounded at some point during his service in Macedonia.  The 1946 War Services indicates that he served there from “2/11/1915 to -/3/1916” followed by the word “Wounded.”  It appears that the precise date of his departure from Macedonia was not known; however, as he did not remain with his company until the demobilization of the 22^nd Division, then the date of March 1916 and the word “Wounded” may indicate that he was wounded about this time.  In that case, his Great War service history ends at that point.  If this correlation between the date and his wound is not correct, then the following information regarding the service of the 127^th Field Company would be relevant to his service.

            During June and July of 1916 the 127^th Field Company was involved with the following tasks:

·         Road construction.

·         Bridges and culverts

·         Assist infantry to construct defensive positions

·         Artillery gun emplacements

·         Hangars for R.F.C.

·         Winter shelters for troops

§  Water supply

            On the 3^rd of August the 22^nd and 26^th divisions moved up to hold a front from Kilindir on the Dojran railway to north of Lake Arjan.  The 127^th Field Company arrived at Horseshoe Hill, southwest of Doiran on the 10^th of August and left that location on the 18^th of August.  By the 13^th of September the company was at Machukovo where it was engaged in wire cutting, bombing and raiding of Bulgar trenches during operations lasting only one day.

            The unit apparently went into winter quarters with the remainder of the division until the spring of 1917.  During the 24^th and 25^th of April 1917 the company took part in an attack at Doiran.  The 22^nd and 26^th Divisions attacked the Bulgar defences named “O1” to “O6” and “P” Ridge.  The 22^nd Division advanced to Jackson Ravine, north of Doljeli.  Engineer work during these operations included:

·         Construction of machine gun emplacements.

·         Dug outs

·         Assembly and communication trenches

·         Approach roads

·         Splinter-proof and bomb-proof protection for gun positions

·         Dressing stations.  

            Sappers from the field companies accompanied assaulting parties using Bangalore torpedoes during the attacks.

            During the 8^th and 9^th of May 1917 the 127^th Field Company was again involved in action at Doiran and during this period and the weeks leading up to the final assault on Doiran the company constructed gun emplacement, reinforced concrete pill boxes, observation posts, shelters, mosquito-proof dug outs and huts.  Water supply was also a continual task for the engineer units.  These preparations continued well into July of 1918.

            On the 18^th of September the 22^nd Division attacked the eastern slope of “P” Ridge during the Third Battle of Doiran.  It then took part in the pursuit of the enemy forces to the Strumica Valley.  The division suffered heavy casualties during this action and two of its brigades virtually ceased to exist as fighting units.  On the 22^nd of September 1918 the 127^th Field Company was occupying “P” Ridge along with other division units.  The company’s work at this point consisted of the improvement of roads through the ruins of Doiran. 

            The 127^th Field Company now made a series of moves during the remainder of 1918 as indicated below.

11 October:     At Guvezne

18 October:     At Stavros

30 October:     At Dedeagatch

16 November: At Kavalia

21 November: At Stavros           

            The 22^nd Division along with its subordinate units was demobilized in February 1919.

REFERENCES  

Books  

1. Army Rifle Association Rules and Programmes, 1938, Horse Guards, Whitehall, London, p. 194.
2. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume VI, Gallipoli, Macedonia, Egypt and Palestine, 1914-1918.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952.
3. National Rifle Association 1935 Prize List, p. 3
4. Register of Students of the City and Guild College, 1884-1934. Published by the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers, Butler & Tanner, Ltd., London, p. 300.
5. War Services List, 1946.  HMSO, London, 1946.
6. Who’s Who, 1960.  A.C. Black, London, p. 2845.
7. Who Was Who, 2020.  A.C. Black, London.

Civil Documents  

1. Last Will and Testament of Alexander Macdonal Sproull, 4 July 1894.
2. Order of Probate of the Will of Alexander Macdonal Sproull, 28 September 1896.
3. 1911 Census of England and Wales.
4. Institution of Civil Engineers Membership Proposal, 2 January 1918.
5. Institution of Civil Engineers Membership List, 1926.
6. List of Associate Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1926.
7. Institution of Mechanical Engineers Membership Proposal, 27 October 1933.
8. Institution of Mechanical Engineers Membership List, 1933
9. London Electoral Registers, 1832-1965.
10. National Probate Calendar, 1961, p. 655.
11. National Probate Calendar, 1984, p. 8814.
12. University of London Student Records, 1914-1918.

Internet Web Sites  

1. Burial and Cremation Index, 1576-2014

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=70845&h=1117865&tid=&pid=&queryId=5d66bc1306daacfe6de546af00dbc140&usePUB=true&_phsrc=iWN3845&_phstart=successSource  

2. National Portrait Gallery.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/use-this-image.php?mkey=mw235845  

3. Sterling to Dollars Historical Conversion of Currency by Eric Nye

https://www.uwyo.edu/numimage/currency.htm  

4. Battle of Kosturino

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kosturino  

5. Machine Works International

https://za.pinterest.com/pin/488359153334020536/?nic_v2=1a1xfda7m  

Journals  

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/colonel-d-m-f-hoysted-18741945/9CAF601D4E4CFBF94A53A7B7AEBAA829  

London Gazette  

1. Supplement to the London Gazette, 10 December 1914, p. 10573.
2. Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 November 1915, pp. 11038 and 11039.
3. Supplement to the London Gazette, 15 March 1916, p. 2901.
4. Supplement to the London Gazette, 17 November 1917, p. 11908.
5. Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1918, p. 6537.
6. Supplement to the London Gazette, 27 September 1918, p. 11420.
7. Supplement to the London Gazette, 17 October 1918, p. 12224.
8. Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 April 1919, p. 4660.
9. Supplement to the London Gazette, 18 October 1921, p. 8259.
10. Supplement to the London Gazette, 18 March 1921, p. 2288.
11. The London Gazette, 17 October 1924, p. 7507.
12. The London Gazette, 23 July 1926, p. 4871.
13. The London Gazette, 20 August 1926, p. 5517.
14. The London Gazette, 20 January 1931, p. 459.
15. The London Gazette, 3 July 1931, p. 4342.
16. The London Gazette, 7 February 1933, p. 827.
17. The London Gazette, 3 November 1933, p. 7108.
18. The London Gazette, 12 February 1937, p. 998.
19. The London Gazette, 16 July 1937, p. 4586.
20. The London Gazette, 29 September 1939, p. 641.
21. Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 February 1941, p. 813.
22. Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 June 1944, p. 2574.
23. Supplement to the London Gazette, 22 August 1944, p. 3867.
24. Supplement to the London Gazette, 12 June 1947, p. 2573.
25. Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 August 1947, p. 4021.
26. Supplement to the London Gazette, 19 January 1951, p. 354.

Military Documents  

1.  Medal Index Card.
2. Royal Engineers Medal Roll, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Research by Others  

Locations of Royal Engineer units by Stuart Gase, West Drayton, UK.  

Royal Engineers Journal  

1. The Royal Engineers Journal, September 1925, p. 536.
2. The Royal Engineers Journal, June 1947, p. 116.
3. The Royal Engineers Journal, June 1961, (Memoir and Photograph), p. 219.
4. Supplement to the Royal Engineers Journal, March 1984.
5. Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers,  The Royal Engineers Journal, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932. (BHRE)

The Sapper  

1. January 1933, p. 167.
2. July 1947, p. 195.
3. March 1931 through December 1932, Station News.

ENDNOTES