102319 Sapper G. DAWSON
Royal Engineers
by
Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis ©2008
Sapper Dawson enlisted as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers for service in the Great War of 1914-1918. He was posted to the 175th Tunnelling Company, R.E., a unit that was in support of the British Second Army in France and Flanders. Under Second Army control, the company saw action at Hooge on the 19th and 30th of July and on the 9th of August 1915. The company was then attached to the 17th Division for further operations at Hooge between September of 1915 and May of 1916.
Dawson's company was assigned to IX Corps for most of 1917 and took part in the following operations:
Messines: 7-14 June 1917
Pilckem: 31 July - 2 August 1917
Menin Road: 20-25 September 1917
Polygon Wood: 26 September - 3 October 1917
Broodseinde: 4 October 1917
Poelcappelle: 7 October 1917
Passchendaele: 12 October 1917
Passchendaele: 26 October - 10 November 1917
In the beginning of 1918 the 175th Tunnelling Company was assigned to support V Corps and saw action in the following major battles:
St. Quentin: 21-23 March 1918
Bapaume: 24-25 March 1918
Arras: 28 March 1918
Ancre: 5 April 1918
The company was in support of the 21st Division for the Battle of Albert between the 21st and 23rd of August 1918. Following this action it again was put under the control of V Corps and took part in the following actions:
Bapaume: 31 August - 3 September 1918
Havrincourt: 12 September 1918
Epehy: 18 September 1918
St. Quentin Canal: 29 September - 2 October 1918
Beaurevoir: 3-5 October 1918
Cambrai: 8-9 October 1918
Selle: 17-25 October 1918
Valenciennes: 1-2 November 1918
Sambre: 4 November 1918
Sapper Dawson survived the war and was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service.
REFERENCE:
Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers. The Royal Engineers Journal, 1925-1932.