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490th (Home Counties) Field Company, Royal Engineers
(formerly 1/1st Home Counties Field Company)
 

Major Headquarters

Locations

Dates

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Home Counties Division

Wingham, Kent

19 Dec 1914

Home Counties Division

Southampton, Hampshire

21 Dec 1914

Home Counties Division

Aboard S.S. Georgian bound for France

22 Dec 1914

France and Flanders

General Headquarters, BEF

Arrival at Le Havre

23 Dec 1914

General Headquarters, BEF

Le Havre

23 – 28 Dec 1914

General Headquarters, BEF

En route to St. Omer

29 Dec 1914

General Headquarters, BEF

Racquinghem

30 Dec 1914 – 31 Jan 1915

General Headquarters, BEF

St. Venant

1 Feb 1915

8th Division

St. Estaire

2 Feb – 9 Mar 1915

8th Division

Rue Tilleloy

10 Mar 1915

8th Division

Battle of Neuve Chapelle

10-13 Mar 1915

8th Division

La Gorgue

14 - 23 Mar 1915

8th Division

Nouveau Monde

24 Mar 1915

8th Division

Fleurbaix

25 Mar – 1 May 1915

8th Division

Rouge De Bout

2 – 8 May 1915

8th Division

Battle of Aubers

9 - 11 May 1915

8th Division

Sailly

12 May – 24 Sep 1915

8th Division

Fleurbaix

25 - 26 Sep 1915

8th Division

Sailly

27 Sep – 20 Nov 1915

8th Division

Laventie

21-23 Nov 1915

8th Division

Noureau Monde

24 Nov – 2 Jan 1916

8th Division

Steenbecque

3-8 Jan 1916

8th Division

Estaires

9 Jan 1916

8th Division

Sailly

10 Jan – 27 Mar 1916

8th Division

En route to Yzeux

28 Mar 1916

8th Division

Yzeux

29 Mar – 3Apr 1916

8th Division

Rainneville

4 Apr 1916

8th Division

Albert

5 Apr – 23 Jun 1916

 

 8th Division

Battle of Albert (The Somme)
Aveluy Bridge Head Defences
Allon Ville
Camp Des Amienois
Saleux
Burbure
Mazingarbe

1-13 Jul 1916
 1-3 Jul
 4 Jul
5 Jul
6 Jul
7-11 Jul
12-13 Jul

8th Division

Mazingarbe

14-17 Jul 1916

8th Division

Beuvry

18-21 Jul 1916

8th Division

Noyelles

22 Jul – 9 Oct 1916

8th Division

Noeux Les Mines

10 Oct 1916

8th Division

Burbure

11-14 Oct 1916

8th Division

Allery

15 Oct 1916

8th Division

Citadel Camp near Fricourt

16-18 Oct 1916

8th Division

Longueval

19-29 Oct 1916

8th Division

Citadel Camp near Fricourt

30 Oct – 5 Nov 1916

8th Division

Bernafay Wood

6-16 Nov 1916

8th Division

Mansel Camp

17-28 Nov 1916

8th Division

Warlus

29 Nov – 27 Dec 1916

8th Division

Camp 12

28 Dec 1916

8th Division

Camp 16

29 Dec 1916

8th Division

Mouchoir Copse near Fregicourt

30 Dec 1916 – 2 Jan 1917

8th Division

Combles

3-9 Jan 1917

8th Division

Camp 112 near Bray

10-26 Jan 1917

8th Division

Leforest

27 Jan – 11 Feb 1917

8th Division

Junction Wood

12-21 Feb 1917

8th Division

Littledale Dump

22 Feb – 1 Apr 1917

8th Division

Moislains

2-14 Apr 1917

8th Division

Gurinwood

15-22 Apr 1917

8th Division

Hendecourt

23 Apr – 12 May 1917

8th Division

Nurlu

13-28 May 1917

8th Division

Moislains

29-30 May 1917

8th Division

Sieta Susanne

31 May 1917

8th Division

Sailly Le Sec

1-4 Jun 1917

8th Division

Strazeele

5-10 Jun 1917

8th Division

Le Brearde

11-14 Jun 1917

8th Division

Brandhoek

15-17 Jun 1917

8th Division

Dominion Camp

18-28 Jun 1917

8th Division

Brisbane Dump near Ypres

29 Jun – 15 Jul 1917

8th Division

Scottish Camp near Ypres

16-19 Jul 1917

8th Division

Scottish Lines near Ypres

20-29 Jul 1917

8th Division

Locknog

30 Jul 1917

8th Division

Battle of Pilckem
Dominion Camp near Ypres

31 Jul – 2 Aug 1917
2 Aug

8th Division

Dominion Camp near Ypres

3-9 Aug 1917

8th Division

Steenvoorde

10-13 Aug 1917

8th Division

Lock D, Ypres-Comines Canal

14-16 Aug 1917

8th Division

Battle of Langemarck
Westhoek
Lock No. 9, Ypres-Comines Canal

16-18 Aug 1917
16 Aug 1917
17-18 Aug 1917

8th Division

Ypres-Comines Canal

19-22 Aug 1917

8th Division

Borre

23-26 Aug 1917

8th Division

Le Trois Pipes

27 Aug – 13 Nov 1917

8th Division

Rue Montigney

14-16 Nov 1917

8th Division

Merris

17 Nov 1917

8th Division

A canal bank at some unknown location (map references only)

18 Nov 1917 – 21 Mar 1918

8th Division

Battle of St. Quentin
Rosieres

21-23 Mar 1918
22-23 Mar

8th Division

Pertain, near Amiens

24 Mar 1918

8th Division

Caix, near Amiens

25 Mar 1918

8th Division

Battle of Rosieres
Jumel, near Amiens

26-27 Mar 1918
26-27 Mar

8th Division

Jumel, near Amiens

28-29 Mar 1918

8th Division

Cottenchy, near Amiens

30-Mar – 1 Apr 1918

8th Division

Foudrinoy

2-3 Apr 1918

8th Division

Conde, near Lens

4-11 Apr 1918

8th Division

Camon, near Amiens

12-18 Apr 1918

8th Division

Blangy Tronville

19-23 Apr 1918

8th Division

Battle of Villers-Bretonneux

24-25 Apr 1918

8th Division

Boutillerie

26 Apr- 6 May 1918

8th Division

Seringes Soisson

7-11 May 1918

8th Division

Montigny

12-13 May 1918

8th Division

Grand Berriaux Camp

14-23 May 1918

8th Division

Le Cholera

24-26 May 1918

 

8th Division

Battle of the Aisne
Gernicourt and Grand Bel Lay Wood
Vandeuil
Wood at Romigny-Jonquerry
Oeuilly
Bois De Boursault and Mosline
Givry-Lez-Loizy

27 May – 6 Jun 1918
27 May

 28 May
29 May
30 May
31 May – 2 Jun
3-6 Jun

8th Division

Givry-Lez-Loizy

7-9 Jun 1918

8th Division

Linthes

10-13 Jun 1918

8th Division

Vaux-Marquenneville, near Dieppe

14-22 Jun 1918

8th Division

Beauchamps

23 Jun 1918

8th Division

St. Quentin Lamotte

24 Jun – 20 Jul 1918

8th Division

Barlin

21-22 Jul 1918

8th Division

Camp near Berthonval Farm

23 Jul – 25 Aug 1918

8th Division

Battle of the Scarpe

26-30 Aug 1918

8th Division

Camp near Berthonval Farm

1-11 Sep 1918

8th Division

Winter Lane Trench

12 Sep -27 Sep 1918

8th Division

Pursuit to Mons
Winter Lane Trench
Pudding Lane Trench
Camp at Biache
Corbehem
Raches
En route to Millonfosse
Millonfosse

28 Sep – 11 Nov 1918
28 Sep – 2 Oct 1918
3-12 Oct
13-17 Oct
18-19 Oct
20-22 Oct
23 Oct
24 Oct – 9 Nov

8th Division

Fresnes, Le Petit Crepin Pommeroeuil

10-15 Nov 1918

8th Division

Tertre

16 Nov 1918

8th Division

Froidmont, near Tournai

17 Nov – 16 Dec 1918

8th Division

Pipaix, near Tournai

17 Dec 1918

8th Division

Near Tournai

18 Dec 1918

8th Division

Hoves, near Brussels

19 Dec 1918 – 6 Mar 1919

8th Division

Villers-St-Amand, near Tournai

7 Mar -3 April 1919

8th Division

Ath, Belgium

4 Apr – 3 May 1919

8th Division

Dunkirk

4 May 1919

NOTES:

1. The locations indicated in bold type represent battles or actions in which the company took part.  The locations in regular type indicate places where the company was located on the dates shown.

2. The spelling of some place names taken from the company War Diary may not be correct.

3. The dates given in the company War Diary have been assumed to be the dates that the unit arrived at those locations.

SOURCES:

1.       Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.

2.       BORASTON, J.H. and BAX, C.E.O.  The Eighth Division in War, 1914-1918.  The Medici Society Limited, London, 1926, pp. 53, 142-144 and 180.

3.       Dates and locations of entries in the company War Diary.