INLAND WATER TRANSPORT AND DOCKS
The Inland Water Transport and Docks Section of the Royal Engineers was originally formed in December of 1914 to deal with and to develop transport on canals and waterways of France and Belgium. The Section at first operated under the Director of Railways, but, owing to the rapid development of Inland Water Transport, a special directorate was formed in October of 1915.
In the summer of 1916 all non-transport work in Mesopotamia became a part of the Inland Water Transport Directorate’s responsibilities, and during 1917 its scope was extended to cover Inland Water Transport and Dock Working in Egypt, in Salonika, and in other theatres of war.
These extended responsibilities entailed large increases in establishments. Up to December of 1917, some 1,100 officers and nearly 30,000 men transferred to or enlisted in the Inland Water Transport Section. During 1917 over 600 officers and 8,000 men were drafted overseas to theatres of war as indicated in the table below:
Theatre of War |
Officers |
Other Ranks |
| France | 87 |
5,787 |
| Mesopotamia | 465 |
1,394 |
| Salonika | 12 |
171 |
| Mediterranean L. of C.(*) | 34 |
697 |
| Egypt | 29 |
94 |
| East Africa | 6 |
127 |
Totals |
633 |
8,270 |
(*) Lines of Communication.
The European personnel in Mesopotamia were supplemented by over 42,000 native personnel from India, Egypt, West Africa and China.
At the end of the Great War of 1914-1918 the total personnel in the Inland Water Transport and Docks Service amounted to 1,666 officers and 29,436 other ranks.
SOURCE:
The Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War, 1914-1918 (Miscellaneous), compiled by Colonel G.H. Addison, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.A., M.I.Mech.E. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1926.