Pioneer Corps

[kanburi]

Can anyone give me any information about this Corps.  My father was sent to the 'glasshouse' because he fell to sleep whilst on night guard duty in Wilmslow during WW2.  After this he was sent to 235 Coy Pioneer Corps instead of back to his battalion.  What type of people served in this Corps and what did they do?

Best wishes, Pat

[km1971]

Hi Pat

The Royal Pioneer Corps grew out of the Labour Corps of WW1. Men were never drafted in the RDC as a punishment, as most front line troops would (probably wrongly) think of it as being safer.

http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/history_main2.htm

Ken

[DeeBoneham]

The Pioneer Corp had some nasty jobs to do and did them well so something to be proud of...
Being sent to the Glasshouse was not always a bad thing in the army for some reason.  Many people got promoted after with no problem!
Dee

[themonsstar]

235 Company, Pioneer Corps (Royal Pioneer Corps 1946)


Formation date 22nd Nov 1940 Liverpool.
Disbandment date  28th June 1946 Eltham.
Theatre of War  France, Belgium,Holland & German.


If you post his name I will have a look for him.

[kanburi]

Hi,  Thanks for all of your help.  My father's name is Ernest Reginald Sharp and according to his army record he must have been posted to the 235 Company, Pioneer Corps sometime between September and October 1941.  If you can tighten up these dates I would be very grateful.  Also, where were 235 Company, Pioneer Corps located and how many personnel did it comprise of.  Best wishes, Pat

[DeeBoneham]

Pat this is only speculation (i like that word) but there was a Pioneer Corp attached to T-Force (a special force but not in the style of the SAS/SBS) in 1945/46 and I wonder if this was them... It doesnt mention in the book I am reading at the moment which one it was but given the variety of countries your fathers record notes and the sweeping range of T-Forces operations it would be spooky if it was his bit of the Corp!
Dee

[themonsstar]

Do you have a Army number for him.

Here are the only Sharps with "E" in them

[kanburi]

My dad was Ernest Reginald Sharp, and he was in the Territorials.  His army number was T/174739.  He was transferred to the 238 Coy Pioneer Corps & TORS (what does that stand for I wonder?) in September/October 1941.  Where was this Corps located.  Wilmslow?  He left UK shores at the end of October for the Far East with the 55th Brigade, 18th Division.  I wondered whether this short duration with the Pioneer Corps was a form of punishment because he was returned to his original brigade.

[earonpie]

Hi
In the last few years the RPC Association has built up a data-base of over 700,000 personnel who served in the Corps during WW2. Unfortunately I cannot find any record of your relative. The abbreviation TORS will probably read TOAS i.e. taken on attached strength. In other words he was just attached to the Pioneer Corps. For your information the following is an extract from the War Diary of 238 Coy:
1 Aug 41   Costal defence work at ST MARGARETS BAY and FAN HOLE
4 Sep 41   Pte Andrews – slightly wounded by shrapnel when a bomb hit the Burlington Hotel
17 Aug 41   Shelling from French coast and aerial bombing almost daily.  Cpl East, LCpl Redding and Pte Mann assisted civil authorities in rescuing casualties from a wrecked house
27 Nov 41   Accommodation handed over to Anti-Tank Regt and moved into new billets in FOLKSTONE and DOVER

Regards
Norman Brown
Controller RPC Association
If you wish to know more about the Pioneer Corps look at our website www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk