The Long, Long Trail
 
 
Changes to teh numbering of TF Royal Engineers was promulgated in Army Council Instruction (ACI) 2243 of 1916, published on 1 December 1916, which also dealt with changes in the arrangements for RE TF records, pay and other administrative matters. These arrangements were to take effect from 1 January 1917, but were later postponed until 1 February 1917. Although not explicitly stated in ACIs, it is likely these postponements also applied to renumbering.

Those soldiers defined as TF were renumbered with numbers from 400001 upwards. Men retained these numbers for as long as they served in the RE, even if they were subsequently posted to a regular RE unit. The detailed allocation of numbers to TF units is shown below, together with the County Territorial Association(s) responsible for the unit.

The only RE TF units not allocated blocks of numbers were RE TF anti-aircraft units - men in these were given numbers from the allocation of their original TF unit (presumably they were considered as 'attached' to anti-aircraft units).

RE soldiers who were designated regulars for renumbering were identifiable as such by their numbers: 1 - 400000. They retained this number as long as they served in RE, even if they were later posted to a TF RE unit.

A regular soldier who transferred to the RE from the another arm of service, or who was posted to an RE unit from Army Reserve Class B was allocated a regular number, irrespective of whether he joined a regular or TF unit.

From 1 January 1917 every man enlisted into the RE, or transferred from another arm, was dealt with as a regular soldier and allocated a regular number.

 
Allocation of numbers to Royal Engineers units
From To Unit CTA Remarks
400001 402000 1 Highland Field Coy Glasgow (City)  
402001 404000 2 Highland Field Coy Aberdeen (City)  
404401 406000 3 Highland Field Coy Dundee (City)  
406001 408000   Highland Div Sig Coy Aberdeen (City)  
408001 410000   City of Aberdeen (Fortress) Coys Aberdeen (City)  
410001 412000   City of Dundee (Fortress) Coys Dundee (City)  
412001 414000 1 Lowland Field Coy Lanark  
414001 416000 2 Lowland Field Coy Lanark  
416001 418000 3 Lowland Field Coy Glasgow (City)  
418001 420000   Lowland Div Sig Coy Lanark  
420001 422000   Renfrew (Fortress) Coys Renfrew  
422001 424000   City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Coys Edinburgh (City)  
424001 426000   Scottish Sig Coy Glasgow (City) ACI 2344 of 15 Dec 16 - 'Men belonging to the Northern Army Cyclist Sig Coy will receive numbers from this block'
426001 428000 1 West Lancs Field Coy West Lancs  
428001 430000 2 West Lancs Field Coy West Lancs  
430001 432000 3 West Lancs Field Coy West Lancs  
432001 434000   West Lancs Div Sig Coy West Lancs  
434001 436000   Lancs (Fortress) Coys West Lancs  
436001 438000   Western Sig Coy West Lancs  
438001 440000 1 East Lancs Field Coy East Lancs  
440001 442000 2 East Lancs Field Coy East Lancs  
442001 444000 3 East Lancs Field Coy East Lancs  
444001 446000   East Lancs Div Sig Coy East Lancs  
446001 448000 1 Welsh Field Coy (Cheshire) Chester  
448001 450000 2 Welsh Field Coy Carmarthen  
450001 452000 3 Welsh Field Coy Glamorgan  
452001 454000   Welsh Div Sig Coy Glamorgan  
454001 457000   Glamorgan (Fortress) Coys Glamorgan  
457001 459000 1 Northumbrian Field Coy Northumberland  
459001 461000 2 Northumbrian Field Coy Northumberland  
461001 463000 3 Northumbrian Field Coy Northumberland  
463001 465000   Northumbrian Div Sig Coy Northumberland  
465001 470000   Tyne Electrical Engineers Northumberland  
470001 472000   Durham (Fortress) Coys Durham  
472001 474000   North Riding Fortress Coys North Riding  
474001 476000   East Riding Fortress Coy East Riding  
476001 478000 1 West Riding Field Coy West Riding  
478001 480000 2 West Riding Field Coy West Riding  
480001 482000 3 West Riding Field Coy West Riding  
482001 484000   West Riding Div Sig Coy West Riding  
484001 486000   Northern Sig Coy West Riding  
486001 488000 1 N Midland Field Coy Stafford  
488001 490000 2 N Midland Field Coy Stafford  
490001 492000 3 N Midland Field Coy Stafford  
492001 494000   N Midland Div Sig Coy Stafford  
494001 496000 1 S Midland Field Coy Gloucester  
496001 498000 2 S Midland Field Coy Gloucester  
498001 500000 3 S Midland Field Coy Gloucester  
500001 502000   S Midland Div Sig Coy Gloucester  
502001 504000   Southern Sig Coy Warks  
504001 506000 1 Wessex Field Coy Somerset  
506001 508000 2 Wessex Field Coy Somerset  
508001 510000 3 Wessex Field Coy Somerset  
510001 512000   Wessex Div Sig Coy Devon  
512001 514000   Cornwall (Fortress) Coy Cornwall  
514001 516000   Devonshire (Fortress) Coy Devon  
516001 518000   Dorsetshire (Fortress) Coy Dorset  
518001 520000   Hampshire (Fortress) Coy Southampton Originally allocated only 518001 - 520000 in ACI 2243 - additional numbers 521800 - 522000 allocated by ACI 668 of 23 Apr 17
520001 521779   Wiltshire (Fortress) Coy Wilts Originally allocated 520001 - 522000 in ACI 2243 - amended by ACI 668 of 23 Apr 17
521800 522000   Hampshire (Fortress) Coy Southampton Originally allocated only 518001 - 520000 in ACI 2243 - amended by ACI 668 of 23 Apr 17
522001 524000 1 East Anglian Field Coy Bedford  
524001 526000 2 East Anglian Field Coy Bedford  
526001 528000 3 East Anglian Field Coy Northampton  
528001 530000   East Anglian Divisional Sig Coy Bedford  
530001 532000   Essex (Fortress) Coys Essex  
532001 534000 1 Home Counties Field Coy Sussex  
534001 536000 2 Home Counties Field Coy Sussex  
536001 538000 3 Home Counties Field Coy Sussex  
538001 540000   Home Counties Divisional Sig Coy Sussex  
540001 544000   Kent (Fortress) Coy Kent Originally allocated 540001 - 542000 in ACI 2243. Amended by ACI 2384 of 20 Dec 16.
544001 545000   Cinque Ports (Fortress) Coy Kent Originally allocated 542001 - 544000 in ACI 2243. Amended by ACI 2384 of 20 Dec 16.
545001 546000   Sussex (Fortress) Coy Sussex Originally allocated 544001 - 546000 in ACI 2243. Amended by ACI 2384 of 20 Dec 16.
546001 548000 1 London Field Coy London (County)  
548001 550000 2 London Field Coy London (County)  
550001 552000 3 London Field Coy London (County)  
552001 554000 4 London Field Coy London (County)  
554001 556000 5 London Field Coy London (County)  
556001 558000 6 London Field Coy London (County)  
558001 560000 1 London Divisional Sig Coy London (County)  
560001 562000 2 London Divisional Sig Coy London (County)  
562001 568000   London Electrical Engineers London (County)  
568001 570000   London Signal Coy London (County) ACI 2344 of 15 Dec 16 - 'Men belonging to 2nd Mtd Div Sig Coy, 3/2nd Sig Sqn and Southern Army Cyclist Co will be numbered in this block'
570001 572000   Army Postal Service (TF) London (County)  
572001 574000 1 London & Tyne Electrical & Mechanical Coy London (County)  
 
 
| Go to page top | Legal | This site is produced and copyright Chris Baker. On the internet since 1996.