| > > > Field
Survey Units |
| On 1 August 1914 there were 3 Field Survey Companies,
all at home, their troops being employed on work for the Board of Agriculture
and Fisheries. On mobilisation, two were split up and the men sent to
coastal units. |
| Pre-war regular
Field Survey Companies
|
| Company |
Notes |
| 13th Company |
Split into half-companies
on mobilisation and men sent to coastal garrisons. Once relieved
in those duties by Territorials, came back and converted to become
13th Base Park Company. Went to Egypt. |
| 14th Company |
Split into half-companies
on mobilisation and men sent to coastal garrisons. Once relieved
in those duties by Territorials, came back and converted to become
two Army Troops Companies (one being 37th AT Company RE) for service
in Egypt. |
| 19th
Company |
Half
of this unit was converted
to become 46th Advanced Park Company. Went to Egypt. Rest stayed
in England and was based at Southampron, beocoming a depot unit for
all other Field Survey units. |
|
| Especially once the war had ceased
to be one of movement and the deadlock of entrenched positions had begun,
the artillery lost most of its ability to fire at targets that
could be directly observed. Enemy artillery and other positions were
out of sight, requiring indirect firing. The ability to know very accurately
where your own position was, where the enemy was and the general lie
of the ground became of increasing importance. Surveying the ground,
creating maps and identifying the position of the enemy even when he
could not be seen became the job of a new type of Field Survey Company: |
| Field Survey Companies
|
| Four companies
were formed in France in March 1916 and were organised as RE units
by July, although a fixed establishment was not defined until February
1917. They each comprised a Headquarters, Topographical section,
Map section, Observation section and Sound-ranging section. Some
of the various sections already existed and were absorbed into the
new companies. The Army Printing Sections were also added into the
Field Survey Companies later on, principally to organise production
of the tens of thousands of maps that needed to be issued. Three
more Companies were also formed and moved to other theatres. |
| Company |
Location in 1918 |
| 1st Field Survey Company |
Based in France. |
| 3rd Field Survey
Company |
Based in France. |
| 4th Field Survey
Company |
Based in France. |
| 5th Field Survey
Company |
Based in France. |
| Field Survey
Depot |
Based in France.
It was located at Montreuil but moved to Campignelles-les-Grandes
in the winter of 1917/18. |
| 6th Field Survey
Company |
Based in Italy. |
| 7th Field Survey
Company |
Based in Egypt. |
| 8th Field Survey
Company |
Based in Salonika. |
|
| In May 1918, the Companies in France were reorganised
into Field Survey Battalions, comprising a Headquarters (this including
the surveying and printing sections), two Artillery Sections (incorporating
the sound-ranging and observation sections) and a Corps Topographical
Section. There was one each for the five British Armies. For tactical
purposes they were placed under the General Officer Commanding Royal
Artillery in each Army. Three additional Sound-ranging Sections were
also created for other theatres. |
| Field Survey Battalions |
| Battalion |
Structure in 1918 |
| 1st Field Survey
Battalion |
In First Army.
Comprised "H" - "L" - "P" - "T" - "Y" & "Z" Sound Ranging Sections and
Nos 4, 10, 11, 18 and 21 Observation Groups. |
| 2nd Field Survey
Battalion |
In Fifth Army.
Comprised "DD" - "J" & "U" Sound Ranging Sections and Nos
5, 8, 9 and 27 Observation Groups |
| 3rd Field Survey
Battalion |
In Third Army.
Comprised "C" - "CC" - "D" & "F" Sound Ranging Sections and Nos
15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 Observation Groups
|
| 4th Field Survey
Battalion |
In Second Army.
Comprised "BB" - "GG" - "I" - "M" - "S" & "W" Sound Ranging Sections and
Nos 1, 3, 6, 7, 12 and 23 Observation Groups
Photos link
|
| 5th Field Survey
Battalion |
In Fourth Army.
Comprised "A" - "B" - "G" - "K" - "O" & "R" Sound Ranging Sections and
Nos 2, 13, 14 and 24 Observation Groups |
| Depot Field
Survey Battalion |
Based in France.
|
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| A most useful reference for the work of the Field Survey units RE is
Peter Chasseaud, "Artillery's Astrologers: A History of Mapping and Survey
on the Western Front 1914-1918" (Lewes: Mapbooks, 1999) |
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