Details

London Electrical Engineers (Territorial Army)

UK0108 SC MSS 054

1901-1967

English.

The Electrical Engineers, Royal Engineers, Volunteers were formed in 1897 by Professor John Hopkinson, of Cambridge University. This was a Volunteers Corps of technical men to man Searchlights and Submarine Mining Stations, and to carry out general technical work in connection with Coast Defence. The main body of the Corps has its Headquarters at 46, Regency Street (the peace Headquarters of the 1st A.A. Divisional Signals), and there were outlying Detachments at Cambridge University, Chelmsford, Birmingham and one or two other towns; membership was confined to Engineers, either students or practical engineers such as Post Office Telephone Employees, electric power station men, etc. On the outbreak of the Boer War, Major (now Colonel) R.E. Crompton took out a contingent of Corps. to South Africa, where they ran searchlights (horse-drawn), X-ray plants in field hospitals, electric lighting installations in camps, and general machinery repairs etc. As Volunteers, no pay or allowances were issued either in camp or at any other time (except, of course, in the case of the South African War Contingent). The uniform worn was scarlet with white pipe-clayed equipment for full dress and walking out, and blue serge, with a naval pattern cap with “Electrical Engineers” on the ribbon, for working. In 1908 the Territorial Force was formed and the E.E.R.E.V. was re-organised as two separate Territorial Units. One of these, known at first as the Electrical Engineers, London Division, and later as the London Electrical Engineers, carried on the original work for which the Corps was formed. The other, known as the London Army Troops Signal Companies, formed three Signal Companies (cable, airline and wireless). The outlying Detachments were formed into separate local Units. The London Electrical Engineers prior to 1914 consisted of four Companies with Headquarters at Regency Street, provided with Coast Defence types of generating and searchlight plant, including oil and steam engines and Siemens Schubert [sic] automatic lamps. Of the four Companies, two were formed from the Central Technical College and the Royal School of Mines past and present students; the other two consisted of Post Office men and men from various other Power Stations and engineering concerns in London. It was an exception for a non-technical man to be accepted. Camps were held at the Defended Ports around the coast, such as Dover, Weymouth, Plymouth, etc., and parties of 30 to 60 men made up according to the size of the defences at each particular port. On the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, the Corps at first went to its War Stations on the coast, but very soon Detachments were sent to France with small oxy-acetylene searchlights for use in the trenches. In France, Sections of two or three Lights, some with mobile, some with stationary plant, with one officer, were grouped together for strategical [sic] purposes, but each Section was an independent unit as far as rations, pay, etc. were concerned, answerable to an Assistant Inspector of Searchlights of the Army or Lines of Communication Area. These A.A. sections being small independent commands made them nobody’s children, and thus developed considerable resourcefulness in their officers and personnel generally. The strength of the Corps. grew considerably during the War, as it was maintaining a share in Coast Defence and in the A.A. Searchlights both overseas and at home. In addition, together with the Tyne Electrical Engineers, it formed Electrical and Mechanical Companies, used for general engineering work behind the lines. By the end of the War the London Electrical Engineers had 357 Lights in London and 23 Searchlight Units in France and the Tyne Electrical Engineers transferred 33 more. At Regency Street, Captain (now Colonel) Evans started the Searchlight Experimental Establishment (now the Air Defence Experimental Establishment). Most of the modern developments in Searchlights and their auxiliary plant have emanated from this Establishment. After the war the majority of the Corps was demobilised, but when Searchlight work was again brought to the fore, it was reformed as two separate Battalions. One, the 26th Battalion (at the Duke of York’s Headquarters, Chelsea), the other one, the 27th Battalion (at Regency Street), each consisting of three Companies. As the Regency Street Headquarters had no accommodation for lorries, the 27th Battalion came to Rochester Row and the Regency Headquarters was taken over by the 1st A.A. Divisional Signals who, having descended from the old London Electrical Engineers, via the London Army Troops Signals Companies, have thus returned in peace time, their original home [sic]. Now the 27th Battalion consists of four Companies. The three original Companies, 304, 305 and 306, went to South London, where new Headquarters were built for them in Streatham, Tulse Hill and Southfields, and 390 Company, the most recently formed, remained at Rochester Row. All Companies are now at War Stations and carrying out the old traditions. From Skylite, company magazine of the London Electrical Engineers (July 1940), p. 15. (By kind permission of “The Sapper”). [Name note: The full name of the Corps during WWI was the London Electrical Engineers, Royal Engineers, (T). After WWI when it was reformed it was renamed the 26th and 27th (London Electrical Engineers) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Royal Engineers (TA). After WWII the descendent of the 27th (L.E.E.) Anti-Aircraft Battalion RE was "R" (London Electrical Engineers) Battery of 624 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.A (T.A.) located at 55 Mitcham Lane, SW 16. The descendent of the 26th (L.E.E.) Anti-Aircraft Battalion R.E. (T.A.) was the 324 Field Squadron R.E (London Electrical Engineers) T.A. The 324 Field Squadron was resuscitated in 1947 at the old headquarters in Regency Street, Victoria, occupied by the original volunteers at the beginning of the 20th century, but subsequently moved to 239 Uxbridge Road, Hammersmith W12. The R Battery ceased to exist in 1957 but 324 Field Squadron (part of 101 Field Engineer Regiment), the sole surviving L.E.E. unit continued until March 1967 after which no Army unit carried the sub-title, "London Electrical Engineers". Information provided by Colonel M O'C Horan in letter of 20 January 1967 and Colonel Robert H Smith in letter of 18 August 1967].

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