john fox Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Anyone have any info on the Pioneer Corps in WW2. I have bneen in touch with the RLC museum and RPC association but the history book is long out of print and I don't know how to get background info on how they operated eg: attached to units, worked alone etc and therefore what markings would be on their vehicles. My father served but would never talk about it and he's gone now :cry:, he kept his PC shoulder tabs and had 2nd Army flashes on his BD. So were they an Army level asset and thus vehicles would be marked at that level? or would vehicles be divisional markings? or would vehicles actually be RASC becuase at an individual company level they would not have their own embedded transport ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 (edited) I never came across pioneer units during my time but I have a vague recollection that one pioneer company role was to be attached to higher formation HQ (Army sticks in the mind: maybe also Corps?) to facilitate the setting up of the HQ in the field (or the wood). I'd guess at levelling the site, felling trees, digging trenches etc: higher formation would not want to waste time getting hands dirty setting up when they could be commanding. Edited December 11, 2008 by AlienFTM Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 (edited) They used to have a museum at Simpson Barracks near Northampton if it is still running / I believe i am correct that a Sergent in the RPC is the only rank in the British army allowed to wear a "full set " (mustache and beard) sorry just done a search to find that the barracks no longer exsist Ashley Edited December 11, 2008 by ashley new info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john fox Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 They used to have a museum at Simpson Barracks near Northampton if it is still running / I believe i am correct that a Sergent in the RPC is the only rank in the British army allowed to wear a "full set " (mustache and beard) sorry just done a search to find that the barracks no longer exsist Ashley thanks Ashley I went there when I were a kid, it was just a single room. They have now relocated the collection (such as it is) to the RLC museum at Deepcut (of which I am a friend and is where Dad's medals now reside) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 They used to have a museum at Simpson Barracks near Northampton if it is still running / I believe i am correct that a Sergent in the RPC is the only rank in the British army allowed to wear a "full set " (mustache and beard) sorry just done a search to find that the barracks no longer exsist Ashley I remember Simpson Barracks - used to drive past it on my way up north. Coincidentally, I have just come from the Army Rumour Service Old'n'Bold forum "Regimental Depots etc what are they now?" thread where today's new posts included one which reported that Simpson Bks, like so many other places, is now a housing estate. I believe the appointment you mean is Infantry Assault Pioneer Sergeant (I used to think it was Assault Pioneer Warrant Officer but there you go). Or a meringue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I had a cousin who was a Sergeant in the Royal Pioneer Corps during the War - he certainly was not bearded! Died several years ago. He was quite an intelligent man, but had very poor eye-sight, and I remember my father saying that because of that eye-sight limitation, he was placed in the R.P.C. out of the way as that was the one place where he could still be useful as he wanted to do his bit. Perhaps less danger of shooting one of his own side?!! As always, I wished I asked him more about his experiences when I had the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I forgot to say, sometimes nick-named the "S**t Shovellers" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 One of my fathers many collections of Simpson barracks was (supposedly) that some of the lower ranks being placed in to tin baths on the parade square and then hosed and scrubbed by thier barrack room mates to persuade them to be more hygenic in thier approach to life ? But there again this could be any barracks Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 One of my fathers many collections of Simpson barracks was (supposedly) that some of the lower ranks being placed in to tin baths on the parade square and then hosed and scrubbed by thier barrack room mates to persuade them to be more hygenic in thier approach to life ? But there again this could be any barracks Ashley The Regimental Bath to encourage dirty gits to wash themselves. It did indeed happen in every barracks (where there was a dirty git). It usually sorted them out in training. Frowned upon in these "enlightened" times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john fox Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 :nono: could you guys reminisce somewhere else, I'm trying to find out about WW2 vehicle markings for Pioneer Corps units so I can do a display in memory of my Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 :idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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