414:
484:, or occasionally to the Royal Army Medical Corps; the Pioneer Corps, as a combatant unit, was by definition excluded. In his reply, Lord Croft referred to "conscientious objectors ordered for attachment to the Pioneer Corps", only obliquely correcting the language of the question. To spell it out in full, what Lord Croft meant was "conscientious objectors ordered by the Tribunals to serve in the Non-Combatant Corps and then, as members of the NCC, attached at certain times and for certain purposes to the Pioneer Corps".
76:
58:
29:
480:, that was not expressed with the clarity that might have been expected. The War Office was asked about "British conscientious objectors who have been ordered by the Tribunals to undertake service with the Pioneer Corps", whereas the Tribunals had no power to make such an order; the only power they had relating to conscientious objectors in the armed forces was to order non-combatant military service, meaning call-up in most cases to the
588:
456:
Serving as a German or
Austrian national in the British forces was especially dangerous because, in case of being taken captive, there was a high probability of being executed as a traitor by the Germans. Still, the number of German-born Jews joining the British forces was exceptionally high; by the
457:
end of the war, one in seven Jewish refugees from
Germany had joined the British forces. Their knowledge of the German language and customs proved particularly useful; many served in the administration of the British occupation army in Germany and Austria after the war.
258:; in fierce fighting at their barricades, the pioneers destroyed one tank by igniting petrol underneath it. The pioneers were the last to fall back from the perimeter and most were evacuated from the harbour. Further to the south, on 18 May, an infantry
471:
were sometimes ordered into the
Pioneer Corps by Conscientious Objection Tribunals in the Second World War; the error may have arisen from a misunderstanding of a misleadingly drafted question in the House of Lords on 22 July 1941 and a reply by
388:
The last unit to retain the "pioneer" title, 23 Pioneer
Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, which saw action in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, was disbanded in 2014. A 'farewell' parade was held on 26 September at St David's Barracks,
148:
in 1993. Pioneer units performed a wide variety of tasks in all theatres of war, including full infantry, mine clearance, guarding bases, laying prefabricated track on beaches, and effecting various logistical operations. With the
425:
could serve. Thousands of German and
Austrian nationals joined the Pioneer Corps to assist Allied war efforts and the liberation of their home countries. They typically were Jews and political opponents of the
250:, when the group were threatened by the advancing Germans. After requisitioning a train, and following a fire-fight with the leading German units, the Group were able to reach
189:. In about 1750, it was proposed that a Corps of Pioneers be formed. Nothing came of this for nearly one hundred years, until the Army Works Corps was established during the
1231:
1236:
1226:
449:
Later, some members of
Pioneer Corps—often dubbed "The King's Most Loyal Enemy Aliens"—transferred to serve in various fighting units. Some were recruited by the
1031:
1221:
858:
262:
was improvised from several AMPC Companies under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. H. Diggle. Known as "Digforce", the brigade became part of
967:
201:, during which it employed 325,000 British troops, 98,000 Chinese, 10,000 Africans and at least 300,000 other labourers in units such as the
221:(AMPC); a Labour Directorate was created to control all labour force matters. A large number of Pioneers served in France with the
177:
where the pay and muster rolls of the
English garrison show pay records for pioneers. Traditionally, there was a pioneer for each
1122:
217:
In
September 1939, a number of infantry and cavalry reservists were formed into Works Labour Companies, which were soon made the
1216:
1164:
335:; he also wrote a radio play about the experience of being stranded on a craft attempting to land supplies on the beaches of
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981:
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233:
413:
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513:
398:
222:
884:
1183:
473:
144:
combatant and non-combatant corps used for light engineering tasks. It was formed in 1939, and amalgamated into the
477:
888:
279:
275:
468:
497:
752:
450:
941:
421:
In the early part of the Second World War, the
Pioneer Corps was the only British military unit in which
194:
254:. Here Dean was ordered to help establish a defensive perimeter around the town. On 23 May, the Germans
99:
560:
370:
556:
366:
178:
767:
1068:
417:"Step on it – Join the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps" a Second World War recruitment poster
914:
599:
435:
327:
served in one of these Beach Groups and later included some of his experiences in his novels
696:
836:
789:
651:
619:
572:
549:
382:
206:
202:
145:
1157:
The King's Most Loyal Enemy Aliens: Germans who Fought for Britain in the Second World War
8:
1126:
564:
481:
374:
811:
362:
358:
decreed that the Pioneer Corps should have the distinction "Royal" added to its title.
255:
170:
114:
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154:
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340:
324:
198:
186:
158:
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28:
942:"THE PIONEER NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2014 - Final Parade of 23 Pioneer Regiment RLC"
892:
443:
355:
287:
239:
174:
153:
they constructed airfields and roads and erected bridges; they constructed the
63:
1032:"Walter Freud – from Loughborough College to the Special Operations Executive"
1210:
282:. Digforce and thousands of other BEF Pioneers were evacuated to England in
1070:
Spanish Republicans and the Second World War: Republic Across the Mountains
540:
427:
390:
351:
313:
309:
141:
81:
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422:
394:
344:
190:
453:(SOE) to serve as secret agents and were parachuted behind enemy lines.
525:
294:
1199:
1152:
460:
The Pioneer Corps also recruited from among Spanish exiles after the
33:
350:
On 28 November 1946, in recognition of their performance during the
431:
336:
243:
182:
103:
1099:
986:
267:
259:
247:
1034:. Loughborough History and Heritage Network. 29 September 2014
430:
who had fled to Britain, including film production designer
339:. Nos. 85 and 149 Companies, Pioneer Corps served with the
940:
Howes, Capt. (Adj. 23 Pioneer Regt.) (18 November 2014).
402:
982:"House of Lords Questions - Aliens in the Pioneer Corps"
286:. An unknown number of AMPC troops were killed when the
503:?1940–1950: Lt-Col. (Hon. Brig.) John Bartlett Hillary
405:
will continue to be used by the Royal Logistic Corps.
1232:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1993
365:
review, the Royal Pioneer Corps was joined with the
1095:"House of Lords question: conscientious objectors"
300:On 22 November 1940, the name AMPC was changed to
1237:Engineer units and formations of the British Army
1227:Military units and formations established in 1939
757:. J. R. M. Butler (ed.). HMSO. London pp. 280–282
319:A total of 23 pioneer companies took part in the
1208:
915:"Disbanded 23 Pioneer Regiment in final parade"
467:It has wrongly been said at various times that
885:"The Royal Logistic Corps and Forming Corps"
839:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association. p. 3
792:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association. p. 2
654:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association. p. 1
567:, and the Postal and Courier Service of the
377:, and the Postal and Courier Service of the
966:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
831:
829:
232:in May 1940, No. 5 Group AMPC commanded by
622:VC (1896-1961), served during World War II
1222:Corps of the British Army in World War II
1115:
1066:
646:
644:
642:
242:, were engaged in labouring tasks in the
859:"Invisible Ink: No 83 - Alexander Baron"
826:
754:The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940
717:
412:
782:
492:Colonels Commandant of the corps were:
173:in a British army goes back to 1346 at
1209:
639:
555:1993: Royal Pioneer Corps merged with
487:
1173:
939:
545:1987: Brig. Frederick John Lucas
536:1983–1986: Brig. Alan Frederick Mutch
582:
548:Maj-Gen. Geoffrey William Field (to
1151:
768:"The Pioneer: The Lancastria Story"
464:. No.1 Spanish Company was formed.
13:
1145:
722:. London: Pan Books. p. 169.
697:"Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps"
578:
399:Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
312:. Corps members have won thirteen
274:rivers on 8 June 1940 against the
185:; these were the ancestors of the
14:
1248:
1193:
1176:Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust
948:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association
814:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association
812:"The Pioneer: Honours and awards"
770:. Royal Pioneer Corps Association
672:
1053:National Geographic documentary
628:GC (1909-1974), served 1941-1943
586:
478:Under-Secretary of State for War
219:Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps
74:
56:
27:
1200:Royal Pioneer Corps Association
1125:. Regiments.org. Archived from
1100:Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
1087:
1060:
1046:
1024:
1002:
987:Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
974:
933:
907:
889:The Royal Logistic Corps Museum
877:
851:
675:"The Labour Corps of 1917-1918"
469:British conscientious objectors
343:assisting the units landing on
164:
804:
760:
745:
736:
711:
689:
666:
408:
316:and many other lesser awards.
197:was formed in 1917 during the
1:
632:
498:George Milne, 1st Baron Milne
361:In April 1993, following the
329:From the City From the Plough
266:and fought in defence of the
1217:British administrative corps
1067:Whitehead, Jonathan (2021).
508:Frank Ernest Wallace Simpson
451:Special Operations Executive
401:. The regiment's ceremonial
16:British Army combatant corps
7:
720:Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory
532:George Leslie Conroy Cooper
496:1940–1948: F.M. The Rt Hon
223:British Expeditionary Force
45:1917–1921 (as Labour Corps)
10:
1253:
518:1968–1976: Lt-Gen. Sir J.
212:
718:Thompson, Julian (2009).
561:Royal Army Ordnance Corps
526:William Gerald Hugh Beach
371:Royal Army Ordnance Corps
159:Pipe Line Under the Ocean
121:
109:
95:
87:
69:
51:
41:
26:
21:
1012:. Jewish Virtual Library
557:Royal Corps of Transport
367:Royal Corps of Transport
1178:. London: Ebury Press.
1055:Churchill's German Army
512:1961–1968: Lt-Gen. Sir
347:on D Day, 6 June 1944.
91:Light engineering tasks
837:"The Pioneer: History"
790:"The Pioneer: History"
751:* Ellis, L. F. (1954)
677:. The Long, Long Trail
652:"The Pioneer: History"
418:
1123:"Royal Pioneer Corps"
742:Thompson 2009, p. 178
699:. Imperial War Museum
416:
397:; it was attended by
620:Francis George Miles
600:adding missing items
573:Royal Logistic Corps
550:Royal Logistic Corps
539:1986–1987: Maj-Gen.
530:1981–1983: Gen. Sir
524:1976–1981: Gen. Sir
506:1950–1961: Gen. Sir
383:Royal Logistic Corps
280:7th Panzer Divisions
207:Maltese Labour Corps
203:Chinese Labour Corps
169:The first record of
146:Royal Logistic Corps
921:. 26 September 2014
565:Army Catering Corps
488:Colonels Commandant
482:Non-Combatant Corps
375:Army Catering Corps
256:attacked in earnest
138:Royal Pioneer Corps
22:Royal Pioneer Corps
1174:Smith, L. (2005).
1159:. Stroud: Sutton.
598:; you can help by
541:John James Stibbon
419:
363:Options for Change
234:Lieutenant Colonel
115:Labor omnia vincit
1166:978-0-7509-4701-5
1073:. Pen and Sword.
895:on 14 August 2013
616:
615:
462:Spanish Civil War
321:Normandy landings
304:. In March 1941,
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1010:"Robert Maxwell"
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978:
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957:
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891:. Archived from
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442:, and publisher
352:Second World War
308:was awarded the
284:Operation Aerial
264:Beauman Division
252:Boulogne-sur-Mer
230:Battle of France
187:assault pioneers
155:Mulberry Harbour
80:
78:
77:
62:
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31:
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1146:Further reading
1143:
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1129:on 19 July 2006
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863:The Independent
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581:
579:Notable members
569:Royal Engineers
490:
440:Arthur Koestler
411:
379:Royal Engineers
341:6th Beach Group
325:Alexander Baron
323:. The novelist
215:
199:First World War
167:
151:Royal Engineers
134:
75:
73:
57:
55:
46:
37:
17:
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1194:External links
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1103:. 22 July 1941
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1080:978-1399004510
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990:. 22 July 1941
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865:. 26 June 2011
850:
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673:Baker, Chris.
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333:The Human Kind
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314:George Medals
311:
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302:Pioneer Corps
298:
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293:was sunk off
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193:in 1854. The
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157:and laid the
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133:Military unit
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126:Pioneer Corps
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1131:. Retrieved
1127:the original
1117:
1105:. Retrieved
1098:
1089:
1069:
1062:
1054:
1048:
1038:10 September
1036:. Retrieved
1026:
1014:. Retrieved
1004:
992:. Retrieved
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976:
950:. Retrieved
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935:
923:. Retrieved
918:
909:
897:. Retrieved
893:the original
879:
867:. Retrieved
862:
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841:. Retrieved
816:. Retrieved
806:
794:. Retrieved
784:
772:. Retrieved
762:
753:
747:
738:
719:
713:
701:. Retrieved
691:
679:. Retrieved
668:
656:. Retrieved
626:James Scully
604:
571:to form the
491:
466:
459:
455:
448:
436:George Clare
423:enemy aliens
420:
391:MoD Bicester
387:
381:to form the
360:
349:
332:
328:
318:
310:George Cross
306:James Scully
301:
299:
297:on 17 June.
289:
227:
218:
216:
195:Labour Corps
168:
165:Predecessors
142:British Army
137:
135:
125:
113:
82:British Army
36:of the corps
1133:18 December
1107:10 November
994:10 November
925:10 December
818:22 November
520:Noel Thomas
514:John Cowley
500:of Salonika
428:Nazi Regime
409:Recruitment
395:Oxfordshire
345:Sword Beach
246:area, near
237:Donald Dean
228:During the
191:Crimean War
96:Garrison/HQ
1211:Categories
1153:Fry, Helen
1016:8 December
633:References
596:incomplete
474:Lord Croft
434:, writers
295:St Nazaire
290:Lancastria
100:Cuddington
52:Allegiance
952:15 August
946:issuu.com
703:15 August
607:July 2024
161:(PLUTO).
47:1939–1993
34:Cap badge
1155:(2007).
962:cite web
919:BBC News
476:, joint
432:Ken Adam
337:Normandy
244:Doullens
183:regiment
171:pioneers
110:Motto(s)
104:Cheshire
552:, 1993)
272:Béthune
268:Andelle
260:brigade
213:History
179:company
1182:
1163:
1077:
899:13 May
869:18 May
843:18 May
796:18 May
774:18 May
726:
681:10 May
658:18 May
373:, the
369:, the
248:Amiens
175:Calais
140:was a
79:
70:Branch
61:
42:Active
181:in a
122:March
1180:ISBN
1161:ISBN
1135:2017
1109:2015
1075:ISBN
1040:2022
1018:2019
996:2015
968:link
954:2020
927:2020
901:2013
871:2014
845:2014
820:2007
798:2014
776:2014
724:ISBN
705:2020
683:2016
660:2014
438:and
403:axes
331:and
288:HMT
278:and
270:and
205:and
136:The
88:Role
602:.
393:in
276:5th
1213::
1097:.
984:.
964:}}
960:{{
944:.
917:.
887:.
861:.
828:^
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563:,
559:,
446:.
385:.
354:,
240:VC
225:.
209:.
102:,
1188:.
1169:.
1137:.
1111:.
1083:.
1042:.
1020:.
998:.
970:)
956:.
929:.
903:.
873:.
847:.
822:.
800:.
778:.
732:.
707:.
685:.
662:.
609:)
605:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
