With 3 RE Field Companies for each division, they had about 660 men; this was never enough. French and Belgian civilian labour was used initially, but casualties prevented this. Large numbers of infantry and other troops were also used, but this often led to problems, as the entry opposite reveals. The deployment of the Pioneer Corps eventually helped address this problem.
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'The infantry should have easily completed a 4’ 6” breastwork.. but neither officers nor men take any trouble. The result is that work is dragged on over twice the time and sappers get fed up, and get all the blame'.
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Other issues arose from the vast amounts of materials that RE Field Companies needed in the front line...
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'‘An advance RE dump in the attack would appear to be a mistake, it being impossible to foresee which points will be shelled. In this case no carrying party was able to approach the dump during the attack…RE storekeepers were killed.. Dugouts for stores distributed throughout the front line trenches would appear to be a better method’.
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