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The North Midland Divisional Engineers was a Territorial Force unit of the British Royal Engineers created in 1908 by conversion of a volunteer infantry battalion from Staffordshire. It saw action in World War I at the Hohenzollern Redoubt, Gommecourt, Ypres, Cambrai, the German Spring Offensive and the Hundred Days Offensive, culminating in the assault crossings of the St Quentin Canal, the Selle and the Sambre. During World War II its component units saw action in the Battle of France, in Greece, Tunisia, Italy, Normandy and the Rhine crossing. ==Early history== The origin of the unit lay in the 1st Staffordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, one of many such RVCs raised after an invasion scare in 1859.〔Beckett.〕 It was organised at Handsworth on 15 August 1859. Sir Francis Scott, 3rd Baronet, was one of the original officers. From July 1860, along with a number of other units from the county, it formed part of the 3rd Administrative Battalion of Staffordshire RVCs (dates are those of the first officers' commissions):〔Beckett, Appendix VII.〕〔Westlake, pp. 216–22.〕 * 1st (Handsworth) Staffordshire RVC * 15th (Brierley Hill) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Brierley Hill 1 August 1860 * 17th (Seisdon) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Seisdon 21 February 1860, became No 2 Company of 27th Staffordshire RVC in 1873 * 18th (Kingswinford) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Kingswinford 21 February 1860 * 20th (West Bromwich) Staffordshire RVC, formed at West Bromwich 25 February 1860 * 27th (Patshull) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Patshull on 7 March 1860 under the command of William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth * 31st (Smethwick) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Smethwick on 19 April 1860 * 35th (Kinver) Staffordshire RVC, formed at Kinver on 3 July 1860. In 1880, the RVCs were consolidated, and the 3rd Admin Bn became the 1st Staffordshire RVC with the following organisation:〔 * A & B Companies at Handsworth (ex 1st Staffs RVC) * C Company at Brierley Hill (ex 15th Staffs RVC) * D Company at Kingswinford, later at Wordsley (ex 18th Staffs RVC) * E Company at West Bromwich (ex 20th Staffs RVC) * F Company at Seisdon (ex No 2 Company, 27th Staffs RVC) * G Company at Patshull (ex No 1 Company, 27th Staffs RVC) * H Company at Smethwick (ex 31st Staffs RVC) As part of the Childers Reforms, the RVCs were affiliated to their local Regular regiments, and in May 1883 the 1st Staffs RVC became the 1st Volunteer Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, with its headquarters at Belgrave Terrace, Handsworth.〔(Handsworth at the Drill Hall Project. )〕 In the 1880s the battalion formed a mounted infantry company, but it soon disappeared.〔Beckett, p. 200.〕 Additional companies were formed later: I Company at Smethwick and K Company at West Bromwich (both 1900), and L (Cyclist) Company at Handsworth (1901). Later reorganisation saw the disbandment of G Company and consolidation at Handsworth (3 Cos), Brierley Hill (2 Cos), West Bromwich (2 Cos), Smethwick (2 Cos) and Sutton Coldfield (1 Co). From 1888, the battalion, along with the other South Staffordshire and North Staffordshire Regiment Volunteer Battalions, formed part of the Staffordshire Brigade.〔〔''Army List''.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「North Midland Divisional Engineers」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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