page_title: 1st Sussex Engineers
section_title: 44th (Home Counties) Divisional RE
hierarchical_section_title: 1st Sussex Engineers / World War II / 44th (Home Counties) Divisional RE
caption_attribution_description: English: British 44th Infantry Division insignia Italiano: Simbolo della 44a Divisione fanteria britannica
context_page_description: The 1st Sussex Engineers was a Volunteer unit of Britain's Royal Engineers raised in Eastbourne in 1890. It became the engineer component of the 44th Division of the Territorial Force, but its units saw action with Regular Army formations on the Western Front, at Salonika and in Italy during World War I, and in North Russia and Turkey after the war ended. During World War II its units were in the Battle of France and at Alamein, in Sicily, on D Day and the subsequent campaign in North West Europe, including the Rhine crossing. Detached companies fought in Tunisia, Italy, and Burma, where one was involved in the decisive Battle of Kohima and the assault crossing of the Irrawaddy. The unit continued in the postwar Territorial Army until 1967.
context_section_description: Shortly after mobilisation, 44th (HC) Division formed the 'Ashdown Forest Mobile Group' as an anti-invasion reserve at Groombridge, with 208 Fd Co as its RE component, joining on 14 September. On 29 September it was announced that each of the 1st Line TA divisions would send one field company to France to build defences for the new British Expeditionary Force (BEF). 208 (S) Field Co was selected from 44th (HC) Division and made its way from Groombridge to Southampton, where it boarded the Mona's Queen on 26 September and landed at Cherbourg the following day.
  The rest of 44th (HC) Division RE moved to Dorset for training under the CRE, Lt-Col R.H. Parsons, with 209 Fd Co at Bridport, 210 at Beaminster and Wetherby, and 211 Fd Pk Co establishing its stores and workshops at Larkham Hall. In January 1940 the division was ordered to prepare to embark for France in February, but the departure was delayed. The first RE parties left on 19 March, but 210 Field Company only embarked on 8 April, and 211 Fd Park Co's bridging section did not follow until 30 April. After landing at Cherbourg the field companies moved into France with their brigade groups (209 Fd Co with 132 Bde and 210 Fd Co with 133 Bde).
caption: 44th (Home Counties) Division's formation sign
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