World War II The City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers was a volunteer unit of the British Army under various titles from 1886 until 1999.

Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, Inspector-General of Fortifications 1882–6, did not have enough Regular Royal Engineers (RE) to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British ports.

Britain's harbour defences were never seriously tested during the war, but the fortress engineers formed companies for service with the armies in the field.

The field company was attached to 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division at Thetford from 16 November until 19 December 1915, on which day it embarked at Devonport and sailed for Egypt.

The divisional commander considered that No-man's land was too wide for a successful attack, so on the night of 26/27 May (after two days of rehearsals) the Edinburgh Field Company assisted 167th (1st London) Brigade in digging a new jumping-off line closer to the enemy.

[17] 56th Division returned to action in the latter stages of the Somme offensive:[9] On 30 January 1917, the unit was numbered as 416th (Edinburgh) Field Company, Royal Engineers.

Gwynne, commanded the advanced engineering base at Bône in Tunisia with 587th Field Company and other workshop and park units.

Meanwhile, 586th Field Company was working in the Philippeville, Algeria area, including preparing approach roads and cuttings for the 160-foot span Bailey bridge erected at Souk El Khemis.

By February, the CRE was in charge of bridging and road improvements to allow transporters carrying the new heavy Churchill tank to reach their concentration area at El Kef.

[33] During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, in February 1943, the right flank of the British V Corps was uncovered, and formations were hastily improvised to fill the gap, including Nickforce and 1st (Guards) Brigade.

The approach roads for 128th Infantry Brigade Group were little more than 150 miles of sand tracks, and had to be improved by 586th Field Company, assisted by US engineers from II Corps.

On 8 April, 128th Bde captured Pichon in an operation requiring two crossings of the bed of the Oued Marguellil and considerable mine clearance.

[31] Eighth Army began landings in southern Italy on 3 September 1943 and started to advance up the eastern side of the country, using the coastal Highway 16.

561st and 586th Field Companies started work on a replacement the same night that San Salvo was captured, and within 36 hours had built three temporary piers and launched a 340-foot Bailey bridge.

On 9 and 11 April the Senio and Santerno were crossed as the army advanced into the Po Valley, and in the days that followed, 8th ATRE built Bailey bridges across these rivers.

[4][45][46] Honorary Lt-Col Commandant: Honorary Colonel: 1st (and later 8th) ATRE used as its formation badge the badge of the old submarine miners (a winged hand holding thunderbolts emerging from a mural crown[49]) in red on a dark blue square with a Saltire (St Andrews cross) in red with blue stripes.