The 208th (Sussex) Field Company was a Territorial Army (TA) unit of Britain's Royal Engineers (RE) raised in Eastbourne in 1920.

[12][13] 44th (Home Counties) Division reformed in 1920 and when the TF was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921, the field companies were renumbered.

[17][18][19][20][21] Shortly after mobilisation, 44th (Home Counties) 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 (Home Counties) 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.

208 Field Co spent 20–22 May putting houses astride the road at Taintignies into a state of defence and laying a minefield at Rumes.

6 Brigade having been forced back, 2nd Division counter-attacked on 26 May to try to regain the Canal Line to cover the start of the BEF's withdrawal to Dunkirk.

They boarded the drifter Fisher Boy of Grimsby and landed at Ramsgate at 00.30 on 31 May, while their Officer Commanding, Maj L.F. Morling, remained for a few hours as Mole Master.

[33][35][36] The remnants of 2nd Division reformed around Halifax, West Yorkshire, from 1 June, with the men of 208 Fd Co arriving from depots scattered all over the country.

[24][39][40] In March 1944 the Japanese launched a pre-emptive attack (the U Go Offensive) against Kohima and Imphal, and 2nd Division was among the reinforcements rushed to the Central Front.

The brigade's orders were to break through to relieve the garrison of Kohima, and on 11 April two companies of 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and No 2 Section of 208 Fd Co led the way to reconnoitre the route.

They continued to improve the track and bridges, and to prepare gun positions, and on 18 April 2nd Division broke through to relieve the defenders of Kohima.

The divisional RE failed in several attempts to bulldoze a route up to 'IGH Spur' overlooking the District Commissioner's Bungalow (scene of hard fighting during the siege), but 208 Fd Co cut a mule track for supplies.

5 Brigade then attacked towards Naga Village on the evening of 25 April in heavy rain, with 208's sappers cutting tracks and guiding supplies and stretcher-parties along them.

As Fourteenth Army's pursuit gained momentum, the company's role became clearing roadblocks and building or repairing Bailey, Hamilton and SBG bridges in Monsoon rain.

The company operated this service until the end of December, after which it worked on repairing airfields, bridges, roads and water points behind the advancing Fourteenth Army.

The left hand crossing by No 2 Platoon and 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers was to an island from which covering fire could be given; this was successful.

[52][53][54] During March 2 Division advanced steadily, with the sappers clearing mines and building a 160 feet (49 m) FBE bridge across the Myitnge river, until Ava was reached.

Fourteenth Army captured Mandalay on 20 March and prepared to move on Rangoon before the Monsoon broke, but 2nd Division was not included in the planning.

[55][56][57] Once concentrated at Calcutta, 2nd Division was supposed to be re-equipped and ready for an assault landing at Rangoon (Operation Dracula) by mid-May, but its despatch was delayed and then called off.

[19][21][64][65] The unit moved around the UK working on defences, laying minefields and supervising civilian contractors digging anti-tank ditches.

[66] For the Normandy landings, XII CTRE's field companies were loaned to the assaulting divisions as obstacle clearance parties.

Once ashore, the sappers began the dangerous task of clearing the beach obstacles before they were covered by the rising tide, and constructing exits so the follow-up troops could quickly get into action.

They reverted to XII CTRE command around 11 June, and spent the rest of the campaign clearing roads of mines and debris, filling craters and minor bridgebuilding.

During the assault crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder), XII CTRE was allotted the task of building a Class 12 pontoon Bailey Bridge (codenamed 'Sussex') at the extreme left of the corps' area.

The start of construction was held up by enemy fire, but once work began the bridge was completed with the assistance of naval tugs on 26 March in just under 43 hours.

208 Field Squadron (as RE companies were now termed) was once again based at Ordnance Yard, Eastbourne, with a detachment at Hatherley Road Drill Hall, Hastings.