[1][2][3] It was embodied at Seaford on the outbreak of war, separated from 210 Fd Co on 5 September and 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division became active on 7 October 1939.

They were then withdrawn via Le Mans to Blain on the Atlantic coast, where they began building a new camp at Chateau Pont Pietin.

The infantry of 12th (E) Division fought as part of 'Petreforce', holding up the German advance at the coast of heavy casualties before being evacuated through Dunkirk.

The rest of the BEF remaining on the Atlantic coast then began to be evacuated through Cherbourg Naval Base, 12th (E) Divisional RE moving via Caen to get there early on 7 June.

XII CTRE served with it for the rest of the war, with 264 Fd Co based at Mayfield, East Sussex, working on defence lines and anti-tank obstacles behind the coast.

In September it moved to Bridgwater in Somerset for training, and in December it transferred to VIII CTRE in Southern Command, with the company also being part of the War Office Reserve.

It moved by train to Constantine, dropping off No 1 Section to work on a base hospital, and went to Doukam de Kroub where the unit transport, which had landed later at Bougie, caught up.

No 1 Section rejoined from Guelma on 11 January, when the company was given responsibility with some of the South African Engineer Corps for opening a route for an armoured division along the Le Kroub–Guelma road.

After the Axis surrender the unit continued its maintenance work with local labour at Pont du Fahs in June, and then moved to Tarif in July to study petrol distribution.

[17][18] In the winter of 1944–45 the Allies began Operation Goldflake, secretly transferring I Canadian Corps from Italy to reinforce 21st Army Group fighting in North West Europe.

[12][19][20] As the war in Europe drew to a close in May, 264 Fd Co was engaged in dismantling bridges over the Rhine that were no longer required, and maintaining roads.

It then moved into occupied Germany to clear demolished bridges and other obstructions to make the Ems–Weser Canal navigable, and repairing damaged autobahns.