Its main role was the defence of the harbours and shipyards on the River Tay, but it also provided a detachment that saw active service in North Russia at the end of World War I.

Although most of the units were converted into fortress engineers, this did not happen in the case of the Tay Division, which was disbanded with effect from 2 November.

[3][6] Thus, when the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, a completely new unit of fortress engineers had to be raised for the Firth of Tay defences.

The 1/1st City of Dundee Fortress Company embarked for France on 6 May 1915 and after arriving at Abbeville was assigned to Second Army the following month.

[12][15] 71st Division was a home service formation, responsible for defending the coast of Essex from Mersea Island to Walton-on-the-Naze.

It continued this duty during the complex postwar political and military exchanges with local Bolsheviks and Finnish Red Guards.

[17][18][19] By 1927 it consisted of No 1 Company (City of Dundee) (Fortress) RE, listed as Coast Defence Troops in 51st (Highland) Divisional Area.

[33] Captain Lewis Collins, MC, credited with five aerial victories in 1918 as an observer in the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force, was born in Dundee and originally enlisted as a sapper in the Fortress Engineers.