Quote:
Originally Posted by davidf
Hi Doug, I tried to help last week but my contribution doesn't seem to have taken. The collar "dogs" look like a pickaxe and a rifle to me. From doing family history research on my wife's late father I have learned that there were Tunnelers' Companies in north France during the First World War - I think that they were part of the Royal Engineers and should have worn their cap badge.
davidf
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Most of the tunnelers in WW1 were colliers, they didn't wear any badges or insignia which would identify them to the Germans. They worked in secret for 12 months, digging tunnels, and laid nearly a million tons of explosies in 5 big mines, which blew up Hawthorn Ridge. 10,000 jerry casulties in one hell of a bang. The biggest man made explosion, before Hiroshima.
They also set off mines on the Somme on the 1st July 1916, a silly argument between high ranking officers, and the mines were detonated 10 minutes too soon, giving jerry ample time to get ready
The collar dogs of a rifle and pickaxe, are a pioneer section.
Retlaw.