Bermuda Volunteer Engineers
Encyclopedia
The 'Bermuda Volunteer Engineers' was a part-time unit created between the two world wars to replace the Regular
Royal Engineers
detachment, which was withdrawn from the Bermuda Garrison
in 1928.
and the Bermuda Militia Artillery
, respectively. Each unit had been created under a separate Act
of the colonial parliament
, at the prompting of the Secretary of State for War
, in London. A third act had also been passed authorising the creation of a volunteer engineering
unit of sappers and miners. This was intended to work with the regular soldiers of the Royal Engineers
and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
(RAOC) in tending to submarine mines anchored around Bermuda (this was only one of the activities the Royal Engineers were involved in, as they were also engaged in large scale building work). The volunteer engineers would have operated boats from the RAOC wharf on East Broadway, on the outskirts of Hamilton
, however the unit was never actually raised.
During the First World War, in addition to fulfilling their roles as guardians of Bermuda and its important Imperial defence assets (such as the Royal Naval Dockyard
), each of these units sent two contingents to the Western Front
. Numerous other Bermudians served in other regiments and corps of the British Army, as well as in the Royal Navy
and the new Royal Air Force
.
Large numbers of regular infantry and artillery soldiers, plus various supporting units, had been stationed in Bermuda since the early 19th Century, but the UK Government had been trying to reduce the expense of maintaining garrisons around the world, following the Crimean War
, by encouraging the raising of volunteer units in the various colonies
and protectorates. This had led to the creation of the two Bermudian units, and the size of the regular forces in Bermuda was steadily reduced from about 1870 onward.
In May, 1928, the regular infantry battalion on garrison was reduced to a single company, and the Royal Garrison Artillery
and Royal Engineers
detachments witdrawn entirely. The existing volunteer units were able to take on the duties of the first two groups, but the creation of a new volunteer unit was necessary to fulfil those the third.
The first commanding officer of the BVE was Captain H.D. (later Sir Harry) Butterfield, and the second-in-command was Lieutenant Cecil Montgomery-Moore, DFC. Both were veterans of the First World War (Montgomery-Moore had served in the BVRC before taking a commission as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
). In 1932, Butterfield retired, and Montgomery-Moore succeeded him. The new 2-i-c was Lieutenant Bayard Dill (later Sir Bayard).
The BVE subsequently also took on responsibility for providing signals crew and equipment to all elements of the garrison.
Another was Captain Richard Gorham
, DFC
. Commissioned from the ranks, he was detached from the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers to travel to England
to train as an Air Observation Post pilot-an aerial artillery spotter. He had been involved in directing artillery fire as part of his role in the BVE, but had to transfer into the Royal Artillery
for this new role. Serving in Italy, he played the decisive role in the Battle of Monte Cassino
when he spotted a German
division
moving in half-tracked
German
Armoured Personnel Carriers to counter attack against the British and Polish army units which were attacking the German-occupied monastery. Gorham controlled the fire of two-thousand field guns, which fired for hours, destroying the German division. Gorham received the Distinguished Flying Cross for this action.
In Bermuda, Montgomery-Moore was promoted to Major in 1940, and Bayard Dill to Captain. In addition to his role with the BVE, Montgomery-Moore also headed the Bermuda Flying School
, which trained 80 local volunteers as pilots for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm
. Volunteers were only accepted from those already serving in the local forces, some of whom came from the BVE.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
detachment, which was withdrawn from the Bermuda Garrison
Bermuda Garrison
The Bermuda Garrison was the military establishment maintained on the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda by the regular British Army, and its local militia and voluntary reserves from 1701 to 1957. The Garrison existed primarily to defend the Royal Naval Dockyard and other facilities in Bermuda...
in 1928.
The Military Garrison in Bermuda
From 1885 to 1928, the only Bermudian units within the garrison were part-time infantry and artillery soldiers, the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle CorpsBermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps
The Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps was created in 1894 as an all-white racially segregated reserve for the British Regular Army infantry component of the Bermuda Garrison...
and the Bermuda Militia Artillery
Bermuda Militia Artillery
The Bermuda Militia Artillery was a unit of part-time soldiers organised in 1895 as a reserve for the Royal Garrison Artillery detachment of the Regular Army garrison in Bermuda.-Foundation:...
, respectively. Each unit had been created under a separate Act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the colonial parliament
Parliament of Bermuda
Parliament has two chambers. Originally, there was only one, the House of Assembly, which held its first session in 1620, making Bermuda's Parliament amongst the World's oldest legislatures. An appointed Privy Council originally performed roles similar to that of an upper house, and of a cabinet...
, at the prompting of the Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, in London. A third act had also been passed authorising the creation of a volunteer engineering
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
unit of sappers and miners. This was intended to work with the regular soldiers of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
(RAOC) in tending to submarine mines anchored around Bermuda (this was only one of the activities the Royal Engineers were involved in, as they were also engaged in large scale building work). The volunteer engineers would have operated boats from the RAOC wharf on East Broadway, on the outskirts of Hamilton
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
, however the unit was never actually raised.
During the First World War, in addition to fulfilling their roles as guardians of Bermuda and its important Imperial defence assets (such as the Royal Naval Dockyard
Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
HMD Bermuda was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609...
), each of these units sent two contingents to the Western Front
Western Front
Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the east and the Allies to the west...
. Numerous other Bermudians served in other regiments and corps of the British Army, as well as in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and the new Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Large numbers of regular infantry and artillery soldiers, plus various supporting units, had been stationed in Bermuda since the early 19th Century, but the UK Government had been trying to reduce the expense of maintaining garrisons around the world, following the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, by encouraging the raising of volunteer units in the various colonies
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
and protectorates. This had led to the creation of the two Bermudian units, and the size of the regular forces in Bermuda was steadily reduced from about 1870 onward.
In May, 1928, the regular infantry battalion on garrison was reduced to a single company, and the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
and Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
detachments witdrawn entirely. The existing volunteer units were able to take on the duties of the first two groups, but the creation of a new volunteer unit was necessary to fulfil those the third.
Creation of the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers
The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers was created in 1930. Its original strength was one captain, one subaltern, three sergeants, four corporals, and twenty-four sappers. Its original role was to operate the search lights at coastal artillery batteries. The only battery left in active use by that time was the Examination Battery at St. David's Head, the guns of which were manned by the BMA.The first commanding officer of the BVE was Captain H.D. (later Sir Harry) Butterfield, and the second-in-command was Lieutenant Cecil Montgomery-Moore, DFC. Both were veterans of the First World War (Montgomery-Moore had served in the BVRC before taking a commission as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
). In 1932, Butterfield retired, and Montgomery-Moore succeeded him. The new 2-i-c was Lieutenant Bayard Dill (later Sir Bayard).
The BVE subsequently also took on responsibility for providing signals crew and equipment to all elements of the garrison.
Second World War
The BVE, and the other part-time units, were mobilised at the start of the Second World War, fulfilling its role to the Garrison throughout the war. Some members also were detached for service overseas with other units, including the Royal Artillery and the Royal Air Force. These included four Sappers who were attached to a larger BVRC contingent despatched to the Lincolnshire Regiment in June, 1940.Another was Captain Richard Gorham
Richard Gorham
Sir Richard Matthew Gorham CBE, DFC, JP was a prominent Bermudian parliamentarian, businessman and philanthropist, who served as a pilot during the Second World War when he played a decisive role in the Battle of Monte Cassino, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.-Bermuda Volunteer...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. Commissioned from the ranks, he was detached from the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers to travel to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to train as an Air Observation Post pilot-an aerial artillery spotter. He had been involved in directing artillery fire as part of his role in the BVE, but had to transfer into the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
for this new role. Serving in Italy, he played the decisive role in the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
when he spotted a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
moving in half-tracked
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
Armoured Personnel Carriers to counter attack against the British and Polish army units which were attacking the German-occupied monastery. Gorham controlled the fire of two-thousand field guns, which fired for hours, destroying the German division. Gorham received the Distinguished Flying Cross for this action.
In Bermuda, Montgomery-Moore was promoted to Major in 1940, and Bayard Dill to Captain. In addition to his role with the BVE, Montgomery-Moore also headed the Bermuda Flying School
Bermuda Flying School
The Bermuda Flying School operated on Darrell's Island from 1940 to 1942. It trained Bermudian volunteers as pilots for the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm....
, which trained 80 local volunteers as pilots for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. Volunteers were only accepted from those already serving in the local forces, some of whom came from the BVE.