15th Field Company - Engineers

15th Field Company

Men of the 15th Field Company Engineers resting in vaults

Brief History

The 15th Field Company was attached to the 15th Brigade, 5th Division AIF in Egypt and on the Western Front.

Engineers, also known as sappers, were essential to the running of the war. Without them, other branches of the Allied Forces would have found it difficult to cross the muddy and shell-ravaged ground of the Western Front. Their responsibilities included constructing the lines of defence, temporary bridges, tunnels and trenches, observation posts, roads, railways, communication lines, buildings of all kinds, showers and bathing facilities, and other material and mechanical solutions to the problems associated with fighting in all theatres[1]

The 15th Field Company was raised in Egypt as part of the expansion of the AIF. Initially it was stationed on the Suez Canal before moving to France in June 1916 where it was involved in the disastrous attack at Fromelles in July. In October it moved to the Somme near Flers.

During 1917 it was involved in the pursuit of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line, he second battle for Bullecourt, and later the Battle of Polygon Wood. Like all other Australian units it played its part in the Hundred Days Offensive when they drove the Germans back up the Somme valley, fighting at Hamel, Amiens, Peronne and the Hindenburg Line again.

Unit Personnel

• John Paterson Henderson 18 Mar 1916
• Albert Edward Coates Delamotte 25 Nov 1916 - ?? Apr 1919
• Frazer Paterson Henderson 18 Mar - 14 Aug 1916 & 1 Nov 1916 - 5 Sep 1918

Battle Honours 15th Brigade

• Defence of Egypt
• Fromelles
• Retreat to the Hindenburg Line
• Bullecourt
• Polygon Wood
• Villers Bretonneux
• Morlancourt
• Amiens
• Peronne
• Hindenburg Line

Notes

Content for the history and honours sections has come from a combination of Wikipedia and the Australian War Memorial websites.