30th Gloucestershire Railway Labour Battalion (General)

by Shirleyanne , Solihull, Saturday, November 25, 2006, 03:10 (6574 days ago) @ slowhands

My grandfather, Joseph John Allaway, was born in Morse, East Dean, and worked as a miner in the forest before moving to Birmingham. He became a postman but volunteered during WW1 (at the age of 47) and was a pioneer in the Royal Engineers. His regiment no was WR255683 and the WR stood for Waterways and Railways. I posted a question on the Great War Forum and received the following information:
He was almost certainly a member of the 30th Railway Labour Battalion, Royal Engineers. The 30th (or Gloucestershire) Railway Labour Battalion was formed for service in France to assist the Royal Engineers Railway Troops. The recruitment for this Battalion was targeted specifically at men aged 41 to 47 who were over the then maximum military age of 41 but who could still perform the required labouring work. Men were required who were accustomed to working on railway construction and on other constructional and building works. In fact, any man with a labouring background was, I believe, acceptable.
The county of Gloucestershire was originally targeted having already raised the 113th Railway Company, Royal Engineers and it would appear the net was widened to include the surrounding counties in the quest to raise the necessary 1000 men. Recruitment for the Battalion by Captain Peake, Royal Engineers, commenced on April 3rd 1916 (and my grandfather enlisted on 15/16th May 1916). The Battalion was then trained and equipped at Longmoor, Hampshire before proceeding overseas. They were there by 20th July 1916 when they suffered their first casualties.
I haven't been able to find out about their service in France as no War Diary exists for them - does anyone have any more information?