229 Army Field Company R.E.
Originally a T.A. unit recruited in SHEFFIELD, England. A nucleus of senior N.C.Os and Sappers are from the original T.A.
The Company saw service in Norway and went to North Africa with the 1st. Army in Nove 42. In Nov.43 postings for operational reinforcements reduced the strength to 90. An intake from A.1 men under 30 from A.W. Companies and draft from England made up the full strength in May 44. 70 came from 717 A.W.Coy.RE and have been overseas for about 3 years. Most of the Officers have been with the Company over 1 year and two have been over 2 years.
The Company has seen little combat and seldom lived hard. It has been engaged on Corps and L of C tasks for the greater part of its time overseas.
The average age is 26 years.
Opinions have been obtained by discussion amongst 20 representative members of the Company.
Crime has never been prevalent and the average number of minor offences during the past 6 monts has been 4 per month.
Included in the recent intake were four men with suspended sentences, two from U.K. with convictions of robbery and two from this theatre convicted of desterion [sic]. All have so far proved good soldiers.
There is complete confidence in the Army's ultimate success, its leaders and its arms and equipment. It is considered that although certain items of German equipment may be superior to the corresponding equipment of our own, any advantage is outweighed by Allied numerical superiority.
There is confidence in the basis cause of the Army whcih is though [sic] to be the prevention of the German race interfering with conditions of living normal to the British race. The liberation of other countries is merely incidental.
There is some difficulty in convincing the British soldier that the only good German is a dead German, resulting in some tendency to fraternise with prisoners.
Generally the position is satisfactory. Interest in present work, being slightly related to operational tasks, is high but there is a general feeling of being in the "backwoods".
Opinion on living conditions is good. A justified complaint against NAAFI supplies is the inferior quality of many American razor blades. An urgent need is felt for the resumption of a supply of beer and the price is thought to be much too high.
The comments and experience in the subjects referred to in the rest of para. 3 are satisfactory.
Reference para. 2 (f)(ii), the opinion was expressed that better service could be obtained than with Italian girls in NAAFIs and similar places.
The representative opinion of relations with U.S. troops was that relations were quite good, the biggest bar to development being the high spending power of the United States soldier.
Education and ABCA are regarded as interesting only as an alternative to work.
The standard of physical fitness is high and discipline is good. The general opinion was that simple sports equipment such as footballs and volley-balls should actually form part of a units equipment as they help a great deal in maintaining fitness, recreation, interest etc.
Cessation of hostilities was mentioned in the letter requesting a report. The main points arising from the discussion, which assumed that hostilities with Germany only was indicated, were that as full information as possible as to the Armys future should be given to men at the earliest opportunity and that the outlook on service in the Far East after hostilities had ceased in the theatre would not be the same as that to service in the European theatre from the U.K.
Source: National Archives WO 170/1674