October 16, 2026

2 thoughts on “November 2020”

  1. The 750k field map from McMaster intersects with work I’m now doing, which tries to reconstitute the movements and work of 6 Topo Section in East Africa (under EK Boileau, who was originally a land surveyor in the EAP, KIA at Nakande Ridge 18.x.17) that apparently got scattered around after arriving in July 1916, as well as the SA Topo Section that was attached mostly to Norforce and its predecessor. The printing sections are part of it. Most were RE and many seconded from the Ordnance Survey, but Chatham has almost nothing on them (and OS records are lost or hopelessly tangled); the Indian survey unit that reinforced 6 TS in 1918 under Drake has only limited info as well, and were only in theater for a few months. I have a lot of images of sunprints (via the British Library and Kew) but precious little about this detachment and its operatives. Some of the maps remained in use for compilation purposes until 1943-44 at least. Does anyone know anything about these survey and printing companies, beyond what Pritchard (in vol VII of the RE Corps history) and the Survey of India volumes have to say? I can’t even find a roll of officers, much less war diaries, only occasional mentions of early efforts at aerial survey and some bridging.

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