Hello Norma, The Royal Engineers are a corps which at the time of the Boer War were divided into companies with the designations Field, Railway or Fortress plus other specialist units. In December 1900 the following subdivisions of the RE were serving in South Africa: 5th-12th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 26th, 29th, 31st, 37th, 38th, 42nd, 45th & 47th Companies 1st Division Telegraph Battalion A & C Troops Bridging Battalion Field Troop, 1st Field Park 1st, 2nd & 3rd Balloon Sections The Territorial Army was not formed until 1908. At the time of the Boer War there were pre-existing Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteer units which supplied troops for service in South Africa in addition to the regular troops. As the term 'Territorial' was not even coined until 1908 I rather think your grandfather served in the RE Territorials for a three year period between 1908 and the outbreak of WW1 in 1914. As to why he doesn't appear on the 1901 census I can't really say. However, I recently heard that the database for the 1901 census was subcontracted to India and the people responsible have managed to omit several hundred thousand names from the database now online. My entire paternal grandfather's family are among the 'missing'. Regards, David ----- Original Message ----- From: R&N O'Toole <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 1:01 PM Subject: [BOER-WAR] Royal Engineer Regiment - John Roberts > Hello > > I have recently subscribed to this list and hope that the knowledgable people on the list will be able to help me. > > My primary area of research is to locate the name of the Royal Engineer unit in which my grandfather John Roberts served for three years around 1901. I realize that no personnel records would survive for such a short term of service, but it would be nice to track the regiment's actions during the period. He was born in 1881 in the small market town of Padiham, Burnley District, in Eastern Lancashire. In his enrolment form for the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WW 1 he stated that he had served in the Royal Engineers for three years. The only possible reference to his prior service unit appeared in his military file as "Former Corps - Terr. 3 yrs". I have done searches at google.com; have searched the Family History Library Catalogue CD using the "find and mark" function; and have searched the on-line PRO site looking for Royal Engineer regiments. > He was not in England for the 1901 census which leads me to believe that he may have been serving in the Boer War. Also, a term of only three years service is most unusual for the time. He had no previous injuries when he joined the CEF, so was not pensioned off from the Royal Marines due to wounds. > Was a Territorial Army raised by the British to meet the increased personnel requirements of the Boer War? > What Royal Engineer units served in the Boer War? Thank you in advance for any assistance that you may be able to give. Norma O'Toole (nee Roberts) in Eastern Ontario, Canada