1st Middlesex Engineers
military unit
The 1st Middlesex Engineers was the senior engineer unit of Britain's Volunteer Force, raised in 1860 and originally recruited from the South Kensington Museum. It provided Royal Engineers (RE) units to the 47th (1/2nd London) and 60th (2/2nd London) Divisions during World War I, and the 47th (London) and 56th (London) Infantry Divisions in World War II. The engineers served on the First World War's Western Front from 1915 to 1918, and in a number of theatres during the Second World War. It also served in the postwar Territorial Army, until 1967.
Volunteer Force
The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. Soon the need for military engineer ('Sapper') units to support the Rifle Volunteers was recognised, and a group from the South Kensington Museum, headed by Norman MacLeod of MacLeod, approached the War Office (WO) with an offer to raise two companies from the engineering and allied professions. The proposal was accepted in January 1860 and enlistment began on 6 February, creating the first Engineer Volunteer Corps (EVC). MacLeod was appointed captain in command and a year later was promoted to major as the unit rapidly grew beyond its initial two companies. By November 1863, the 1st Middlesex EVC had 10 companies and was recruiting an 11th:
Nos 1, 2, 3 & 5 Companies at South Kensington Museum
No 4 Company at Chelsea
No 6 Company at Wandsworth
No 7 Company at London University
No 8 Company at Brompton
No 9 Company at Pimlico
No 10 Company at Paddington
No 11 Company at 69 Chancery Lane – from solicitors' clerks
From 1863, the new 1st Essex, 1st London and 1st Tower Hamlets EVCs were administratively linked to the 1st Middlesex (these units became independent from 1871, 1868 and 1868 respectively).
The unit outgrew its headquarters (HQ) at the South Kensington Museum and moved a short distance to Whitehead's Grove in Chelsea (it dropped its '(South Kensington)' subtitle in 1862) and in 1865 opened a purpose-built drill hall in College Street (today's Elystan Street) in Chelsea, designed by Capt Francis Fowke, RE, who had designed the new South Kensington Museum (the V&A). MacLeod relinquished command in 1871 and was appointed honorary colonel of the corps.
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