Nothe fort, Dorset finished RE 1872 then manned RA

[cannasue]

Hello,

I'm hoping to pick people brains here.

I'm presently writing about the Nothe fort in Weymouth, Dorset.

work started on it in 1860 as part of the coastal defences against the French, started by a private contractor, but finished by the the 26 company royal engineers, completed in 1872.

It was manned by the RA no 2 battery, or tatton browns.

I see Tatton Brown was living in Weymouth with his family in 1871, presumably to oversee the completion of the fort, and it's armourment. I know that he fought in the Zulu war.

Could anyone point me in the direction of any books that might have some history of the Nothe fort, either the building of by the Sappers, or the life of the soldiers while serving in the fort. I want to flesh out the story of, and make it a bit more personal than just a history time line, but I'm struggling to know where to start looking, and waht to read.

I have been to the miltary websites, but one you could only join if you served, and the other meant a visit of much travelling.

Many thanks

Sue hogben

[FROGSMILE]

Hello,
My apologies for duplicating this post, but as I'm after information about the RA and the RE, I thought it might be better to put it under two separate headings in case people are only interested in certain parts of the army. My spolgies if I've done wrong, feel free to delete.

I'm hoping to pick people brains here.

I'm presently writing about the Nothe fort in Weymouth, Dorset.

work started on it in 1860 as part of the coastal defences against the French, started by a private contractor, but finished by the the 26 company royal engineers, completed in 1872.

It was manned by the RA no 2 battery, or tatton browns.

I see Tatton Brown was living in Weymouth with his family in 1871, presumably to oversee the completion of the fort, and it's armourment. I know that he fought in the Zulu war.

Could anyone point me in the direction of any books that might have some history of the Nothe fort, either the building of by the Sappers, or the life of the soldiers while serving in the fort. I want to flesh out the story of, and make it a bit more personal than just a history time line, but I'm struggling to know where to start looking, and waht to read.

I have been to the miltary websites, but one you could only join if you served, and the other meant a visit of much travelling.

Many thanks

Sue hogben

Are you aware of these three sites Sue:

1. http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/index.php - see article & links below it: http://www.victorianforts.co.uk/redan/tom.htm

2. http://www.palmerstonfortssociety.org.uk/

3. http://www.fsgfort.com/

The "Links" listed there are very good to take you to other sources of information too, as well as the "Book List".

Also this: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... ston_forts

and this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmerston_Forts

and this: http://www.napoleon.org/en/reading_room ... _forts.asp

and this: http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/r ... inter=true

More here: http://coalhousefort-gallery.com/Fort-Plans-

[cannasue]

Many thanks for all the links, and no I hadn't known of these, so I will be checking them out this afternoon, it really is much appreciated.
Sue

[FROGSMILE]

Many thanks for all the links, and no I hadn't known of these, so I will be checking them out this afternoon, it really is much appreciated.
Sue

There is lots to read there I know and you will find yourself picking 'bits' of information from the different slites and links.

I have found this on Royal Engineers and you can learn about the lives of some of the men from the period that you are interested in: http://www.reubique.com/

The 25th and 26th Companies were raised in October 1855. 26 Company Royal Engineers became 26 Field Company Royal Engineers shortly after building Nothe Fort and is today 26 Squadron Royal Engineers.