The , usually just called the '''Royal Engineers''' ('''RE'''), and commonly known as the ''' Sappers ''', is one of the Corps of the British Army . It provides Combat Engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.
The Regimental Headquarters and the Royal School Of Military Engineering are in Chatham in Kent . The corps is divided into several Regiment s, barracked at various places in the United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland and Germany .
The Royal Engineers trace their origins back to the military engineers brought to England by William The Conqueror and claim over 900 years of unbroken service to the crown. Engineers have always served in the armies of the Crown; however, the origins of the modern corps, along with those of the Royal Artillery , lie in the Board Of Ordnance established in the 15th century. In 1717, the Board established a , consisting entirely of Commissioned Officer s. The hard work was done by the '''Artificer Companies''', made up of contracted civilian artisans and labourers. In 1782, a '''Soldier Artificer Company''' was established for service in Gibraltar , and this was the first instance of Non-commissioned military engineers. In 1787, the Corps of Engineers was granted the ''Royal'' prefix and adopted its current name and in the same year a '''Corps of Royal Military Artificers''' was formed, consisting of non-commissioned officers and Privates , to be officered by the RE. Ten years later the Gibraltar company, which had remained separate, was absorbed and in 1812 the name was changed to the '''Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners'''.
In 1855 the Board of Ordnance was abolished and authority over the Royal Engineers, Royal Sappers and Miners and Royal Artillery was transferred to the Commander-in-Chief Of The Forces , thus uniting them with the rest of the Army. The following year, the Royal Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners became a unified corps as the . In 1862 the corps also absorbed the British officers and men of the engineer corps of the East India Company .
In 1911 the Corps formed its Air Battalion , the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces . The Air Battalion was the forerunner of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force .
The Corps has no Battle Honour s, but its motto ''Ubique'' (Everywhere), awarded by King William IV in 1832, signifies that it has seen action in all the major conflicts of the British Army. A second motto is ''Quo Fas et Gloria ducunt'' (Where right and glory lead).
The Royal Engineers Museum Of Military Engineering is in Gillingham in Kent.
A point of some pride to the Sappers is that their name takes the form Corps of Royal Engineers rather than, for example, Royal Engineer Corps. The distinction, they say, is that every Sapper is Royal in his own right, rather than simply being a member of a Royal Corps (such as the Royal Corps Of Signals or the Royal Regiment Of Artillery ). The famous Royal Engineers A.F.C. have won the FA Cup in 1875 and are considered pioneers of the game.
All members of the Royal Engineers are trained Combat Engineer s and all Sapper s ( Privates ) and Non-commissioned Officer s also have another trade. Women are eligible for all Royal Engineer specialities. They are now eligible for RE Diver, although to date there are none.
Sappers can join the Royal Engineers in one of the following trades:
- Bricklayer and Concretor
- Building and Structural Finisher
- Carpenter and Joiner
- Command, Communications and Information Systems Specialist
- Construction Materials Technician
- Draughtsman (Design)
- Draughtsman (Electrical and Mechanical)
- Driver RE
- Electrician
- Fabricator (Welder)
- Fitter (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration)
- General Fitter
- Geographical Data Technician
- Geographical Production Technician
- Geographical Terrain Analyst
- Heating and Plumbing Engineer
- Plant Operator Maintainer
- Resources Specialist
- Specialist Equipment Driver/Operator
- Surveyor (Engineering)
Later, sappers can specialise in further trades and specialities, including:
- Amphibious Engineer
- Armoured Engineer
- Clerk of Works (Construction)
- Clerk of Works (Electrical)
- Clerk of Works (Mechanical)
- Commando Engineer
- Diver
- Military Plant Foreman
- Parachute Engineer
- Regimental Signals Instructor
Senior NCOs who have passed the appropriate Clerk of Works course can be Commissioned as Garrison Engineers (Construction, Electrical or Mechanical).
The Royal Engineers comprises units of both the Regular Army and the Territorial Army . There are also two higher engineer Formation s:
- 12 (Air Support) Engineer Brigade (39, 71 and 73 Regiments)
- 29 (Corps Support) Engineer Brigade ( RMRE , 75 and 101 Regiments)
- 21 Engineer Regiment (Armoured)
- --- 1st Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 4 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 7 Headquarters Squadron
- --- 73 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- 22 Engineer Regiment (Armoured/Field)
- --- 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 5 Field Squadron
- --- 6 Headquarters Squadron
- 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) - part of 16 Air Assault Brigade
- --- 9 Parachute Squadron
- --- 12 (Nova Scotia) Headquarters and Support Squadron (Air Assault)
- --- 51 Parachute Squadron
- --- 61 Field Support Squadron (Air Assault)
- 25 Engineer Regiment (Northern Ireland)
- --- 33 Field Squadron
- 26 Engineer Regiment (Armoured/Field)
- --- 8 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 30 Field Squadron
- --- 38 Headquarters Squadron
- 28 Engineer Regiment (Amphibious/Field)
- --- 23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron
- --- 42 Field Squadron
- --- 45 Field Support Squadron
- --- 64 Headquarters Squadron
- --- 65 Field Support Squadron
- 32 Engineer Regiment (Armoured)
- --- 2 Headquarters Squadron
- --- 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- 33 Engineer Regiment (Search)
- --- 17 Field Squadron
- --- 21 Field Squadron
- --- 22 Headquarters and Support Squadron
- --- 49 Field Squadron
- --- 58 Field Squadron
- 35 Engineer Regiment (Armoured)
- --- 29 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 37 Armoured Engineer Squadron
- --- 44 Headquarters and Support Squadron
- --- 77 Armoured Engineer Squadron (Assault Engineers)
- 36 Engineer Regiment (Field)
- --- 20 Field Squadron
- --- 50 Headquarters Squadron
- --- 69 Gurkha Field Squadron, Queen's Gurkha Engineers
- --- 70 Gurkha Field Support Squadron, Queen's Gurkha Engineers
- 38 Engineer Regiment (Field/Armoured)
- --- 11 Field Squadron
- --- 15 Field Support Squadron
- --- 25 Field Squadron
- --- 32 Headquarters Squadron
- 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support)
- --- 10 Field Squadron (Air Support) based at RAF Leeming
- --- 34 Field Squadron (Air Support)
- --- 48 Field Squadron (Air Support)
- --- 53 Field Squadron (Air Support)
- --- 60 Headquarters and Support Squadron (Air Support)
- Royal School of Military Engineering
- --- Combat Engineer School
-- 3 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment
- 55 Training Squadron
- 63 Training Support Squadron
- 67 Training Squadron
-- Instructor Troop
-- Battlefield Engineering Wing
- United Kingdom Mine Information And Training Centre
-- Communications Training Wing
- --- Construction Engineer School
-- 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment
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-- Command Wing
-- Civil Engineering Wing
-- Electrical and Mechanical Wing
-- National Search Centre
- --- Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School
- 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group (previously Military Works Force)
- ---HQ Works Group
--530 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (STRE)
--Royal Engineers Specialist Advisory Team (RESAT)
--Technical Information Centre Royal Engineers
- ---62 Works Group {Link without Title}
--519 STRE (Works)
--523 STRE (Works)
--520 STRE (Water Development)
--521 STRE (Water Development)
- ---63 Works Group {Link without Title}
--518 STRE (Works)
--522 STRE (Works)
--528 STRE (Utilities)
--535 STRE (Northern Ireland)
- ---64 Works Group {Link without Title}
--516 STRE (Fuels)
--517 STRE (Fuels)
--524 STRE (Works)
--527 STRE (Works)
- Diving Training Unit (Army), (DTU(A))
- Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers
NB: As part of the Restructuring of the armed forces in 2004, it was announced that the engineering support for 3 Commando Brigade would be increased to a full regiment, with 24 (Commando) Engineer Regiment to be formed.
- 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) (Air Support)
- --- 72 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron (Air Support) {Link without Title}
- --- 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron (Air Support) Bridge
- --- 117 (Highland) Headquarters and Support Squadron Leuchars
- 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group (previously Military Works Force)
- --- 62 Works Group {Link without Title}
--506 STRE (Water Infrastructure)
- --- 63 Works Group {Link without Title}
--504 STRE (Power Infrastructure)
- --- 64 Works Group {Link without Title}
--503 STRE (Fuels Infrastructure)
- --- 65 Works Group
--507 STRE (Railway Infrastructure)
--509 STRE (Ports Infrastructure)
--508 STRE (Works)
--525 STRE (Works)
--526 STRE (Works)
- 591 Independent Field Squadron
- ---Is the only Royal Engineer TA Unit in Northern Ireland.
Several units have been formed from the Royal Engineers.
The Royal Engineers from just after the Second World War until the early 1970s also had 4 Plant Troops located in the United Kingdom which were RE re-inforced Plant & Engineering troops attached to various Home Commands. The Command Plant Troops were initially set up in the late 40s to clear up the beach defences around the coast and remove the minefields and were equipped with Armoured Bulldozers. In the 1950s once all this work was complete they took responsibility of maintaining and building all Army Ranges and various civil works in support of the civilan population and in support of civilian organisations in the event of natural disasters and crises such as the Torrey Canyon disaster where the Soutnern Command Plant Troop was deployed to the West Country to clean up the mess on the beaches caused by the large volume of oil that floated ashore. The 4 Command Plant Troops were based in various locations across the United Kingdom with Southern Commend Plant Troop initially based in Tidworth, then Perham Down in Wiltshire and eventually Longmoor in Hampshire. The Midlands Plant Squadron was based in Walsall and the Northern Command plant troop was based in Ripon. The other command plant troop was based in Scotland. In Germany there was an Entire Engineering group based in Willich near Dusseldorf called the Military Civilan Plant & Engineering group that had a similar large scale Engineering, Plant and Support role for British Army of the Rhine. Each Command Plant Troop was commanded by an RE Major supported by a Military Plant Foreman.
In 1969, it was decided to amalgamate all of the Command Plant Troops into one large Squadron which had 4 troops, a HQ Troop and a large REME Attachment to it and the Squadron - 66 Plant Squadron became the largest squadron in the entire Royal Engineers, in terms of Plant Engineering and Equipment as well as staff. Its last home was in Longmoor Hampshire - Engineer Stores Depot attached to Longmoor Camp, which was also home to a Field Support Squadron. Longmoor Military Railway was from 1901 until the late 1960s the preseve of the Royal Engineers but subsequently Royal Corps of Transport and eventually Royal Logistic Corps Railway Training Centre. Its role also changed with a much wider role to support Military operations throughout NATO.
- Chieftain Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer (ChAVRE)
- Chieftain Armoured Vehicle Layer Bridge (ChAVLB)
These are being replaced by 66 Armoured Support Vehicles MOD Oracle website, News (03 Nov 06): "New Armoured Vehicles Join The Army", (accessed 25 Nov 06) ;
- is a minefield breaching vehicle. It prepares routes, mark safe routes using an Obstacle Marking System, breach complex obstacles and provide short dry and wet gap crossing utilising its excavator arm, earth moving blade and a midi fascine. It will plough through minefields, build trenches and dig defensive ditches
- will carry and lay the current range of In-Service Close Support bridges laying them faster, and in a wider variety of terrain conditions, than previous equipment. TITAN can lay a bridge over a 26 metre gap in two minutes, making it the fastest Support Vehicle in the world at this task. This gives commanders a potential battle winning edge and allows them to choose from a more flexible range of armoured vehicles.
Both vehicles which weigh over 60 tonnes and are capable of speeds of up to 56 km/h, are designed to mount and tow the current range of in-service Royal Engineer equipment (PYTHON, AVRE Trailer, Track/Full Width Mineploughs and earth moving blades). They have purpose designed hulls, will incorporate Special to Role equipment and have major assemblies common to the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank .
The following Royal Engineers have been awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
- Adam Archibald , 1918, Ors , France
- Fenton John Aylmer , 1891, Nilt Fort , India
- Mark Sever Bell , 1874, Battle Of Ordashu , Ashanti (now Ghana)
- John Rouse Merriott Chard , 1879, Rorke's Drift , South Africa
- Brett Mackay Cloutman , 1918, Pont-Sur-Sambre , France
- Clifford Coffin , 1917, Westhoek , Belgium
- James Morris Colquhoun Colvin , 1897, Mohmand Valley , India
- James Lennox Dawson , 1915, Hohenzollern Redoubt , France
- Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones , 1900, Ladysmith , South Africa
- Thomas Frank Durrant , 1942, St. Nazaire , France
- Howard Craufurd Elphinstone , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- George De Cardonnel Elmsall Findlay , 1918, Catillon , France
- Gerald Graham , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- William Hackett , 1916, Givenchy, France
- Reginald Clare Hart , 1879, Bazar Valley , Afghanistan
- Charles Alfred Jarvis , 1914, Jemappes , Belgium
- Frederick Henry Johnson , 1915, Hill 70 , France
- William Henry Johnston , 1914, Missy , France
- Frank Howard Kirby , 1900, Delagoa Bay Railway , South Africa
- Cecil Leonard Knox , 1918, Tugny , France
- Edward Pemberton Leach , 1879, Maidanah , Afghanistan
- Peter Leitch , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- William James Lendrim , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- Wilbraham Oates Lennox , 1854, Sebastopol , Crimea
- Henry MacDonald , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- Cyril Gordon Martin , 1915, Spanbroek Molen , Belgium
- James McPhie , 1918, Aubencheul-Au-Bac , France
- Philip Neame , 1914, Neuve Chapelle , France
- John Perie , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- Claude Raymond , 1945, Talaku , Burma (now Myanmar)
- John Ross , 1855, Sebastopol , Crimea
- Michael Sleavon , 1858, Jhansi , India
- Arnold Horace Santo Waters , 1918, Ors , France
- Thomas Colclough Watson , 1897, Mamund Valley , India
- Theodore Wright , 1914, Mons , Belgium
- Royal Engineers Museum - Traditions and Customs (Corps badge, march, song, nicknames etc.)
- Royal Engineers Museum - Unit Histories
- Royal Engineers Museum - Biographies
- Royal Engineers Museum - VCs of the Corps of Royal Engineers and Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners
- Royal Engineers Museum - GCs of the Corps of Royal Engineers
- Royal Engineers Museum - Military Engineering Histories (Airborne, Airfield Construction, Amphibious, Armoured, Civil Works, Combat, Commando, Field, Military Works, Queen's Gurkha, Royal School of Military Engineering, Tunnelling)
- Royal Engineers Museum - Specailist Engineering Histories (Aeronautics (ballooning), Camouflage, Diving, Electrical, Forestry, Gas Warfare, Mechanical Transport, Photography, Postal & Courier, Quarry, Submarine Mining, Survey, Telegraph and Signals, Transportation)
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