Citizendia
Your Ad Here

British Army Arms and Services

Combat Arms
Royal Armoured Corps
Infantry
Guards Division
Scottish Division
King's Division
Queen's Division
Prince of Wales' Division
Royal Irish Regiment
Parachute Regiment
Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Rifles
Special Air Service Regiment
Army Air Corps
Combat Support Arms
Royal Regiment of Artillery
Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Corps of Signals
Intelligence Corps
Combat Services
Royal Army Chaplains Department
Royal Logistic Corps
Army Medical Services
Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Dental Corps
Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Queen Alexandra's Royal
Army Nursing Corps
Corps of Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers
Adjutant General's Corps
Army Legal Services Branch
Royal Military Police
Military Provost Staff Corps
Small Arms School Corps
Army Physical Training Corps
General Service Corps
Corps of Army Music

The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC is currently a collection of ten regular Regiments mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments The British Army 's Infantry comprises 51 Battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards. The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units The King's Division is a British Army command training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England The Queen's Division is a British Army command training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and For the regiment of the same name disbanded in 1922 see Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922 The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling 83rd The Parachute Regiment is the Airborne Infantry element of the British Army. The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR is a Regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. For the band The Rifles see The Rifles (band. For the novel by William T The Special Air Service ( SAS) is a Special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model and inspiration for the special The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army, first formed in 1942 The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. The Intelligence Corps (also known as Int Corps) is one of the Corps of the British Army. The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD is an all-officer corps that provides Ordained Clergy to minister to the British Army. Royal Logistic Corps is the British Army Corps that provides the logistic support for the Army The Army Medical Services (AMS is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate units responsible for supplying medical and nursing services in the British Army The Royal Army Medical Corps ( RAMC) is a specialist Corps in the British Army which provides Medical services to all British Army The Royal Army Dental Corps ( RADC) is a specialist Corps in the British Army that provides dental care services to British Army personnel and their families The Royal Army Veterinary Corps ( RAVC) is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision training and care of animals Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps ( QARANC; commonly known as the QAs) is the Nursing branch of the British Army and part of the The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ( REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee" is a Corps of the British Army that has The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services The Army Legal Services Branch ( ALS) is a branch of the Adjutant-General's Corps (AGC in the British Army. The Royal Military Police ( RMP) is the branch of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel and providing a Military police The Military Provost Staff Corps ( MPSC) was the Corps of the British Army which ran its Military prisons As the Military Provost Staff The Small Arms School Corps (SASC is a small corps of the British Army responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms support weapons and The Army Physical Training Corps ( APTC) is the British Army Corps responsible for Physical fitness and Physical education. The General Service Corps ( GSC) is a corps of the British Army. The Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. It was formed in 1994 as an umbrella organisation centred on the Royal Military School of Music A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service The structure of the British Army is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, being divided into two Commands as top-level budget The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It provides combat engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces. Combat engineering is a Combat service support role of using the knowledge tools and techniques of Engineering by troops in peace and war but specifically in

The Regimental Headquarters and the Royal School of Military Engineering are in Chatham in Kent, England. The Royal School of Military Engineering ( RSME) is the main training establishment for the British Army 's Royal Engineers. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The corps is divided into several regiments, barracked at various places in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Germany. A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Contents

History

Cap Badge of the Royal Engineers
Cap Badge of the Royal Engineers

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. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages 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. The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. The Board of Ordnance was a British government body responsible for the supply of armaments and munitions to the British Army. In 1717, the Board established a Corps of Engineers, consisting entirely of commissioned officers. An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority 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. Gibraltar (dʒɨˈbrɒltər is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force 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. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in 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 Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C, was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904 when the office The following year, the Royal Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners became a unified corps as the Corps of Royal Engineers. In 1862 the corps also absorbed the British officers and men of the engineer corps of the East India Company. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or

In 1911 the Corps formed its Air Battalion, the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces. The Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of Heavier-than-air craft The Armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces The Air Battalion was the forerunner of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War.

The Corps has no battle honours, 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 battle honour is a military tradition practised in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand William IV (William Henry 21 August 1765 &ndash 20 June 1837 was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until 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. The Royal Engineers Museum and Library is a Military engineering Museum and Library in Gillingham, Medway, Kent, England Gillingham ( is a town in the Unitary authority of Medway in South East England.

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 Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. The famous Royal Engineers A.F.C. won the FA Cup in 1875 and are considered pioneers of the game. The Royal Engineers AFC is a football team founded in 1863 under the leadership of Major Marindin of the Corps of Royal Engineers, the Sappers

Before the Second World War, Royal Engineers recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall (5 feet 2 inches for the Mounted Branch). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve or four years and eight years. Unlike most corps and regiments, in which the upper age limit was 25, men could enlist in the Royal Engineers up to 30 years of age. They trained at the Royal Engineers Depot in Chatham or the RE Mounted Depot at Aldershot. Aldershot is a town in the English County of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km (37 miles southwest of London. [1]

Trades

All members of the Royal Engineers are trained combat engineers and all sappers (privates) and non-commissioned officers also have another trade. Combat engineering is a Combat service support role of using the knowledge tools and techniques of Engineering by troops in peace and war but specifically in A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Women are eligible for all Royal Engineer specialities.

Sappers can join the Royal Engineers in one of the following trades:

Later, sappers can specialise in further trades and specialities, including:

Senior NCOs who have passed the appropriate Clerk of Works course can be commissioned as Garrison Engineers (Construction, Electrical or Mechanical). An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority

Royal Engineers units

The Royal Engineers comprises units of both the Regular Army and the Territorial Army. The Territorial Army ( TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom There are also two higher engineer formations:


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. Formed in April 2008 24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Formed in April 2008 24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. The Defence College of Intelligence Royal School of Military Survey (DCI RSMS is a joint services training facility associated with the Corps of Royal Engineers (RE but attached Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. British Forces Cyprus ( BFC) is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on The 2003 Defence White Paper, entitled Delivering Security in a Changing World sets out the future of the British military, and builds on the 1998 3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines.

Territorial Army

Successor units

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 reinforced 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. The armored Bulldozer is a basic tool of Combat engineering. These Combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer 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 civilian population and in support of civilian organisations in the event of natural disasters and crises such as the Torrey Canyon disaster where the Southern 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 Torrey Canyon was a Supertanker capable of carrying a cargo of 120000 tons of Crude oil, which was wrecked off the western coast of Cornwall 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 Civilian 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, an 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. The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ( REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee" is a Corps of the British Army that has 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 preserve 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.

In late 1976 a Mr Trotter in Parliament asked the Secretary of State for Defence which units, apart from 66 Plant Squadron Royal Engineers, are specialists in heavy plant; whether he still intends to disband this squadron; if so, what unit will take its place; and what will be the reduction in the engineers' heavy plant capacity.

In answer to Mr Trotter 's question (See Hansard - Defence 6 December 1976) Mr. Robert C. Brown replied . . . There is no directly comparable regular unit containing a similar concentration of specialist plant expertise, but specialist capability exists in parts of various regular field and base units in the United Kingdom, BAOR and elsewhere. In addition, there are two TAVR plant squadrons. As a consequence of the Defence Review, 66 Plant Squadron, Royal Engineers will disband by early 1978, but most of its heavy equipment will be taken over by other engineer units notably in the TAVR. As a result, there will be some reduction in the capacity of the Royal Engineers to plan and conduct major projects in peacetime.

Equipment

These are being replaced by 66 Armoured Support Vehicles [2] ;

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. FV4034 Challenger 2 is a Main battle tank (MBT currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman.

Order of Precedence

Preceded by:
Royal Regiment of Artillery		 Order of Precedence Succeeded by:
Royal Corps of Signals

Decorations

Victoria Cross

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. Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, is generally known as the Royal Artillery and is nicknamed the Gunners. For the purposes of parading the Regular army of the British Army is listed according to an order of precedence. The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Memorials

External links


References

  1. ^ War Office, His Majesty's Army, 1938
  2. ^ MOD Oracle website, News (03 Nov 06): "New Armoured Vehicles Join The Army", (accessed 25 Nov 06)
The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic