Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Engineers trace their origins as far back as William the Conqueror who brought with him Gundulph, who was a monk, also an engineer and designed the tower of Rochester cathedral which the modern Royal Engineers visit annually. Gundulph was also involved in the building of the White Tower of the Tower of London which later became the headquarters of the Board of Ordnance.
The Corps was unti1 1856 composed entirely of officers. Continental armies included engineers, but Britain relied on employing local tradesmen and suitably skilled infantry soldiers.
In Gibraltar however, a corps of Sappers and Miners was formed. This unit was responsible for creating the fortifications and galleries of the Rock. Seeing the success of the Sappers, the Duke of Wellington called for a similar corps to be adopted into the British army generally. Consequently a corps of Sappers and Miners was inaugurated in 1813, commanded by Royal Engineers under the jurisdiction of the Board of Ordnance rather than the War Office. It wasn’t until 1856 that both corps were amalgamated as the Corps of Royal Engineers.
As well as general engineering duties such as destroying enemy fortifications (and building our own), they undertook road and bridge building, mapping and so forth. They became responsible for the operation of innovations in our army, photography, electrics, the telegraph, military balloons, military steam engines, the first tanks, the first military aircraft and so forth.
The Corps badge bears the motto “UBIQUE” which means “everywhere”. How appropriate this is, they went everywhere as an essential part of all campaigns but never forgot the rule that they were soldiers first and engineers second, a tradition which endures to this day. Notable late Victorian Engineers were Gordon of Khartoum, Kitchener of the Soudan and Napier of Abyssinia.
The Corps was unti1 1856 composed entirely of officers. Continental armies included engineers, but Britain relied on employing local tradesmen and suitably skilled infantry soldiers.
In Gibraltar however, a corps of Sappers and Miners was formed. This unit was responsible for creating the fortifications and galleries of the Rock. Seeing the success of the Sappers, the Duke of Wellington called for a similar corps to be adopted into the British army generally. Consequently a corps of Sappers and Miners was inaugurated in 1813, commanded by Royal Engineers under the jurisdiction of the Board of Ordnance rather than the War Office. It wasn’t until 1856 that both corps were amalgamated as the Corps of Royal Engineers.
As well as general engineering duties such as destroying enemy fortifications (and building our own), they undertook road and bridge building, mapping and so forth. They became responsible for the operation of innovations in our army, photography, electrics, the telegraph, military balloons, military steam engines, the first tanks, the first military aircraft and so forth.
The Corps badge bears the motto “UBIQUE” which means “everywhere”. How appropriate this is, they went everywhere as an essential part of all campaigns but never forgot the rule that they were soldiers first and engineers second, a tradition which endures to this day. Notable late Victorian Engineers were Gordon of Khartoum, Kitchener of the Soudan and Napier of Abyssinia.
The Royal Engineers in The Zulu War.
Regiments which have numbers and/or county designations such as the 80th Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) are known as Line Regiments. Certain other military organisations, for example the transport, medical and general staff are called “Corps”. The engineers are one of these. Each carries flags called “Colours”, one for the reigning monarch and one for the regiment. These are known respectively as king’s or queen’s colours and the regimental colour which has embroidered on it the names of significant battles in which the regiment took part.
The engineers have only one battle honour, “Ubique”, a Latin word meaning “everywhere”. This sums up their role in the army. Line regiments went to fight, generally in comparatively large numbers whereas the engineers were present in much smaller groups and were involved in building forts, roads and bridges, making maps to guide the line troops, and all sorts of tasks. Parties of engineers were attached to most line regiments.
The principle is, however, that they are soldiers first and engineers (usually called sappers) second. This is exemplified at the Zulu victory at Isandhlwana where Colonel Durnford although an engineer, commanded native cavalry and was killed doing so. The colonel’s batman, Corporal Mansfield of the engineers had been killed earlier. Corporal Gamble and three other sappers (who had been detailed to supervise road-building there) had joined the right of the line when the Zulus attacked and were also killed. Likewise Lieutenant Mc Dowell who was on the staff of Colonel, 24th regiment of foot (2nd Warwickshires).
Some Zulus went on to attack the position of Rorkes Drift. Command of this post had fallen to Lieutenant Chard of the engineers where his batman was his driver Sapper Robson. On this occasion the Zulus were defeated despite apparently overwhelming numbers.
These are just examples of the engineer’s involvement in the war, one hundred and forty were present in the garrison besieged by Zulus at Eshowe and ninety were present at the battle of the Nyzane River.
There are other incidents too numerous to mention here, but this is a thumbnail sketch of what the Royal Engineers do and have done in our army’s campaigns.
The engineers have only one battle honour, “Ubique”, a Latin word meaning “everywhere”. This sums up their role in the army. Line regiments went to fight, generally in comparatively large numbers whereas the engineers were present in much smaller groups and were involved in building forts, roads and bridges, making maps to guide the line troops, and all sorts of tasks. Parties of engineers were attached to most line regiments.
The principle is, however, that they are soldiers first and engineers (usually called sappers) second. This is exemplified at the Zulu victory at Isandhlwana where Colonel Durnford although an engineer, commanded native cavalry and was killed doing so. The colonel’s batman, Corporal Mansfield of the engineers had been killed earlier. Corporal Gamble and three other sappers (who had been detailed to supervise road-building there) had joined the right of the line when the Zulus attacked and were also killed. Likewise Lieutenant Mc Dowell who was on the staff of Colonel, 24th regiment of foot (2nd Warwickshires).
Some Zulus went on to attack the position of Rorkes Drift. Command of this post had fallen to Lieutenant Chard of the engineers where his batman was his driver Sapper Robson. On this occasion the Zulus were defeated despite apparently overwhelming numbers.
These are just examples of the engineer’s involvement in the war, one hundred and forty were present in the garrison besieged by Zulus at Eshowe and ninety were present at the battle of the Nyzane River.
There are other incidents too numerous to mention here, but this is a thumbnail sketch of what the Royal Engineers do and have done in our army’s campaigns.
A photo of a group of Officers in Zulu land some Royal Engineers (the officer on the stool in the woolly hat is Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard, Victoria Cross)