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Collection Section - Guide to the Galleries |
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Floor Plan of the Museum
(move your cursor over the coloured areas to reveal
contents of galleries) |
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King's Engineers to Soldier Artificers (1066-1790) |
| Description |
Covers military engineering
from Norman times to the creation of the Royal Military
Artificers in 1787. The exhibits illustrate the
development of fortifications from Norman times
to the middle of the 18th century and the creation
of the Corps of Engineers and the engineer soldiers.
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Close up of the Soldier
Artificers' model of Gibraltar showing the King's
Bastion.
The model was made by Sergeant Shirres and Corporal
Bland c1789.
(on loan from Royal Artillery Institution) |
| Don't miss |
- Model of Rhuddlan Castle, Wales
- Model of Gibraltar built by Soldier Artificers
Apprentices.
- Diorama of the Soldier Artificers in Gibraltar
c1772.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Engineering history page
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French Wars
(1793-1815) |
| Description |
This gallery illustrates
the Engineer’s role during the Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars. The creation of the Royal Engineer
Establishment by Captain Charles Pasley, Royal Engineers,
which later became the Royal School of Military
Engineering. The exhibits discuss the development
of field and, what was to later become known as,
combat engineering. |
Waterloo Map - 1815.
It was used by Wellington to deploy his Army on
18 June 1815 and is marked with the blood of Sir
William de Lancey, who carried it during the battle.
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| Don't miss |
- Sash worn by Captain (later General) Pasley.
- Waterloo Map, used by the Duke of Wellington
at the Battle in 1815.
- Congreve Rockets.
- A lock of Napoleon's hair taken whilst he
a prisoner at St Helena (1820's).
- Dress uniform (1812) of Captain George Landmann,
the oldest uniform in the collection .
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
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Victorian
Wars and Developments (1830-1902) |
| Description |
Covering campaigns such
as the Crimean War, the Abyssinian War, The Ashanti
War, the Zulu War, the Boer War and such innovations
as submarine mining, military diving, steam traction
and electrical engineering. It also covers the development
of the British Empire’s infrastructure with
surveys, railways and architecture, as well as telegraph,
photography and postal services to the field armies.
This gallery also highlight the lives of some of
the most famous Royal Engineers; General Charles
Gordon, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, Field Marshal
Lord Napier and Lt John Chard VC. |
Part
of the set of rare Chinese 19th Century court
dress with which Major (later General) Charles
Gordon RE (of Khartoum) was invested after his
successful campaign against the Tai Ping rebels
(1860-64) |
| Don't miss |
- The world's only surviving 'Brennan Torpedo'.
- 'Snob the dog' from the Crimean War.
- The court dress of a Chinese Mandarin given
to General Gordon in 1860's.
- Abyssinian Leopard-skin regalia (1868), Zulu
shields (1879) and a Mahdist robe (1898).
- Diorama of a Boer War blockhouse (1901).
- Lower wing of a biplane used by Colonel Cody,
1910c.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
- Specialist
history page
- Campaign history page
- Sapper VCs page
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First World
War (1914-1918) |
| Description |
‘The Great War’
saw an unprecedented increase in the number of Royal
Engineers as they took on a mass of engineering
roles associated with the trench war. Camouflage,
trench design, field engineering, tunnelling, signalling,
chemical warfare, inland water transport, postal
services, and many other developments are covered
in these galleries and you can visit our Trench!
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 German Tunneller’s smoke helmet c1915
Both sides engaged in tunnelling operations to
plant mines beneath each others trenches. Mining
and countermining was largely carried out by Royal
Engineers Tunnelling units. |
| Don't miss |
- Wooden cross grave marker of Captain T Wright
VC.
- Papier Mache head used as a sniper decoy.
- German Tunneller’s smoke helmet.
- Soldier's 'Hard-Tack' ration biscuit sent
through the post from the trenches.
- Turkish silk map from Gallipoli (1915).
- 'Sweet-heart' broaches.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
- Specialist
history page
- Sapper VCs page
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Second World
War (1939-45) |
| Description |
These galleries illustrate
the diverse activities of the Corps in the Second
World War. New tasks such as airborne engineering,
mine and bomb disposal and armoured engineering
were added to the usual engineering roles of bridging,
building accommodation, electrical services, forestry,
postal services, port and railway operations and
tunneling. There are galleries devoted to the Royal
Engineers' contribution to Operation Overlord (D-Day)
and the war in the Far East. |
 One of the heavy water cells from the plant at Vermork, Norway that had been the target of Operation Freshman (19 Nov 1942). |
| Don't miss |
- Wreckage from a Horsa glider destroyed on
Operation Freshman.
- Bailey Bridge.
- Models of Mulberry Harbour used to brief the
Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
- A working train model of a military port.
- Butterfly bombs dropped on Grimsby and cleared
by Bomb Disposal Sections.
- An ATS uniform that had been worn by a woman
serving with the Home Postal Centre RE, Nottingham.
- Japanese ceremonial sword surrendered to a
Royal Engineer officer.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
- Specialist
history page
- Campaign history page
- Sapper VCs page
- Sapper
GCs page
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Post-War Period (1946 to present) |
| Description |
Covering the period
from the end of the Second World War to the Corps
today this gallery details the enormous changes
in the role of the army. Withdrawal from Empire,
National Service, creation of the Queen's Gurkha
Engineers, Northern Ireland and the UN Peace Keeping
activities are all illustrated. |
 A caterpillar D4 tractor in airdrop mode on a medium stresses platform, the standard means of delivery from the Beverley aircraft, used throughout the Borneo campaign (1962-4) |
| Don't miss |
- Combat Engineer Tractor brought into service
in 1978.
- Harrier Jump Jet.
- Federal Engineers (Malaya) display
- Airdropped D4C Caterpillar Tractor on medium
stress platform.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
- Specialist
history page
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Medal Rooms |
| Description |
The Museum has a world
class medal collection, the vast majority of which
is on display in the Medal Rooms. The Royal Engineers
have taken part in every campaign that the British
Army has fought and the collection reflects this.
It also gives the Museum an opportunity to remember
the achievements of past sappers and their sacrifices.
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Waterloo Medal
the first campaign medal to be issued to all ranks
present at the battle. |
| Don't miss |
- 26 Victoria Crosses
- 3 George Crosses
- Regalia of 4 Field Marshals
- Army Gold Medal 1793-1814
- The Waterloo Medal the first campaign medal
to issued to all ranks.
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Sapper VCs page
- Sapper
GCs page
- Researching
Medal Records page
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Outside Displays |
| Description |
The outside display
located in the Museum grounds contains a large collection
of engineering equipment and vehicles covering the
period from the end of the Second World War to the
present day. |
Centurion (tank) bridge
layer |
| Don't miss |
- Centurion (tank) ARK
(ARK - Armoured Ramp Carrier)
- Bomb disposal drilling rig.
- A section of the Berlin Wall (1989).
- A locomotive used on the D Day beaches, Normandy
(1944).
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| Related Information |
- Corps History page
- Biography page
- Engineering history page
- Specialist
history page
- Campaign history page
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Designated as a museum with an 'outstanding
collection' the Royal Engineers Museum is a charity supported
by private funds. Reg No: 295173 |
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