History Section - Specialist

Overview of specialist units and activities

Specialist units are those units within the Corps whose activities may not be strictly of an engineering nature. Since the set up of the Royal Engineer Establishment (now the Royal School of Military Engineering) in 1812, the officers, warrant officers and non commissioned officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers have taken an active interest in the scientific and technological developments of their day and have embraced them with a view to applying them to a military purpose. It is from the pursuit of their interests, or that the specialism was an adjunct to their engineering tasks, that many of the Specialist elements within the Corps evolved.

Below is a summary of the specialist unit and activies listed in the date order in which they became a unit or a Royal Engineer function.

• Survey (1747 ongoing) - surveying for the purpose of map making.
• Band (1835 ongoing) - military band started within the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners now the Royal Engineers Band.
• Diving (1838 ongoing) - originally only deep water diving but in the 1950's a shallow water diving capability was developed.
• Electrical (1830's ongoing) - originally started as an interest in electrical detonation and later developed into the use of searchlights.
• Aeronautics (1863-1912) - aerial observation with balloons which developed into fixed wing military flying.
• Photography (1856-1902) - photography used for military reconnaissance purposes.
• Mechanical Transport (1868-1902) - the use of steam traction engines (Steam Sappers) for transportation and for driving power tools.
• Telegraph and Signals (1870-1920) - use of telegraph, flags, lights and later telephones and wireless for military communications purposes.
• Submarine Mining  (1871-1905) - use of mines and torpedoes for coastal defence which also led to the development of searchlights.
• Transportation (1882-1965) - originally it only involved railway operations and construction, but later expanded to include Port operations (1938) and construction, Inland Water Transport (1915), and Movement Control (1942).
• Postal & Courier (1913-1993) - military postal and courier services.
• Camouflage (1915-1945) - a Works unit, responsible for disguising any object used in war.
• Gas Warfare (1915-1943) - chemical warfare and delivery of chemical weapons on the battlefield.
• Forestry (1916-1945) - a Works unit, responsible for manufacturing lumber, units were raised in the First and Second World Wars.
• Quarry (1916-1945) - a Works unit, responsible for quarrying, units were raised in the First and Second World Wars.
• Bomb Disposal (1940 ongoing) - disposal of unexploded bombs and ordnance.

Links to Corps History, Engineering and Unit Histories pages.

If you are researching a soldier's service history more information can be found on the Researching Service Records page.

 Top

Aeronautics

1863 - Royal Engineers began experimental balloon ascents for reconnaissance.

1888 - A School of Ballooning was established at Chatham.

1907 - Airship Nulli Secundus flown from Farnborough to St Paul's Cathedral, London and back.

1910 - Lieutenant RA Cammel RE made the first official military flight in a Bleriot.

1911 - The Balloon School was reorganised as the Air Battalion Royal Engineers, but was renamed the Royal Flying Corps (Naval and Military Wing) in May 1912.

1914 - (1 July) The Naval Wing is separated from the RFC and forms the basis for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). All airships in the RFC now came under the control of the RNAS.

1917 - (29 November) The Air Force (Constitution) Bill, providing for creation of an Air Force and Air Ministry receives Royal Assent.

1918 - (1 April) The Royal Air Force is formed by amalgamating the RFC and RNAS. A female branch of the new Service, the Women's Royal Air Force is also formed.

1919 - Royal Engineers (Postal Section) and RAF pioneer an international air mail service between England and Cologne, Germany to carry army mails.

1966 - Responsibilities for Airfield Construction was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Engineers.

Royal Engineers and Aeronautics

Royal Engineers and Airfield Construction

Corps History Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence (1855-1905)

Corps History Part 13 The Corps and Army Reforms (1902-1913)

Bomb Disposal

1940 - 440 Bomb Disposal Sections created to deal with unexploded bombs (UXB) dropped by German aircraft.

1943 - Work of Bomb Disposal Section was extended to the task of clearing the beach defence minefields laid in the United Kingdom in 1940.

1967 - Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Unit and Joint Services Bomb Disposal School move to Rochester, Kent.

1973 - 'Bomb Disposal' changed to 'Explosive Ordnance Disposal' (EOD).

History of Bomb Disposal

Link to Bomb Disposal's George Crosses page

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Bomb Disposal Officer's Club at www.bombdisposalclub.org.uk

Camouflage

1916 - (Mar) Special Works Park established to provide camouflage and deception support (Artists employed included Solomon J Solomon and Wallis Mills (Punch)).

1916 - (Summer) Camouflage experimental school established in Hyde Park, London.

1917 - Demand for camouflage leads to the formation of a camouflage factory for each Army.

1919 - Camouflage unit disbanded although a small section was maintained under the Royal Engineers Board until 1923.

1940 - Camouflage factory established in Rouen, France

1941 - 143 Field Park Company (in Egypt) make canvas canopies for tanks to make them look like 3-ton lorries

1942 - Build up to battle of El Alamein camouflage used to create a comprehensive deception of the actual strengths of the VIII Army.

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Diving

Diving as one of the Corps' 'specialist' activities was introduced in 1838 by Colonel (later General Sir) Charles Pasley (1780-1861). In the early days both Royal Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners trained as deep water divers. Shallow water diving capabilities were developed in the 1950's.

1838 - Colonel (later Major General Sir) CW Pasley introduces diving into the Royal Engineers.

1839 - Royal Sapper and Miners Divers carry out underwater explosive clearance of the wrecks of the William and Royal George at Portsmouth.

1871 - Royal Engineers Divers become integral part of the Submarine Mining Service.

1905 - Royal Engineers Divers become part of the Royal Engineers Inland Waterways, Transportation and Port Operating units.

1944 - Royal Engineers Divers in involved in the construction of the Mulberry harbours, and port repair.

1963 - Royal Engineers Diving Unit formed at Marchwood, Hampshire teaching both deep and shallow water driving skills.

1965 - Royal Engineers Diving Wing formed at Kiel, West Germany

1995 - Horsea Island made the home of the Defence Diving School (DDS), to train divers from both the Royal Navy and the Royal Engineers.

History of Corps Divers

Electrical

The Royal Engineers interest in electricity began in the 1830's when Colonel (later General Sir) Charles Pasley (1780-1861) invented of the electric detonator, that interest was expanded with the use of searchlights as part of the Royal Engineers (Submarine Mining Service) defence of the coastlines in Britain and its Empire.

1830's - Colonel Charles Pasley experiments with electrical detonators.

1890's - Royal Engineers Searchlight Companies formed for coastal defence purposes to complement the Submarine mining activities.

1897 - Corps of Electrical Engineers is raised.

1905 - Ravelin Building (which now houses the Museum) was built as the Electrical School, of the School of Military Engineering.

1907 - Searchlight units mechanised.

1915 - Searchlight units use anti-aircraft searchlights in the defence of London.

1941 - Searchlight units rebadged as Royal Artillery.

1961 - Searchlight responsibility returned to the Royal Engineers.

Brief History of Searchlights

Corps History Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence (1855-1905)

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Forestry

1915 - Formation of the Timber Committee in London responsible for the supply of timber for war purposes.

1915-16 - Royal Engineer Forestry unit formed to exploit the forest of Nieppe.

1916 - 5 Forestry companies formed for service in France. By 1918 24 Forestry companies operated in the United Kingdom and 11 in France.

1917 - Directorate of Forestry established in France. Wood cut and milled by the Forestry companies was used to construct roads in the Ypres salient area.

1943 - 769th Forestry Company formed for service in Italy. They were joined by 14th New Zealand Forest Company to exploit the pine forests of Calabria.

1944 - 2 Forestry company deployed shortly after D Day to exploit the forests south of Bayeux and Caen, France.

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Gas Warfare

1915 - (April) Germans discharge poison gas cloud against Allied troops on the Western Front.

1915 - (July) Four Royal Engineers Special Companies (186, 187, 188, 189) were raised to train in gas warfare.

1915 (September) Royal Engineers Special Companies use gas at the battle of Loos.

1915 - (December) Special Brigade Royal Engineers, created from the Special Companies.

1916 - (February) Box Respirator introduced and issued to British troops serving on the Western Front.

1916 - (April) Royal Engineers take over responsibility for defence against gas attack from Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Director of Gas Services appointed.

1943 - (July) Chemical warfare became an all-arms responsibility.

1943 - (October) 5th and 6th Chemical Warefare Group were converted to 5th and 6th Regiments Engineer Assault troops as part of 79 Armoured Division.

VC Citation - Corporal James Lennox Dawson VC 187 Special Company 1915

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Mechanical transport

1833 - Colonel (later General Sir) Charles Pasley is elected a member of the committee reporting upon Sir Goldsworthy Gurney's steam coaches.

1865 - Engineer and Railway Volunteer Corps raised.

1868 - Royal Engineers purchase a traction-engine (described as Steam Sapper No 1 but named The Prince Arthur after the Duke of Connaught) from Aveling & Porter of Rochester, Kent.

1871 - Steam Sapper No 2 purchased and employed on manœvres.

1873-74 - Steam Sapper No 4 deployed on the Ashanti war.

1899-1902 - Steam Sappers used during the Anglo-Boer War.

1903 - Responsibilities for Mechanical Transport transferred to the Army Service Corps (ASC).

Brief history of Transport Service

Corps history Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence

Corps history Part 13 The Corps and Army Reforms (1902-1913)

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Photography

The potential of photographs being used as a means of military reconnaissance was seen by the Royal Engineers, who introduced Photography into the curriculum of the Royal Engineer Establish (now the Royal School of Military Engineering) in 1856. Photography ceased to be taught at the School after the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902).

1856 - Photography introduced into the curriculum of the Royal Engineer Establish - Photography was used for reconnaissance purposes.

1855 - 2 Royal Sapper and Miner photographers were deployed to Crimea, but were drowned en route.

1867-68 - Royal Engineers photographers accompany the Abyssinian Expedition

1870's - Captain W de W Abney RE, invented the photolithographic process called 'Papyrotype'.

1879 - Royal Engineers photographers accompany the Zulu War

1899-1902 - Photo-Reconnaissance Section deployed to South Africa. Photographs taken from balloons pre-empt aerial photography of First World War.

On-line exhibition Around Medway 1860 (photographs taken by RE Photographers)

On-line exhibition Zulu War 1879 (photographs taken by RE Photographers)

Postal & Courier Services

1795 - One penny postage concession granted to soldiers and sailors.

1799 - Henry Darlot of the General Post Office appointed Army Post Master for the Helder Expedition.

1868 - Lieutenant Colonel Du Plat Taylor raised 49th (later 24th) Middlesex Rifle Volunteers from General Post Office employees.

1877 - War Office Committee recommended the raising of a Postal Corps.

1882 - Army Post Office Corps raised from M Company 24th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, which sees active service in Egypt.

1913 - Army Post Office Corps forms the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) as a Special Reserve unit.

1917 - Members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) employed at the Base Army Post Offices in France until 1919.

1919 - Schedule airmail service inaugurated between Folkstone and Cologne to carry mail for troops serving in British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

1919-29 - Army Courier Service operates in Europe.

1940 - Women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) take on postal duties at the Home Postal Depot. They remain with Postal until 1947.

1941 - Royal Engineers (Postal Section) introduces the Airgraph and Air Letter Form to speed the transit time of mail, the latter being the fore runner of the "bluey".

1943 - Airborne Postal unit formed to support 6 Airborne Division.

1952 - Women of the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) commence postal duties at the Home Postal Depot, Knightsbridge, London.

1953 - Royal Engineers (Postal Section) takes over responsible for the carriage of classified mail from the Royal Signals and is redesigned Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Communications).

1959 - Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Communications) become part of the regular cadre of the British Army.

1962 - Home Postal Depot moves to Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill and the Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Communications) take over responsibility for the Royal Navy's mail, thereby having a tri-Service responsibility.

1979 - Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Communications) redesignated Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Services)

1982 - Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Services) granted freedom of Barnet and The Queen visits the Postal & Courier Depot.

1992 - Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Services) becomes a Defence Agency and Postal & Courier trained operators of the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) are re-capbadged as Royal Engineers.

1993 - Royal Engineers (Postal & Courier Services) leaves the Corps to join the newly formed Royal Logistics Corps (RLC).

History of Second World War Army Postal Services (1939-45)

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Corps History Part 13 The Corps and Army Reforms (1902-1913)

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Campaign history 6th Airborne Divisional Engineers - D Day 1944

Quarry

1916 - First World War - Two Quarry companies were raised and deployed in France to quarry hardcore for road repair and construction in preparation of the Somme Offensive.

1939-45 - Quarry companies deployed to all theatres of war.

1940 - Four quarry companies were converted into Bomb Disposal units.

 

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Royal Engineers Band

The Duke of York formally introduced military bands into the British Army in about 1783, when he allowed the Guards regiments to form bands. Subsequently the War Office authorised regiments to raise similar bands at their own expense. In 1835 a Bugle band was raised from amongst the Royal Sappers and Miners, it became the Royal Engineers Band on the amalgamation of Royal Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners in 1856. A second band (Aldershot) was formed in 1949, but was disbanded in 1985.

1835 - Bugle Major David Yule, started a Bugle Band at Royal Sappers and Miners Depot, Woolwich, which developed into a Brass Band.

1847 - Band perform at a banquet given by the Chancellor of Cambridge University.

1850 - Band moved with the Depot to Chatham.

1856 - A Regimental Brass and Reed Band was established and Mr WG Collins is appointed Band Master.

1865 - William J Newstead appointed Band Master.

1870 - Newstead arranges the tune Wings which becomes the Corps March tune, see Corps Traditions.

1871 - Mr JR Sawerthal is appointed Band Master and a String Band is added.

1890 - Mr J Sommer appointed Band Master.

1895 - Royal Engineers Entertainment Fund established to manage RE Band concerts in London. Bi-annual concerts were held at the Queen's Hall, London.

1897 - The Band plays, by command of Queen Victoria, at a State dinner held at Buckingham Palace.

1905 - Mr Neville Flux appointed Band Master.

1916 - Band tours the Western Front giving concerts.

1919 - Band Master title changed to Director of Music. Band on a 10-week concert tour of France, Belgium and the Rhineland.

1929 - A dance band is formed.

1932 - Lieutenant DW Jones appointed Director of Music.

1934 - Band plays at the Garden Party at Buckinghan Palace.

1936 - Band plays at George V's funeral.

1941 - Band moves to Ripon, Yorkshire with the School of Military Engineering.

1944 - Lieutenant A Young appointed Director of Music.

1945 - Band returns to Chatham.

1946 - Band gives concert tour in the Middle East.

1948 - Band becomes an official unit of the British Army.

1949 - Second band created called the RE Staff Band (Aldershot) where it was based.

1952 - Band plays at George VI's funeral and coronation of Elizabeth II.

1957 - Band attends and plays at on the granting of independence to Ghana.

1969 - Orchestra of RE Band (Aldershot) perform and appear in film Oh! What A Lovely War

1972 - Band plays at the Corps' Freedom of Gibraltar.

1977 - Band plays at the Corps' Freedom of Hameln, West Germany.

1985 - Aldershot band disbanded.

Web link to Royal Engineers Band web site

Submarine Mining

1863 - Joint Naval and Military committee appointed Royal Engineers to design, construct and operate underwater mines as part of the harbour defences.

1871 - First Submarine Mining Company was formed.

1878 - Telephones were first used by Submarine Miners.

1890 - The Brennan Torpedo came into service. It remained in service until 1905.

1905 - Joint Naval and Military committee recommended that all Submarine Mining Companies be disbanded and their responsibilities be transferred to the Royal Navy.

Brief history of Submarine mining

Corps history Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Survey

1747 - William Roy instructed to survey the Highlands after the defeat of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonny Prince Charlie) at the battle of Culloden.

1791 - The Ordnance Board purchased a new Ramsden theodolite, and surveyors began mapping southern Britain from a baseline that Roy himself had measured several years earlier.

1801 - Map of Kent published.

1805 - Civilian Surveyors of the Ordnance Survey were formed into the Royal Military Corps - it was abolished in 1817.

1824 - Lt Col Thomas Colby instructed to begin a survey of Ireland.

1832 - First Boundary Commission conducted in relation to the Reform Act.

1836 - United States-Canada Boundary Commission

1842 - Headquarters of Ordnance Survey move to Southampton.

1853 - Map scale of 25.344 inches to the mile adopted at the suggestion of General Sir John Burgoyne.

1865-83 - Surveys of Palestine.

1915 - Aerial photography was used to make topographic studies of the battle area. Sound Ranging (locating enemy artillery by sound) was introduced.

1916 - 'Flash Spotting' (locating enemy artillery by observation) was developed.

1949 - School of Military Survey established at Hermitage, near Newbury.

1962 - Directorate of Military Survey moved in Feltham.

1970 - Survey of all obstructions to low flying by objects over 200 feet throughout the United Kingdom.

1974 - Secondment to the Ordnance Survey ceases.

1970s - Trials and adoption of the Tactical Information Printing System (TACIPRINT) for production of special maps to support operations, trials and exercises.

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War

Corps History Part 17 The Corps at Home (1945-80)

Telegraph and Signals

The Royal Engineers interest in military communications began during the Crimean War (1854-56), when they were given an opportunity to use telegraph equipment. In the 1860's the Royal Engineers developed a system of flag and lamp signalling for use on military campaigns. By the end the First World War the Royal Engineers (Signal Service) had so developed and expanded that it was decided that it should become a corps in its own right - the Corps of Royal Signals formed in 1920.

1838 - The American Samuel Morse invents the Morse Code.

1854 - Royal Engineers serving in the Crimea accept Electric Telegraph Company offer to the use the telegraph.

1860's - School of Military Engineering, Chatham adapt Morse Code to flag signalling.

1870 - C Telegraph Troop formed to provide telegraph communicate to the field armies. In the same year Telegraph trained Royal Engineers are seconded to the General Post Office to assist in managing the newly nationalised telegraph companies.

1870's - Royal Engineers adapt heliograph communication for field purposes.

1876 - Flag signalling was transferred to the Infantry and a School of Signals was established in Aldershot.

1877 - Telephones are used in the field.

1882 - Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Campaign, General Wolseley, used telegraph set up by the Royal Engineers to telegraph the news of his victory over Arabi Pasha at Tel-el-Kebir back to England. This was the first occasion that telegraph had been used for such a purpose.

1884 - C troop and Postal Telegraph Company amalgamated to form the Telegraph Battalion

1907 Wireless Telegraph Companies formed.

1908-12 - Telegraph and Signal Services amalgamated to form the the Army Signal Services.

1913 - The Telegraph School at Chatham transferred to the School of Signals at Aldershot.

1915 - Royal Engineers Army Pigeon Service was formed.

1916 - The Fullerphone, invented by Captain (later Major General) AC Fuller, Royal Engineers came into service.

1917 - Members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) employed as Telegraphists in France.

1918 - The telephone was the main means of communication on the Western Front

1920 - Royal Engineers Signal Service became the Corps of Signals (later Royal Corps of Signals).

Corps History Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence (1855-1905)

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Transportation

The Royal Engineers interest in railways began in the 1840's when junior officers carried out safety inspections of the railways. In the 1860's they began with experiments with steam traction engines and within twenty years those interests expanded to include:

• Railway operation and construction (1882)
• Port operation (1938) and construction (1860's)
• Inland Water Transportation (1915)
• Movement Control (1942)

Railway and port operations, inland water transportation and movement control left the Royal Engineers in 1965 to form the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT).

1882 - 8 Railway Company raised to serve with the Egyptian Expedition and so began Royal Engineers Transport Service.

1885 - Royal Engineers construct railway in Suakin.

1897-99 - Royal Engineers supervise the construction of the Sudan Desert railway (576 mles).

1899-1902 - Railway units operate trains used to patrol the Veldt during Anglo-Boer War. Advances also made in the use of traction engines during the war.

1905 - Railway Training Centre established at Longmoor, Hampshire. Royal Engineers Divers transferred from the Submarine Mining Service to the Transport Service.

1915 - Creation of Inland Water Transport units, initially in Persia (now Iran) but soon deployed to other theatres of war.

1916 - A cross-Channel barge ferry service opened between Richborough, Kent and Calais.

1917 - Transportation Service take over responsibility for the Light railways on the Western Front.

1938 - Port Operations (stevedoring) started.

1940-42 - Transportation port construction companies construct ports at Faslane and Cairn Ryan in Scotland.

1942 - Movement Control Section, Royal Engineers formed.

1944 - Royal Engineers Transportation Services control construction and use of the Mulberry harbours during Operation Overlord.

1965 - Trains, Port Operations and Movement Control with the Transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) become the Royal Transport Corps (RCT). Royal Engineers Divers remained with the Corps.

Brief history of Transportation Service

Longmoor Military Railway - Signal School Railway Model - Description and Appeal

Corps History Part 8 - Corps amalgamation and Coastal Defence (1855-1905)

Corps History Part 11 Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757-1979)

Corps History Part 14 The Corps and the First World War

Corps History Part 16 The Corps and the Second World War