Introduction to Corps and Military Engineering
History |
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The pages in the History Section aim to provide information
on all aspects of the Corps of Royal Engineers history.
A general history of the development of the Corps can
be found on the Corps
History page.
A Corps history timeline can be found
on the Timeline
page and unit histories can be found on the Unit
Histories page.
Military engineering can, in general terms, be categorised
into three areas:
| Works |
The construction and maintenance
of fortifications and military accommodation.
- for brief histories see Engineering
page. |
| Field |
The engineering activities conducted by engineers
attached to field armies that enable the army to
fight, move and live (survive).
- for brief histories see Engineering
page. |
| Specialist |
Specialisms within the Royal Engineers often
originated as spin-offs from Works and Field engineering
activities, a good example is the development
of Survey, which stemmed from the need to map
the Highlands of Scotland after the defeat of
the Jacobites (1746) and was begun by engineer
officers in 1747.
In many cases these Specialisms developed to
such an extent that they split away from the Corps
to continue to operate in their own right, examples
include:
- 'Ballooning' to the Royal Flying Corps (1912) now the Royal Air Force (RAF)
- 'Telegraph' to the Corps of Royal Signals
(1920)
- for brief histories see Specialist
page.
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Some historical information about the administration,
welfare and sports within the Corps can be found on
the Welfare
and Sports page. It is a rich history of sporting
success at national level (the Corps won the FA cup
in 1875), academic achievement and professional development,
as well as philanthropy (the Corps started a widows
fund in 1783).
The information held on the pages of this section will
be added to as Museum and Library staff carry out new
research or receive interesting information and articles
from members of the Corps and general public.
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Quick links to History Section pages:
- Articles
- Biographies
- Campaigns
- Corps Freedoms
- Corps History
- Corps Traditions
- Engineering
- Quiz
- Sapper GCs
- Sapper VCs
- Specialist
- Timeline
- Unit
Histories
- Welfare and Sports
First World War Sapper cartoon,
illustrating the diversity of the Corps activities
(The Sapper) |
