Great Britain: Regimental Units of the Corps of Royal Engineers and its pdecessors 1772-1889
v.1.0 December 30, 2001
A) 1772-1815 Regimental Units to the end of the Napoleonic Wars
1) The Royal Warrant of 6 March 1772
This authorized the formation of a Company of Artificers at Gibraltar
with an establishment of 68 all ranks (no officers). Within a year, this was increased to 93 all ranks and in 1776 to 116. In 1786 its establishment was raised to 275 and was divided into 2 Companies.
2) The Royal Warrant of 10 October 1787
The Corps of Military Artificers was created for the home establishment. The corps was included in the Mutiny Act of that year. The Warrant created a force of six companies of 100 men each (total 600). The companies were not transferable and their stations were:
Woolwich
Chatham
Portsmouth
Gosport
Plymouth
Channel Islands
In 1789 a Colonel-Commandant and Quartermaster were appointed.
3) The Royal Warrant of 11 September 1793
4 companies were authorized for special service abroad. The total
establishment was now 1,000 men plus the Gibraltar companies.
2 companies Flanders - 1 not formed
1 company West Indies
1 company Canada - not formed
4) 1793-1800
In June 1797 the Gibraltar companies were added to the Corps of Military Artificers increasing its nominal establishment to 1,000 men in 10 companies. However, the West Indies Company lost 239 men to wounds and disease while 350 joined in the years 1793-1800. In 1800 it did not exceed 78 all ranks.
In 1800 the following stations were occupied:
Woolwich
Portsmouth
Gosport
Plymouth
Jersey and Guernsey
Gibraltar
Minorca
Nova Scotia
West Indies
Chatham
There were also detachments in Egypt with Abercrombie’s Army.
5) The Maltese Military Artificers
3 companies of Maltese artificers officered by the Royal Engineers were
formed in 1806 with a total establishment of 276. 2 companies were for
service in Malta and Gozo. The 3rd Company was for general service in the Mediterranean.
6) The Royal Warrant of 5 September 1806
The new establishment was 12 companies of 126 all ranks for a total of 1,514 including staff. The distribution of the companies was as follows:
1st Company - Woolwich
2nd Company - Chatham
3rd Company - Dover
4th Company - Portsmouth
5th Company - Gosport
6th Company - Plymouth
7th Company - Spike Island
8th Company - Channel Islands
9th Company - Gibraltar
10th Company - Gibraltar
11th Company - West Indies
12th Company - Nova Scotia
In 1807 the offices of Adjutant and Quartermaster were combined and the
headquarters of the corps was established at Woolwich.
7) The Royal Warrant of 28 May 1811
The size of the Corps of Military Artificers was set at 32 companies of 89
all ranks for a total of 2,861 all ranks (this must include a staff of 13).
The companies were grouped into 4 battalions each of 8 companies. The
companies were no longer localised but removed by rotation from station to
station as required.
Distribution of Companies:
2 Guernsey and Jersey
2 Cork
2 Plymouth
2 Chatham
6 Woolwich
3 Portsmouth and Gosport
2 Dover
1 Newfoundland
1 Halifax
3 Gibraltar
1 West Indies
2 Cadiz (6th and 7thCompanies of 1st Battalion)
4 Portugal (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th of 2nd Battalion)
This was because of the severe strains on the Corps created by the Peninsular War, which were initially answered by drafts from companies. Expansion was completed by the end of the year.
In 1812 a school was set up in Chatham for military fieldwork, since
developed into the School of Military Engineering. On 4th August 1812 the Master-General of the Ordnance directed "that the RMA should hereafter be styled the Royal Military Artificers or Sappers and Miners." On 6th March 1813 this was changed to the Royal Sappers and Miners. At the same time the uniforms were changed from blue to scarlet. In 1814 the posts of Adjutant and Quartermaster were split again.
8) The Waterloo Campaign
At the end of the Peninsular War there were 5 companies in Wellingtons Army,
one was sent to North America and 4 to England. One company went with the
Holland Expedition at the end of 1813 and 2 more followed in 1814-15.
There were 3 companies in North America in 1815 (i.e. one from Spain and 2
others)all went to England at the close of the American War.
At the start of the Waterloo Campaign there were 3 companies in Belgium from
the Holland Expedition. 8 companies were sent as reinforcements, 7 from
England and one from North America. 5 companies remained with the army of
occupation.
B) 1815-1849
1) The Reductions of 1815-19
On 5th October 1815 the 3 Maltese companies were absorbed into the Royal
Sappers and Miners, but retained the title Maltese Sappers and Miners.
However, 2 of the 3 companies were disbanded.
In August 1816 the 32 companies were reduced by 25 men each for a total
reduction in establishment of 800. In February 1817 one of the 4
battalions was disbanded and the 24 remaining companies reduced by 25 men.
In 1819 the new establishment was 12 companies of 62 men each. These
Were divided between 11 stations but I do not know which one had 2 companies:
Portsmouth
Woolwich
Plymouth
Chatham
Gibraltar
Corfu
Bermuda
Barbados
St Helena
Canada
Cape of Good Hope
2) The Royal Warrants of 1st December 1825 and 4th April 1825
The first authorised the formation of the 13th (Survey) Company, RS&M
with 62 men. The second Royal Warrant authorised the 14th and 16th companies
for survey work and the 15th Company for general service in Corfu. The
total establishment of the corps was now 1,000.
3) The Royal Warrant of 27th March 1827
The corps was increased to 19 companies, with 1,262 all ranks. One of the
extra companies was for Bermuda and the other 2 were for Canada. However,
the Corps was reduced to 17 companies on completion of the Rideau Canal.
4) The Royal Warrant of 30th August 1833
The 17 companies were reduced to 12 (9 GS and 3 survey) of 91 men each.
Their stations were:
-Woolwich 3 companies
-Chatham 1 company
-Gibraltar 1 company
-Corfu 1 company
-Bermuda 1 company
-Halifax 1 company
-Cape of Good Hope and Mauritius 1 company
-Survey 3 companies
In effect by the end of 1834 they had 1,070 all ranks because the Corfu
Company was on a smaller scale.
5) 1832-1849
My notes say that a Royal Warrant of 3rd July 1832 authorized the formation
of the 13th Company. This must be a mistake. A Royal Warrant of 21st
June 1841 authorized the formation of the 14th Company. The total strength
of the Corps was now 1,298 all ranks.
In 1846 it was decided on a gradual expansion of the Corps to 22 companies.
However, the Royal Warrant to authorise this was not issued until 1st
March 1849. The new companies were formed between 1st April 1846 and 1st
March 1849. The total establishment was now 2,185 including staff. 3 of the
4 survey companies were on an establishment of 105 all ranks. The other
Survey Company and 17 general service companies were on an establishment of
100. The company in Corfu remained at 62 men.
C) 1849-61
1) The Crimean War
In 1854-55 the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners had a new establishment of
2,655 by adding 20 men to each company.
4 companies were sent out to the Crimea and allocated as follows:
1st Division - 11th Company
2nd Division - 8th Company
3rd Division - 7th Company
4th Division - 10th Company
By 9th May 1855 there were 9 RS&M companies in the Crimea. The extra
companies were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.
In April 1855 the 23rd Company was raised but in April 1856 it was renamed A
Troop and a new 23rd Company was raised. Meanwhile the 24th Company was
raised in May 1855. The 25th and 26th Companies were raised in October 1855.
2) The Merger
On 17th August 1856 the London Gazette announced the transfer of the
Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners to the Corps of Royal Engineers. The privates
of the RS&M became sappers in the Corps of Royal Engineers.
3) Postwar Expansion
New companies were formed after the Crimean War as follows:
27th Company, RE - November 1856
28th Company, RE - December 1856
29th Company, RE - February 1857
30th Company, RE - March 1857
31st Company, RE - April 1857
32nd Company, RE - April 1857
4) The Indian Mutiny
The 4th, 11th, 21st and 23rd Companies served in the Indian Mutiny.
After they were removed from the Indian Establishment the numbers were brought
up to 3,967.
D) 1861-1889 The Corps Diversifies
1) The Royal Engineers Train
a) The Napoleonic Wars
The British Army did not form its own bridging train until one was
formed in the Peninsular in the winter of 1812-13. In April 1813 it had the
following personnel:
Description |
Number |
2 Officers RE |
2 |
1 Superintendent |
19 |
1 Civil Master Artificer |
|
7 Civil Artificers |
|
10 Sappers and Miners |
|
1 DA Commissary-General |
258 |
2 Clerks |
|
5 Conductors |
|
250 Drivers |
|
Portuguese Navy |
|
1 Lieutenant |
66 |
7 Boatswains |
|
2 Ensigns |
|
60 Seamen |
|
Total |
346 |
I cannot remember what the DA in the title of the Commissary-General means.
There were also 520 oxen, 283 draught horses and 28 riding horses. The
bridge was about 250 yards long requiring 48 wagons to carry it and the
equipment needed to erect it. This formation was broken up at the end
of the war and the British Army had no mobile Engineer force between the peace
and the Crimean War.
b) The Crimean War
In April 1855 Captain Siborne RE formed the 23rd or Driver Company RS&M with
5 RE officers and 130 Sappers and Miners with 120 horses. In April 1856 the
company was renamed A Troop, RE Train. A Troop was in transit to the Crimea
when peace was declared. It was sent to Aldershot and employed on ordinary
transport duties.
Attempts to abolish A Troop because it cost more to run than ordinary
transport units failed when the American Civil War revealed the need for a
specialist engineers in the field army. In November 1862 a proposal was made
for a RE Field and Pontoon Train to consist of 2 troops with 2 captains, 6
lieutenants, 434 other ranks, 10 officers horses and 302 troop horses. In
addition there was to be a depot to support the 2 troops with 2 officers, 5
NCOs and 5 troop horses.
In 1863 it was actually formed as the Royal Engineer Train with:
A or Pontoon Troop 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 207 NCOs, sappers and drivers,
5 officers horses, 12 troop riding horses and 80 troop draught horses.
B or Field Equipment Troop 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 191 NCOs, sappers
and drivers, 5 officers horses, 16 troop riding horses, 78 troop draught
horses and 20 pack horses.
In the Army Estimates 1863-64 33 NCOs and men augmented the Depot. The
troops of the Royal Engineer Train were expanded to their full provision
of horses and drivers.
A Troop 4 officers, 217 other ranks, 5 officers horses, 16 troop riding
horses and 124 troop draught horses.
B Troop 4 officers, 217 other ranks, 5 officers horses, 12 troop riding
horses, 112 draught horses and 30 packhorses.
c) C or Telegraph Troop
In 1870 following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War Parliament
authorised the formation of a telegraph troop for the Royal Engineers
Train. C Troop had one captain, 3 lieutenants, 245 NCOs and men, plus 55
horses. The total strength of the Train was now 16 officers, 718 other ranks and
362 horses which I think works out as:
|
Officers |
Other Ranks |
Horses |
A Troop |
4 |
214 |
145 |
B Troop |
4 |
217 |
167 |
C Troop |
5 |
245 |
55 |
Depot |
3 |
39 |
5 |
Total |
16 |
718 |
362 |
The totals for officers and other ranks in the Depot are the differences between the total establishment and the totals of men in the 3 troops. However, the total of horses in the 3 troops comes to 367. In 1871 C Troop was expanded to 115 horses. On 3rd January 1871 command of the Train was transferred to a lieutenant colonel.
d) The Reorganization of 1877
The Intelligence Branch of the War Office had devised an organisation of
the field army into Army Corps of 36,806 all ranks. It included 4 companies
Of engineers and one Pontoon Troop per Army Corps as follows:
-One company for each of the 3 divisions of an Army Corps
-A field park company attached to the Army Corps HQ
B Troop was thus divided into 4 sections and a Field Park. The sections
were permanently attached to 4 companies converted to field companies i.e.
the 2nd, 5th, 17th and 31st. At the same time the Depot was amalgamated
with the Field Park to become the Field Park and Depot.
In 1877 Command of the Companies, RE at Aldershot was amalgamated with
the Train as OC Troops and Companies, RE. The title Train was dropped. In
May 1884 C Troop became the 1st Division of the Telegraph Battalion. In
1885 2 more field companies were formed and B Troop was completely obliterated.
2) The Telegraph Battalion, RE
The 22nd and 34th Companies became telegraph companies attached to the Post
Office in May 1870 and September 1871 respectively. In 1870 C or Telegraph
Troop was formed in the Royal Engineers Train. These formations formed the
Royal Engineers Telegraph Corps of 2 divisions under a General Order of
1stApril 1884. C Troop became the 1st Division and the 2 telegraph
companies became the 2nd Division. This was renamed the Telegraph Battalion, RE by
a General Order of June 1884.
The battalion had a War Establishment of 440 men, which was completed by
mobilising 125 men from the Army Reserve. The battalion was divided
into 8 Telegraph Sections of 55 men. Each telegraph section could erect and
maintain 100 miles of telegraph with 8 offices. The offices were
clerked by the NCOs and men of the 2nd Division who in peace were postal-telegraph
clerks at home.
The battalion and its pdecessors sent detachments overseas e.g. the
Nile Expedition of 1884-85.
3) The Submarine Mining Companies, RE
4th Company converted April 1871
23rd Company converted April 1873
28th Company converted September 1874
27th Company converted April 1882
Meanwhile the 23rd Company was formed in April 1877 as a depot.
General Order 100 of July 1884 split the 4 companies into 6 (4th, 22nd,
23rd, 27th, 28th and 34th).
4) The Railway Companies
The 8th Company converted in 1882 and the 10th Company converted in
1885.
5) The Field Companies
In 1877 the 2nd, 5th, 17th and 31st Field Companies were created, as
part of the organisation of the field army into Army Corps. In May 1885 the
field companies were increased to 6 (7th, 11th, 12th, 23rd, 24th and 26th).
In November 1885 the 17th Company exchanged places with the 11th.
In the Army Estimates 1887-88 the 17th, 37th and 38th Companies were
converted to field companies. This was to provide the field army with
enough field engineers for 2 Army Corps organised into 2 field battalions as
follows.
1st Field Battalion, RE (7th, 11th, 17th and 23rd Field Companies, RE)
with the 1st Army Corps.
2nd Field Battalion, RE (12th, 26th, 37th and 38th Field Companies, RE)
with the 2nd Army Corps.
The 1st Field Battalion had its companies on a War Establishment of 188
all ranks and the 2nd Field Battalion had its companies on a Peace
Establishment of 103 all ranks. The 24th Field Company, RE was on special duties in
Egypt.
6) The Mounted Detachment
In the Egyptian War of 1885 an experimental Mounted Detachment of one
officer and 27 men was formed from the 11th Field Company. It served with the
Mounted Infantry as the 3rd Division of H Company. The experiment was
so successful that a permanent Mounted Detachment to work with the cavalry
was to be formed. The Mounted Detachment was to have 3 officers, 100
mounted men and 12 men in the carts which were to accompany the force which was to
be divided into 3 sections. They were to provide for the Engineers the
same mobility that the Horse Artillery did for the sister service.
E) The Training Organisation
In July 1858 the detachment of 548 sappers undergoing training at
Chatham was divided into the 33rd to 36th Companies. On 1st April 1861 4 depot
companies were formed by the formation of the 35th and 36th service companies and
by forming 2 new companies the 37th and 38th. The latter absorbed the
permanent staff, supernumerary NCOs and boys. In August 1862 the number of depot
companies was increased to 6 by the formation of the 39th and 40th
Companies.
There was further expansion in April 1868 when the 3 companies were
formed to supply men for duty in India and NCOs for the native companies of
sappers and miners. The 41st to 43rd Companies provided personnel for the Bengal,
Madras and Bombay corps of sappers and miners and were paid for by the Indian
Establishment.
In April 1885 the depot companies were reorganised. The 12th Company
became A Depot Company. The 35th to 40th Companies were redesigned B to G
Depot Companies. The Indian Companies became H, K and L Depot Companies. The
23rd Company formed in April 1877 for the submarine miners became M Depot
Company.
N Depot Company was formed for the field Companies. New service
Companies used the numbers 12, 35, 36 and 37.
F) The Indian Army
The Corps of Bengal Sappers and Miners was formed by a General Order of
13th February 1819. In the late 1880s the corps had 6 service companies and
2 depot companies. The Corps of Bombay Sappers and Miners was formed by a
General Order of 4th December 1826. In the late 1880s it had 4 service
companies and a depot company. The Corps of Madras Sappers and Miners
was formed by a General Order of 24th May 1831. In the late 1880s the corps
had 6 service and 2 depot companies. The 3 corps had 3,000 personnel but
the source is not clear if this figure includes officers and NCOs of the
Royal Engineers.
The Burmese Corps of Sappers and Miners was attached to the Madras
Sappers and Miners, which supplied the European and native NCOs. There were 170
Burmese Sappers and Miners but, I do not have the formation date or the
number of companies it formed.
G) Locally Enlisted Formations
In the late 1880s a company of engineers was being formed in Jamaica to
consist of 60 NCOs and sappers besides officers.
At the same time the Eastern Battalion was being formed with its
Headquarters at Singapore and 4 companies as follows:
-Singapore - Malays
-Hong Kong - Chinese
-Mauritius - different races
-Ceylon - Malays
The strength of the battalion is to be 200 but it is not clear if the
total includes officers. There were to be 10 officers 2 majors (Commandant
and Assistant-Commandant), 4 captains and 4 lieutenants.
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