44 Riccarton road & 3 fd sqn engineer's

HISTORY   OF   MILITARY   ENGINEERS

Royal Engineers

 The Royal Engineers trace their ancestry back to early Norman times, when Gundulphos, Bishop of  Rochester was William the Conqueror’s, first Chief Engineer.  Various appointments were later bestowed on engineers in the Kings Service, such as ‘Master of the Kings Works’ (1414), and ‘Master Mason and Surveyor’ (1513).  Other important dates are:

 1716       Corps of Engineers (Officers only) formed

 1787       Title of Corps changed to Royal Engineers (Officers only)

 1812        School of Military Engineering formed at Chatham

 1813        Formation of Royal Sappers and Miners (Other Ranks)  

1856         Officers and Men joined in one Corps of Royal Engineers as a result of their combined efforts  during the Crimean War

 From this date the Corps undertook many varied roles, including the formation of   Telegraphic Troops, Submarine Mining Units, Balloons Sections, Air Battalions, Postal Services, Railway Construction and Operating Companies.

 Other Corps and branches of the Service owe their beginnings to the Engineers; notably the RAF (the original RFC was formed from RE Air Units), and the Royal Corps of Signals (raised from RE Signal Companies), and RNZEME in WW2.

Royal Engineers

             During the settlement of New Zealand in the 1840’s units of the RE served in various capacities, and suffered more than one reverse when attempting to dislodge Maori soldiers from their well-constructed forts (Pa).  When Imperial troops were withdrawn from New Zealand, the many military engineering tasks devolved to the settlers, and our Corps dates its origin to the various Militia Units formed in the 1860’s.  Several Sappers took their discharge in New Zealand, later serving in Sapper Volunteer units.

THE  SIGNIFICANCE   OF   ‘SAPPERS’   DAY

Nearly 400 years of tradition lie behind Military Engineering.  Military Engineering has been recorded as far back as 200 years BC, but it was not until the 11th century that the English Army, with the construction of catapults, battering rams and fortresses against siege and attack, saw the necessity of introducing engineers.

 Carpenters, smiths and miners banded together in 1347, to assist the British Forces in winning the day at Calais.  This was the first recorded operation of British Engineers.  In the 17th Century they were generally accepted into the Army as a construction body, and in 1778 a Corps of Royal Engineers was formed.  A Company of Royal Military Artificers in 1779 gave service in developing the Rock of Gibraltar, and carried out defensive work during the siege.

             In a re-organisation in 1813 they were re-styled Royal Sappers and Miners.  Captain Pasley considered by many as the father of the Royal Engineers began at Chatham regular field engineering courses before the Crimean War.

              Military engineers have been called upon to do many things, and in 1912 an Air Battalion which had been formed, became the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force.  Royal Engineer Telegraph Companies were the foster parent of the Royal Corps of Signals.

              In modern times the engineers are called upon, in times of war, to deal with mine warfare, bridging, roads and airfields, water supply, demolitions and field work.  They must be able to construct accommodation and installations and provide a number of services.

              The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers traces its ancestry to the early days of colonization.  In 1862 the Colonial Defence Force was formed and after a short life was reformed in 1867 as the Armed Constabulary.  In the latter year a company of volunteer engineers supported a mixed column of 1st Waikato Militia and Arawas (friendly Maoris) against a hostile Maori force at Whakamarama.

              During the 1870 - 1885 period engineer volunteers were active in the main centres.  These volunteers were located at Auckland, Thames, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.

 In 1886 the Permanent Militia was created by the Defence Act which disbanded the Armed constabulary and separated the Police from the Military.  It consisted of Garrison Artillery and a Torpedo and Engineering Corps.  The engineers were mainly engaged on harbour defences and fortifications. On the 15th  October  1902 His Majesty King Edward the 7th was graciously pleased to rename No1 and No2 Service Companies of the Permanent Militia as Royal NZ Artillery and Royal NZ Engineers respectively.

             There were still engineer instructors in the forces but they were not known as RNZE.  However, on the 12th July 1947, with the approval of His Majesty King George VI, the Governor  General changed the designation of the wartime “NZE” to the Royal New Zealand Engineers, including all engineers both Regular and Territorial under one designation.

In 1939/40 at the commencement of World War II many companies (the present designation is Squadrons) were raised.  These included, Railway operating, Forestry, Construction, Railway Construction Survey and Field Companies; and towards the end of the war an Assault Squadron NZ Sappers were to be found in almost all theatres.  Their tasks were many and varied.  Over 55 NZE units served during World War II.

              In peace as in war the Sappers exist to enable the Army to live, move and fight.  From the end of World War II to the present day Squadrons are situated near Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch and are fully integrated Regular Force Territorial units.  The School of Military Engineering is situated in Linton.

              On 7th February 1959 the Corps was awarded the honour of being granted the Freedom of the Borough of Levin.  History was made on that day for, although freedoms have been granted to several regiments of the NZ Military Forces, this was the first time that the honour had been granted to a Corps.  This honour gives the Corps “The right and privilege without further permission being obtained of marching with drums beating, bands playing, bayonets fixed and swords drawn through the streets of the Borough of Levin”.  By the terms of the Charter, the Mayor and councillors and citizens accept the honour of viewing the Corps once a year for the purpose of an inspection by the Mayor of Levin and do hereby accept the further honour of having two officers of the Corps in uniform in attendance upon His Worship the Mayor on important official occasions.

              From the 15th October 1902 to this day “Sapper Day” has been observed in some form or other, and is primarily intended as a day of celebration and accepted as the day when the Corps was born in New Zealand.

CORPS   MOTTO

 The two mottos granted to the Corps, namely UBIQUE (Everywhere) and QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Where right and Glory Lead), symbolise the Corps Service throughout the world and summarise the countless battle honours of the Corps.

Cap Badge

 We take our cap badge design from that of the Royal Engineers.  Previously there were separate badges for the Royal Engineers and the Royal Sappers and Miners but since 1856 the one badge has been shared by both Officers and ORs.  However the difference in the gilt and silver badges for the officers and warrant officers, and anodised badges for the ORs to us, still signifies our dual origins.  RNZE is the only Commonwealth country, which maintains the blue background of the Garter in the badge.  The Motto in the badge HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Evil to Him That Thinks Evil of This) is the motto of the Order of the Garter, Britains’s oldest order of chivalry.

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