The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-28
DEEDS THAT HAVE
 WON BIG BATTLES
Romantic Story of Heroic
 Royal Engineers
IN THE PRESENT WAR
Greatest Feat Was Blowing Up Bridges in Retreat From Mons. Twelve Killed Attempting
 to Light Fuse


 The royal engineers is one of the British regiments possessing heroic records From the nature of its work 1t does not loom largely in the public eye, but in every war It's officers and men perform daring feats in the very face of death. The men of tine royal engineers who blew up the Delhi Gates during the Indian mutiny were not more fearless than the dozen royal en- gineers who were. ordered to blow up bridge in France during the retreat of the allies across the Aisne at Sois- sons, piece of British heroism to be recounted later, says London Ideas.
 The regiment has always been dis tinguished for its great soldiers Our field marshal. Lord Kitchener, Is proud of It's past and present record and the regiment in turn gains luster from the fact that it is our great soldiers own. | This highly useful army corps. whose mottor ,'ubique" ("everywhere' l explains why 1t has neither colors nor battle honors. has vastly increased in recent years in the extent of it's du ties and its importance is obvious in View of the increased application of |
 For Reference See Doomsday Book
 From earliest times engineers have been employed in the field of war fare and on field defenses The Britis h military engineer is first mentione i in Doomsday Book, 80 that the corrs Is really one of the oldest in our army. though, as will be seen the actual en. rollment of engineers as a distinct unit corresponding to other regiments is of later date.
 The real origin of the regiment as it Is constituted today Is due to Sir William Green, who in 1T72 at Gibraltar raised a company of soldier artif- icers' In 17sT the designation royal" was conferred upon the engineers and it's precedence settled to be on the right of the army with the royal ar tillery. It then consisted of six com panies with which the Gibraltar "sol- dier artificers" were amalgamated
 In 1906 the corps was doubled and in 1911 so important were It's duties regarded that we find the corps con sisting of 32 companies In 1913 the title was changed to royal sappers and miners
 Then, at the close of the Crimean war, the royal sappers and miners was Incorporated with the corps of royal engineers by whom 1t had all ways been officered Such is the his-
 
 Is better known inside than outside our army.
 Today the engineers number about 10000 men and 1000 officers Their headquarters are on Salisbury Plain The officers are appointed from the cadets of the Royal Military academy, Woolwfch, who have passed out high est in their class, and who wish to become engineers.
 The Regiment of Special Trades
 The officers have to undergo a two- year course of training at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham, con sisting of fertilization, construction. surveying. electricity and other tech nical. All officers receive--a special rate of "engineer pay" in addition to their ordinary pay as soldiers
 As regards the rank and file, every sapper is an artisan, and receives en- gineering pay, in addition to regi- mental pay. this former remuneration being regulated by his skill at his trade, whether this consists of bridg- ing. ballooning, survey. railway, field or telegraph duties Naturally every man enlisting in the royal engineers has some special trade in which he is tested for efficiency before final ap- proval.
 The disposition of the royal engi- neers in our army scheme Is highly complex and only the barest outline may be attempted in explanation of this arrangement. Briefly, in war each infantry division has attached to it a regimental staff of royal engineers. con insisting of two officers and five of other ranks and one field company
 An army corps has one pontoon troop one telegraph division, one field park, and one railway company. There are IT field companies. each carrying technical tools for the execution of field marks various eng Rineering oper- ations, explosives for demolitions, pon :. toon and bridging material
 It may be added that officers of the royal engineers were originally in . eligible for military command but In 1868 Sir John Burgoyne was created a field marshal Since that date many of the highest army commands have been held by officers of the royal en- gineers.
 To detail the exploits of the royal engineers in the various campaigns would be task impossible, As all ready stated, their work often goes unnoticed. One hears of gallant charge. but little of the brave engi- neers who. in face of storm of bull lets. constructed a bridge over which the cavaIrymen rushed in order to drive the sword home.
 Breaking Down the Gates of Delhi k ferna's the prst hH"Wu III the ne- roism at the siege of Delhi during the Indian mutiny It was their intrepid efforts that broke down the gates of the city.
 |. One evening four royal engineers Medley, Lang, Greathead and Home undertook the perilous task of examin- ing the breaches in the eneny's de- lenses. Lang with an escort of four men crept to the edge of the cover of the British front, then coolly ran up