South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-11
ROYAL ENGINEERS
ISPOP ULAR CORPS
All CaIlingS Are Represented in
This Branch of the British
+ Service.

LONDON. Aug. 11.-Why the Roy
Al Engineers were, are, and probably
always will be the most popular corps
IN the British army is a question that
any snapper Is prepared 10 answer
at a moments notice; but as his reply
generally includes, with the adVan-
vantages and glories Of the Royal
Corps all the distinguished officers
IL has given 10 the service, that emu
merstiOn would be far too lengthy
for g. single issue Of the star"
Sufficient for the day is 1t 10 men
ton that Lord Kitchener himself
served his military apprenticeship as
a subaltern Of the Royal Engineers.
that even in these claimant months
OF war an endless stream Of recruits
has flowed into the training depot,
whose headquarters overlook the wat
ers of the Basingstoke canal.
1t Is a bleated block of buildings
now that serves TO house the sappers.
miners, pOntOonials bridge builders,
mine-layers, redOubt-cOnstructors and
the artlhcers Of a hundred and one
trades who constitute the rank and
file OF the corps, for the solid red
brick and almost artistic pile that
stood in the time OF peace is now
pimpIed all around with groups of tar
rooted huts, whose only beauty lies
in their utility.
Are still Serviccablc.
The newcomers, however. are not
the only huts the engineers can boast
Hidden away among their stables are
wooden huts that date back To the
Crimea, condemned as dwelling places
but serviceable still as storehouses,
whose stability testifies to the crafts
manship OF bye-gOne generations of
sappers
'fSappers." it should be said is the
generic term for the X. +. Of every
rank, be they electricians. boat build
ers, blacksmiths. joiners, surveyors,
coppersmiths, telegraph clerks, or
plumbers
There are all these and a hundred
other callings In the various engineer
companies, Cor the one essential to
enlistment on this corps is the knowl-
edge of a craft or profession. Turn
ers and machinists of all kinds, to-,
are wearing its uniform, and if NUM-
ton makers are withdrawn from the
fighting forces it is possible that the
engineers will supply "A very big per-
Centage..
Are you getting a more intelligent
type of recruit? was a question pro-
pounded To an Aldershot sapper off,
Ger.
NO. we are not" was the reply
The new men are keener perhaps
but certainly not more intelligent. be-
cause we always had the pick of the
artisan class even in peace time"
The consciousness of superiority
was always a marked feature OF the
r. F., acknowledged too by the war
office. for they take precedence of all
infantry regiments. even of the
guards. Before the war it found it's
expression in the mess of the non
commissioned officers.
No Difference il Made.
With the exception Of the House
hold Cavalry, every other military
unit had a separate mess for its ser
geants. Not 50 the engineers; they
made no difference between corporals
and sergeants. and their nOn-cOmmis-
stoned officers mess was open TO every
wearer of stripes. be they the four of
a uartermaster- sergeant or the one
OF n lance-corpora.l
But the expansion brought about
by war has Overstrained the capacity
of the AldershOt mess. and now, TO
the regret of all its members. it is
open To none below the rank of ser
geant.
1t is a very conservative corps. the
K. T.. and one seldoms hears of the
son OF "A Royal Engineer joining any
other branch Of the service. Indeed.
among the latest recruits one may
find many whose fathers, grandfath-
ers. and greatgrandfathers wore the
engineers uniform.
Is Youngest soldier.
Last week too they had in their
ranks. just back from the front "A lit
tie fellow. who 1t Is said is the young
est boy soldier that has been through
the present campaign. This was
Trumpeter Hayman. descendant of a
line of Royal Sappers, who at four
teen and one-half was with his COM
pany in the retirement from Mons.
and has been in the fighting line ever
since. until he came home on leave
n few days ago.
Although civilian-garbed recruits
may still be seen really drilling on
what the efrcroaching huts have left
of the parade grounds. their presence
in such attire is not a testimony TO
any shortage OF equipment. but sim
ply TO the unbrOken flow Of new men.
For the sappers have their own tail
ers' and shoemakers' shops. and 10
hours is DerhapS an outside estimate