page_title: Renfrewshire Fortress Royal Engineers
section_title: Submarine miners
hierarchical_section_title: Renfrewshire Fortress Royal Engineers / Submarine miners
caption_attribution_description: The Fort Matilda area of Creenock, view from the Lyle Hill over the Firth of Clyde
context_page_description: The Renfrewshire Fortress Royal Engineers was a Scottish volunteer unit of the British Army under various titles from 1888. Its main role was defence of the ports and shipyards on the River Clyde, but it also provided detachments for active service in the field during both World Wars. Its successors continue to serve in the Army Reserve.
context_section_description: Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, Inspector-General of Fortifications 1882–6, did not have enough Regular Royal Engineers (RE) to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British ports. He decided to utilise the Volunteer Engineers for this task, and after successful trials the system was rolled out to ports around the country. In 1885, the 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Volunteer Corps in Glasgow formed No 9 (Submarine Mining) Company and raised a second company of submarine miners in early 1888. The submarine mining establishment for the River Clyde was established at Greenock in Renfrewshire. It occupied Fort Matilda(first built in 1814 to defend the Port of Glasgow), which later had quick-firing guns and searchlights installed to cover the minefield between Greenock and Kilcreggan.
  In March 1888, the War Office decided to constitute the submarine miners as separate 'divisions' within the Volunteer Engineers. Thus the two Lanarkshire companies became the Clyde Division, Engineer Volunteers, Submarine Miners, RE, with its headquarters at Fort Matilda. The first Honorary Commandant was Col Sir Donald Matheson, who had been commander of the 1st Lanarkshire Engineers since 1865. The new unit took its precedence from the 1st Lanarkshire (1860) and ranked third in the list of Submarine Miners. A further two companies were raised in 1892 and 1900 respectively. In 1901, the unit was redesignated the Clyde Division, Submarine Miners, R.E. (V) at Greenock. In 1903, its establishment was reduced to three Companies. At the Royal review of 1905, Clyde Division had 10 Officers and 175 Other Ranks.
caption: The Fort Matilda area of Greenock, with the River Clyde behind
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