The Royal Engineer Establishment was founded in 1812 by Major (later General Sir) Charles Pasley. It was renamed the School of Military Engineering in 1868 and was granted the "Royal" prefix in 1962.

Historically Royal Engineers can rightfully lay claim to the military inceptions of photography, ballooning and flying, searchlights, diving and torpedoes, telegraph and signalling, steam-driven motor transport, postal and courier communications, railway and port operations.

Today the Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) provides training in all engineering disciplines, providing the unique range of skills that are fundamental to the Royal Engineers as well as delivering military working animals, handlers and maintainers.

Royal Engineer skills include the command and management of engineer tasks, combat engineering, technical and professional engineering, communication, watermanship, driving specialist engineer vehicles and artisan skills such as electrical and bricklaying.

The RSME is based at Chatham in Kent, Minley in Surrey and Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. It is the largest residential construction college in Europe and currently runs 675 courses per year, of 95 varying types, over 315,500 man training days, with 4,000 trainees, of which over 400 gain civilian qualifications.

Royal Engineers, or Sappers - as they are more commonly known, have been present in every conflict involving British Forces throughout the world since the late 18th Century, hence their motto "Ubique" (everywhere).

Today, in partnership with Holdfast Training Services, the RSME looks to lead military engineering science and its real world application with an undisputed worldwide reputation, deliver internationally acclaimed lifelong learning, deliver innovative, relevant vocational, graduate and postgraduate training, education and applied research across a range of faculties supported by world class systems, process and infrastructure.