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  • The British Army's Military Engineers

1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment

1 Royal School of Military Engineering (1RSME) Regiment trains our Royal Engineer soldiers in construction, engineering and watermanship. The school normally provides the third and final phase of a Sappers training package before they are posted to their first Regiment.

Formed in
1812
Role
Training
Specialism
Artisan tradecraft

1 RSME Regiment provides training for a wide variety of trades, which can lead to our Sappers gaining civilian recognised qualifications.

  • Engineering – plumbing and air conditioning
  • Mechanical fitting including petroleum
  • Building construction
  • Plant operating and maintenance
  • Boat operations
  • Building fitting – electrical and mechanical
  • Surveying and materials technology
  • Electrical and design draughtsman

Chatham Station has been the home of the School of Military Engineering since its inception in 1812. The headquarters has been situated in Brompton, in the remains of the Chatham Dockyard’s Great Lines ever since. With the sole exception being a short move to Ripon, North Yorkshire, during the Second World War.

Training

1 RSME Regiment delivers artisan trade training to our Sappers, as part of their subsequent training prior to posting to their first Field Army operational unit.

The Regiment delivers training in three key areas:

Construction - bricklaying, carpentry, structural finishing, electrical fitting, surveying, design, and materials technology.

Engineering - heating, plumbing, air conditioning, plant operating, mechanics and petroleum supply.

Watermanship - boat operation and maintenance.

1 RSME Regiment Timeline

Since its creation in 1812, the Regiment has undergone many changes. It has served as a school, a depot regiment, a training regiment and a specialist equipment regiment. It has provided highly trained soldiers to the Corps of Royal Engineers, for deployment across the globe for over 200 years.

Established to teach ‘Sapping, Mining, and other Military Fieldworks’ to junior Royal Engineers officers.

The Royal Engineers’ depot regiment moves to Brompton from Woolwich.

The title is changed to School of Military Engineering to reflect the Regiment’s expertise.

The depot Regiment received a peak of 900 recruits per day during the First World War.

The Headquarters moved to Ripon, but trade training remained in the workshops in Chatham throughout the Second World War.

The Royal title is bestowed on the school by the Queen to mark its 150th anniversary.

More Roles

Electrical Engineer

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Bricklayer and Concreter

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Carpenter and Joiner

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Fitter

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