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ENGINEER RECRUIT TRAINING

The following is quoted from Grierson (1899):^*

"With the exception of drivers, every recruit enlisted for the "Royal Engineers" must know some trade. The drivers are trained at the depot of the field-engineers at Aldershot, the sappers at the Chatham depot, where the latter are trained for a year in infantry drill and pioneer duties. During the summer every depot company in turn goes into a tent-camp at Wouldham near Chatham, where the recruits are taught camp duties, pontooning &c. The men, that are enlisted as telegraphists, photographers, printers, lithographers, or cartographers, have to go through an abbreviated course of pioneering; those selected for companies of submarine mining are transferred to the mining school after having passed through their courses of infantry drill. The engineer recruits, are allowed 100 rounds of ammunition each for their course of target practice and fire practices 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 26 of the infantry recruits’ course, the remainder of the ammunition being disposed of as may be found best by the instructor.

When the course at the depot is finished, the sappers must pass an examination, and are then transferred to the different engineer formations, where they receive higher pay, and may earn extra allowances by working at their special trades.

FIRING PRACTICE FOR ENGINEER RECRUITS

DESCRIPTION OF TARGETS