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The first Military
Engineers in Canada date back as far as the early 1600s, when the
French built a number of defence fortifications in Quebec and
Acadia. It wasn't until 1 July 1903, however, that a permanent corps
of Military Engineers was organized. After the South African War at
the turn of the 20th century, the Canadian Government recognized the
need for a permanent army and it was then that the General Officer
commanding the Canadian Militia recommended that a permanent corps
of Military Engineers be formed. In 1904, His Majesty the King
honoured the Corps by adding the prefix "Royal", making them the
Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE).
Since their beginning, the role of the Canadian Military Engineers
has been to conduct specialized military operations which contribute
to the effectiveness of the other branches of the Canadian Military.
On 1 July 1939, when the Second World War was declared, RCE units
were quickly reorganized and re-equipped and in December of that
year the First Canadian Divisional Engineers were dispatched to
England. Over the course of the five-year war, RCE units were
involved in the majority of operations, including the Dieppe Raid,
19 August 1942.
The Germans, anticipating the Dieppe Raid, had, in the early hours
of August 19, fortified the beach with a variety of obstacles,
including pill boxes and barbed wire. The plan for the RCE on that
ill-fated day was to blast a path through enemy obstacles at Dieppe.
Much to their dismay, Canadians had underestimated their German
enemies, and all who landed on the shores of Dieppe that day were
met with heavy gun fire. The Royal Canadian Engineers suffered 27
fatal casualties.
By the end of the Second World War, the RCE had proved to be a
strong and contributing force for Canada. They were equipped with
685 officers and 15,677 other ranks. It has been argued that there
are few other Canadian civilian and military organizations that have
contributed as much to the defence and development of Canada as the
Canadian Military Engineers.
The history of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
By Armine John Kerry
Volume 1 |
Volume 2 |
Volume 3 |
