Royal Engineers Field Engineering Course
Cove, Farnborough
September to November 1956

All Sappers (the name for soldiers who serve in the Royal Engineers and which derives from the word “sap” meaning a trench, in other words “the trench diggers”) must undergo a Field Engineering Course which covers bridge-building, including their construction on floating pontoons, laying mines and their detection and removal, explosives for blowing up buildings, railway lines and so on, booby traps, trench-digging and revetment (strengthening and protecting the trench walls) and a host of techniques and apparatus to enable tasks to be performed often using locally-obtainable materials such as trees when standard materials and equipment are not readily available. Of course this helped develop one’s initiative which has personally stood me in good stead many times during my life. There were about ninety of us on the course, mostly ex Apprentices, and we were divided into five(?) platoons, each with a corporal instructor in charge. I was in the platoon led by Cpl. Jack Savage who had the reputation of being a hard one, and he certainly lived up to it. Savage by name and savage by nature! (He was just doing his job, I suppose). He was responsible for drill, weapon training, discipline and so on as well as some of the field techniques and made us sweat blood on all counts.

The “SAVAGE” platoon

Royal Engineers Field Engineering Course, Cove, Farnborough
September to November 1956

Apart from that aspect though and the fact that we were physically exhausted every evening, the course had some very interesting sides to it. I enjoyed particularly bridge-building (even if it was very tiring work carrying Bailey Bridge panels) and explosives. The latter gave rise to occasional thoughts of trying out my newly-acquired skills on Cpl. Savage’s bunk (the room where he slept). However, he survived the nine-week course without suffering damage and, perhaps more miraculously, so did I. Thus I became a grade III (the lowest level) Combat Engineer. I had no desire to pursue this road further but am glad I had the experience.

Royal Engineers Field Engineering Course
Cove, Farnborough
September to November 1956

Passing Out Parade - November 1956

Royal Engineers Field Engineering Course
Cove, Farnborough


 

With thanks to  Trevor "Bill" Powell for this contribution.