Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers

The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers is the military engineering regiment/corps of the New Zealand Army. Linton Camp has been known throughout the Army as the traditional home of the Engineers. The role of the Engineers is to assist in maintaining friendly forces' mobility, deny freedom of movement to the enemy, and provide general engineering support.

The Corps was formally established by a notice in the New Zealand Gazette of 15 January 1903, backdated to 15 October 1902. Since that date New Zealand Engineers served with the Expeditionary Force sent to Samoa, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force sent to the Middle East during the First World War, two field companies and a field park company, plus a number of specialist forestry and other units with Second NZ Expeditionary Force during the Second World War,[1] with 3rd New Zealand Division in the Pacific, as well as in Korea and Vietnam.

From November 1973 there was a significant reorganisation of the Engineers following the end of Compulsory Military Training. Full control of all RNZE operational units in New Zealand was placed under HQ Field Force Command. HQ Force Engineers within Field Force Command supervised the various units: 1 Field Squadron attached to 1 Infantry Brigade in the Northern Region, three squadrons in the Central Region under HQ Logistics Support Group (2 Field Squadron, 6 Ind Field Squadron, and 5 Support Squadron), while 3 Field Squadron as part of 3 Infantry Brigade was located in the Southern Region.[2] This order of battle lasted generally until the early 1980s.

The 2nd Engineer Regiment is housed in Linton Military Camp that is situated approximately 10 km South of the City of Palmerston North. Raised on 1 July 1993 the regiment is now the only military engineer unit in the New Zealand Army.[3] 2nd Engineer Regiment is to generate and sustain Engineer Troop and Squadron level command and control competent in combined arms operations in order to meet directed outputs. The School of Military Engineering first moved to Linton Camp in June 1953 but now comes under the control of Army Schools in Waiouru.

Organisation

In 2012, Reserve engineer units were disbanded from their respective reserve infantry battalions and integrated into 2 Engineer Regiment, now fully under the command of HQ 2ER, as part of a reserve forces re-organisation.

Although not a part of the RNZE organisation the RNZE Corps Memorial Museum, Library and Chapel are at Linton Camp.

Notes

  1. ↑ McGibbon, 2002, 62-64.
  2. ↑ Army Quarterly Liaison Letter, No. 100, 1 Oct 1973 - 30 April 1974, p.8, via McGibbon, 2002, 146.
  3. ↑ McGibbon, 2002, 150.

Further reading

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