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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Darcy2016 on Wednesday 09 March 05 01:48 GMT (UK)
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Hello!
I'm doing some research on one of my relatives who is listed in the " Royal Engineers and Royal Engineer Department " (Civil parish: Aldershot, County: Hampshire, Registration district: Farnham, Sub Reg. District: Frimley) on the 1871 census. Does anyone know what they did there? Is it military related? Has anyone heard of something similar? He's listed as being a "Sapper RL (or RE)" . Would anyone know what Sappers did? Thanks!!
Kathy
Canada :D
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If it's RE (as is likely) then that's Royal Engineers.
Here is part of a definition of sapper from an online dictionary:
"Sapper (abbreviated Spr) is the Royal Engineers' equivalent of Private. This is also the case within the Royal Australian Engineers, where referring to a Sapper as a Private is considered an insult and can result in disciplinary charges being laid."
Judy
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Krowe,
You may like to take a look here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,18600.0.html
Jill
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Jill, what an excellent link for Kathy! I hadn't noticed it.
Kathy, Google is your friend.
Do try Googling with various search parameters.
My hard copy dictionary (heavy - 2v) gave - as did Web dictionaries - the ancient origin of sapper as one employed at working at saps, the building and repairing of fortifications (which, obviously, would include trenches). Though that seems to have been completely lost in the mists of time as far as the Sappers (formerly Sappers and Miners) of the RE are concerned. As is so often the case, the name has continued but the derivation is no longer relevant.
I did try Googling for RE and Aldershot in the nineteenth century but gave up - the RE seemed to have all sorts of branches including signalling, ballooning, etc, etc, etc - you name it!
Have you searched in the National Archives at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
They have all sorts of records of army personnel.
Good luck,
Judy