Documentary: Engineers, Sappers or artisans have in one form or the other remained part of an army ever since the birth of a fighting force. Evidence of the work of the earliest military engineers can be found in many parts of the world; Hill Forts of Europe in Iron Age, Fortifications protecting City of Zimbabwe of lost civilization and not the least, the Great Wall of China built in 3 BC.
Engineers as part of any force are first fighting soldiers and then as specialist trained, are required to solve problems of movement and survivability of own forces and ensure measures to impede the enemy. Yet as "Men of Crisis", they are fore bearers in natural calamities or in critical nation building role, world over. Word "Sapper" was derived from word 'Sap' meaning "deep and narrow trench to undermine or weaken the enemy fortifications. So, Sappers were entrusted to dig saps and mines the fortifications and thus named as "Sappers and Miners".
History: On Independence, the Corps of Engineers of the Pakistan Army was born, out of the Corps of Royal Indian Engineers, whose progenitors were the Corps of Pioneers, which were established by the East India Company toward the end of the 17th century A.D., on Presidency basis.
The Corps of Sappers and Miners was, thus, formed out of the selected Pioneers. The title of Bengal Sappers and Miners was adopted by the Bengal Pioneers in 1819, the Bombay Pioneers were converted into Bombay Sappers & Miners in 1820, and the Corps of Madras Sappers & Miners came into being from the famous Madras Pioneers in May 1931. The permanent location of the three Corps' of the Sappers & Miners was decided as under:-
The Madras Sappers — Bangalore in 1862
The Bengal Sappers — Roorkee in 1853 (UP)
The Bombay Sappers — Kirkee in 1860 (Poona)
This history of the Corps of Engineers is as old as the end of the 18th century. The corps of sappers and miners in India, not only, carried out the military engineering tasks but also performed the role of railways, submarine mining and signals. There were nearly twenty campaigns and wars including both the world wars (i.e. 1914 -18 and 1939‑45), in which our predecessors took part in the 200 years of their life and earned battle honors as listed in the end. The Bengal sappers and miners were conferred the title of "King George Vth Own" in 1910.
The Royal Corps of Pakistan Engineers was allotted 10 Field Companies, 4 Field Park Companies, a few specialist units and one Army Engineers Group after independence. The bulk of the engineer units and optees, which came to Pakistan, belonged to the Bengal Group and Bombay Group of Royal Indian Engineers. When Pakistan became a republic in March 1956, the Corps changed its designation from Royal Pakistan Engineers to Corps of Engineers. Since Independence, Corps of Engineers have participated with zeal in all battles, important operations, natural calamities and nation building tasks. The progressive past is a narrative of Sappers performance as well as gradual development from a small organization to its present multifarious and multifaceted sizeable establishment which includes the reorganizational, restructrual changes in conjunction with par excellence in technical education and proven skills. All were designed to meet the emerging and vibrant requirements primarily of the Army and Nation in general, so that it can accept any challenges in peace and war commensuration with its role. Corps of Engineers rightly so have motto "Rooh -- e - Rawan", the moving spirit.
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60 Years of Pakistan Army - Part 1by PakistanArmedForces1,302 views
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