Royal Sappers and Miners?

[krystalRose59]

I have a copy of my grgrgrgranfa military record from Kew.He served as a S % M for 20 years,187 days,retiring due to acute rhumetism in his back.I would like to know what duties he might of performed during his service 1827-1848-Woolwich,UK

[Emjaybee]

The trenches in which the soldiers fought were called saps, so the Sappers were the men who dug the trenches. (My Dad did this job too.)

If your your relative was formerly a miner he could have been enlisted in the army especially to dig tunnels under the German lines. At one point on the Somme 26tons of explosive was placed under a German emplacement and blew a massive hole in the ground visible today.

Mike

[krystalRose59]

thank-you very much for your input.Since I posted the original message,I have found out that engineers[sappers & miners].were the first on the scene of an oncomming battle.They would dig a trench under the enemies bases[ie  castles] and find the major load bearing beams.A fire would be started upon these beams and the engineers would retreat to safety.Most Sappers and Miners are known for thier consumption of large quantities of alcohol.Thus eleiviating the pressures of the job and to dull the visions of thier partners deaths.I know my ancestor served in Gibraltar, Canada and abroad. I am most interested in knowing exactly what type of duty that he would have been responsible for. Again thank-you and happy new year

[Hackstaple]

Woolwich was the headquarters of the Royal Artillery and the Royal Horse Artillery. The Sappers is another common term used for the Royal Engineers.
He did not dig trenches in any war with Germany as none existed at that time - sorry Mike.
As a sapper attached to Royal Artillery his duties are most likely to have been construction of gun emplacements.
Gibraltar was Britain's great fortress controlling the Mediterranean and acting as a supply point, during his service, for Naval operations against the Barbary slavers - no major power wars right then.
Canada may have been during the War of 1814 when the USA made some attempts to conquer Canada but only got the original White House in Washington burned down.

[lindagene]

Try the book  'Bird Song' by Sebastian Faulks, once you get through the first bit which is boring, loads of the rest of the book is devoted to exactly what this thread is about.  Miners and soldiers digging and fighting in tunnels.   Its a novel, but worth a read if you can find it.
Lindy

[smokey]

Hi

If he served in Gibraltar he was probably employed in digging out the tunnels and gun emplacements inside the "rock". There are I believe actually more miles of roads inside the rock than there are outside and they are still in use.

regards
Smokey

[Denise Ford]

The Royal Engineers have a museum and records place at Brompton Barracks, between Gillingham and Chatham, Kent.  Try them and they might have more information - even records of his service?

http://www.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/museum/

[Picea]

The Royal Sappers and Miners were raised in 1812 and they were responsible for fortifications and field engineering.   Woolwich was their main training Depot until it moved to Chatham in 1850's.

As your great grandfather served abroad it its likely that he was involved building fortifications.

The RE Museum has recently re-vamped its web site and has more information

http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_history.htm#null click on the Engineer Soldiers Link it contains information about the Sappers and Miners.

Hope that helps

Simon

[Christopher]

In the mid 1800s the Ulster headquarters of the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners was located at Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century one of the tasks of the survey team was at the new barracks at the Curragh military camp in Co. Kildare.