CORPS OF ROYAL ENGINEERS
WARRANT OFFICERS, NCOs & OTHER RANKS UNIFORMS
1. Full Dress
UNIFORMS, ARMS & EQUIPMENT - ROYAL ENGINEERS
2. Undress
The other ranks Helmet was adopted at the same time as the officers. The peaks at front and rear were edged in black leather and the helmet plate was the same as officers only in brass.
The Royal Engineers favoured simplicity, not least in their uniforms. The tunic was infantry style in scarlet with blue edgings. Collar and cuffs were Garter Blue with yellow Austrian knots above the cuffs. The collar was also edged in yellow lace. Warrant Officers and sergeants had gold lace instead of yellow. The rear skirts were plain. No grenades were worn on the collar. Although the grenade was worn above Sergeant's chevrons, the Sergeant-Major just wore a large crown above the Austrian knot. (Even in the R.E ... Size matters!
Warrant Officers wore the same cap as officers in undress. Sergeants wore pillbox caps with gold regimental lace on the band. Other ranks wore the pillbox with yellow band. Corporals and Lance-Corporals had small chevrons above the band.
Undress jackets had a single yellow loop above the cuffs an yellow edging on the bottom of the collar. Warrant officers and sergeants had gold lace loops and collar edging.
For submarine mining work, the RE adopted Naval caps with "ROYAL ENGINEERS on the tally.
The Pea Jacket was similar to the officers version with stand and fall collar.
COMING NEXT
Band of the Royal Engineers
Warrant Officers such as the RSM and Quartermaster Sergeant's (Fig. 1) carried swords. Note the Grenade above the inverted chevrons The Private (Fig.2) has 1882 patten Valise equipment. Trumpeters wore the same badge of crossed trumpets as in the R.A. The Submarine Miner (Fig. 4) has plain blue working Trousers without stripes. The private in Walking out dress shows the plain rear skirts on the Full Dress Tunic.
