Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee" with stress on the first syllable) is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger 2 main battle tanks and WAH-64 Apache helicopters to dental tools and cooking equipment/utensils.

History
Prior to REME's formation, maintenance was the responsibility of several different corps:
 * Royal Army Ordnance Corps—weapons and armoured vehicles
 * Royal Engineers—engineering plant and machinery, and RE motor transport
 * Royal Corps of Signals—communications equipment
 * Royal Army Service Corps—other motor transport
 * Royal Artillery-heavy weapons artificers

World War II's increase in quantity and complexity of equipment exposed the flaws in this system. Pursuant to the recommendation of a committee William Beveridge chaired, the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed in October 1942. Maj Gen Sir E. B. Rowcroft, who was instrumental in its creation, was appointed the first director of the Corps. The Corps had the rare honour of being granted the 'Royal' prefix at its inception. In addition, the Lillibullero was selected as the official Regimental March of the REME.

Phase I
Such a major re-organisation was too complex, however, to be carried out quickly and completely in the middle of a world war. Therefore the changeover was undertaken in two phases. In Phase I, which was implemented immediately, REME was formed on the existing framework of the RAOC Engineering Branch, strengthened by the transfer of certain technical units and tradesmen from the RE and RASC. At the same time a number of individual tradesmen were transferred into REME from other corps. The new corps was made responsible for repairing the technical equipment of all arms with certain major exceptions. REME did not yet undertake:


 * Those repairs which were carried out by unit tradesmen who were driver/mechanics or fitters in regiments and belonged to the unit rather than being attached to it.
 * Repairs of RASC-operated vehicles, which remained the responsibility of the RASC; each RASC Transport Company had its own workshop.
 * Repairs of RE specialist equipment, which remained the responsibility of the RE.

Phase II
In 1949, it was decided that "REME Phase II" should be implemented. This decision was published in Army Council Instruction 110 of 1949, and the necessary reorganisation was carried out in the various arms and services in three stages between July 1951 and January 1952. The main changes were: This organisation was also responsible for arranging and overseeing ship refits.
 * The transfer to REME of most of the unit repair responsibilities of other arms (Infantry, Royal Artillery, Royal Armoured Corps etc.).
 * The provision of Light Aid Detachments for certain units that had not possessed them under the old organisation.
 * The provision of new REME workshops to carry out field repairs in RASC transport companies. Maintenance of vessels of the RASC fleet whilst in port was given to the fleet repair branch, a civilian organisation who came under the R.E.M.E umberela.

Cap badges
After some interim designs, the badge of the Corps was formalised in June 1943 for use as the cap-badge, collar-badge, and on the buttons. It consisted of an oval Royally Crowned laurel wreath; on the wreath were four small shields at the compass points, each shield bearing one of the letters of "REME". Within the wreath was a pair of calipers. Examples of these early badges can be found at the REME Museum. In 1947 the Horse and Lightning was adopted as the cap badge. This badge has a strong significance to the role of the Corps. The cap badge consists of a Crown denoting the 'Royal' status granted them, the Horse and Chain represent the harnessing of mechanical power whilst the Lightning Bolt represents Electrical and the Globe represents the application of Engineering universally.

Maj Ivan Hirst REME and Volkswagen
At the end of the war, the Allies occupied the major German industrial centres to decide their fate. The Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg became part of the British Zone in June 1945 and No. 30 Workshop Control Unit, REME, assumed control in July. They operated under the overall direction of Colonel Michael McEvoy at Rhine Army Headquarters, Bad Oeynhausen. Uniquely, he had experience of the KdF Wagen in his pre-war career as a motor racing engineer. Whilst attending the Berlin Motor Show in 1939 he was able to test drive one. After visiting the Volkswagen factory he had the idea of trying to get Volkswagen back into production to provide light transport for the occupying forces. The British Army, Red Cross and essential German services were chronically short of light vehicles. If the factory could provide them, there would be no cost to the British taxpayer and the factory could be saved. To do this though, a good manager with technical experience would be needed.

Maj. Ivan Hirst was told simply to “take charge of” the Volkswagen plant before arriving in August 1945. He had drains fixed and bomb craters filled in; land in front of the factory was given over to food production.

At first, the wartime Kubelwagen was viewed as a suitable vehicle. However, once it became clear it could not be put back into production, the Volkswagen saloon or Kaefer (Beetle) was suggested.

Hirst had an example delivered to Rhine Army headquarters where it was demonstrated by Colonel McEvoy. The positive reaction led to the Military Government placing an order for 20,000 Volkswagens in September 1945.

REME today
With minor exceptions only, the Corps is now responsible for the examination, modification, repair and recovery of all mechanical, electronic, electrical and optical equipment of the Army beyond the capacity of unit non-technical personnel. REME currently has its Arms and Service Directorate, DEME(A) and Regimental Headquarters collocated with the trade specific Level 2, advanced Level 3 and Artificer training of Electronic and Aeronautical Technicians at 11 Training Battalion REME based in Arborfield Garrison, in the county of Berkshire. Levels 1, 2, 3 and Artificer training of Electro/Mechanical trades of REME and various related training to other units within the British army and the Navy and Air Force is conducted at 10 Training Battalion REME, based at Bordon in Hampshire.

REME employs both male and female personnel.

Within REME there are a total of seven regular, two integrated, two training and two TA battalions:
 * Regular Army
 * 1 (Close Support) Battalion REME, based in Catterick, provides equipment support to 4 Mechanised Brigade
 * 2 (Close Support) Battalion REME, based in Germany, provides equipment support to 7 Armoured Brigade
 * 3 (Close Support) Battalion REME, based in Germany, provides equipment support to 20th Armoured Brigade
 * 4 (Close Support) Battalion REME, based in Tidworth, provides equipment support to 12 Mechanised Brigade
 * 19 Light Brigade Combat Service Support Battalion provide equipment support to 19 Light Brigade
 * 6 (Close Support) Battalion REME, Based in Tidworth, provides equipment support to 1 Mechanised Brigade
 * 7 Air Assault Battalion REME, based in Wattisham Airfield, provides equipment support to 16 Air Assault Brigade


 * REME Training Battalions
 * 10 Training Battalion REME, based in Bordon, provides trade training to 'black hand' trade groups
 * 11 Training Battalion REME, based in Arborfield, provides trade training to technician trade groups


 * Integrated (mixed Regular and TA) 'Force Support' battalions
 * 101 (Force Support) Battalion REME —102nd Logistic Brigade (United Kingdom)
 * 104 (Force Support) Battalion REME —101st Logistic Brigade (United Kingdom)


 * Territorial Army
 * 102 Battalion REME (V)—Regional Forces.
 * 103 Battalion REME (V)—Regional Forces.

Note: The five REME (Close Support Battalions), although embedded within the Brigade, are under command of a Commander Equipment Support working at a Divisional Headquarters; these Battalions are Divisional troops.

REME also maintains the REME Museum of Technology, which is situated at Arborfield Garrison and which is open to the public.

REME assists service leavers from the Corps to find future employment on completion of their colour service through the REME Association Job Agency (RAJA)

REME's patron saint is St Eligius; he is the traditional patron of all smiths, metal workers, and craftsmen. His commemoration is held every year on or around the first week of December.

Former officers

 * William Russell—left as a major in 1947; later designed a coffee percolator in 1952, and the world's first automatic electric kettle in 1955, to be sold by his company Russell Hobbs.


 * Ivan Hirst—left as a major; saved Volkswagen from becoming a part of the spoils of the war reparations act at the end of WWII.


 * Edward Southwell Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford—left as a lieutenant colonel; the last peer to be tried for a felony by the House of Lords (1936; acquitted).


 * David Judd


 * Andrew Figgures


 * Jim Fox (pentathlete) - is one of the most influential figures in the development of the Modern Pentathlon in Britain. He won the British title record ten times and is the only British pentathlete to have competed in four Olympic Games. His fourth place in the individual event at München in 1972 was the best placing by a Briton up to that time and has only subsequently been matched by Richard Phelps in 1984. Fox made his Olympic début in 1964, when he placed 29th in the individual event, and in his second Olympic appearance in 1968 he improved to finish eighth. After the 1968 Games, Fox, then a sergeant in the REME, announced retirement but he was dissuaded by his coach, Ron Bright, and remained in the sport for another eight years. During that period he set a fine example to the tyros of the sport and following his final individual effort at the 1972 Olympics he won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics he won a gold medal in the team event in 1976. Fox, who was later commission in the REME, was first awarded the MBE and subsequently the OBE for his services to the sport

Notable former personnel

 * Northern Ireland international footballer Maik Taylor was a lance corporal before going into professional football and his father was a staff sergeant. Taylor still maintains ties with the unit's football team.
 * Guy Wittingham, Manager and former player of Portsmouth Football Club was a Corporal in REME.