8th Engineer Brigade (United Kingdom)

8th Engineer Brigade 8th Force Engineer Brigade Headquarters Royal Engineers, Theatre Troops
Formation badge of the brigade
Active	2005 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Support formation
Role	Military Engineering
Size	Brigade
Part of	Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
Brigade HQ	Gibraltar Barracks, Minley
Engagements	Operation Telic Operation Herrick Operation Rescript
Website	8th Engineer Brigade

8th Engineer Brigade (8 Eng Bde) is an engineering support formation of the British Army, under the command of HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, supporting NATO.

History

In August 2001, Headquarters Royal Engineers, Theatre Troops was established as a subdivision of HQ Theatre Troops based in Upavon. On 1 April 2005, the headquarters was redesignated as part of the LANDmark review as 8th Force Engineer Brigade and subsequently took control of the three engineer groups: 12th (Air Support), 29th (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search), and 170th (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Groups. The new brigade's headquarters was also based at Upavon, now at Trenchard Lines.[1]

As part of the Army 2020 reorganisation following the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, HQ Theatre Troops was redesignated as Force Troops Command, while the brigade headquarters was moved to Gibraltar Barracks in Minley and subsequently took control of 25th (Close Support) Engineer Group. However, in 2016 as part of the subsequent Army 2020 Refine changes, 25 Engineer Group was moved under direct control of 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. Consequently, two regiments of 25 Engineer Group; 32nd and 35th Engineer Regiments were moved under 12 Engineer Group.[1]

In August 2020, a reorganisation of the Field Army, the brigade was moved under control of 1st (United Kingdom) Division. The brigade has been also regionally aligned with the South Asian region as part of defence engagement.[2][3][4]

In 2024, the brigade was resubordinated to HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, supporting the NATO High Readiness Force (Land).[5]

Structure

The current structure of the brigade is as follows:[6][7]

• Headquarters, 8th Engineer Brigade, at Gibraltar Barracks, Minley[6][7]
  • 8th Engineer Brigade Combat Information Systems (CIS) Troop, Royal Engineers (V), at Aldershot Garrison[8]
  • 12th (Force Support) Engineer Group, at RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire
    • 32nd Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, at Marne Barracks, Catterick Garrison[9][10][11]
    • 36th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, at Invicta Park Barracks, Maidstone[9][12][13][14] — regiment doubles as HQ Queen's Gurkha Engineers[15]
    • 39th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, at Kinloss Barracks, Kinloss[9][13][16]
    • 71st Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (V), at Waterloo Lines, Leuchars Station[9][13] — paired with 32 Engineer Regiment[11]
    • 75th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (V), at Peninsula Barracks, Warrington[9][13] — paired with 36 Engineer Regiment[11]
    • 43 Headquarters and Support Squadron, at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell[17][18]
    • 20th Works Group (Air Support), Royal Engineers, at RAF Wittering[9][13] (Hybrid)[19][20]
      • 510 Specialist Team (Airfields), Royal Engineers (V)[21][22]
    • 62nd Works Group, Royal Engineers, at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell[9]
    • 63rd Works Group, Royal Engineers, at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell[9]
    • 65th Works Group, Royal Engineers (V), at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell[9]
    • 66th Works Group, Royal Engineers, at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell[9]
  • 29th (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group, at Montgomery House, Aldershot Garrison
    • 660 Signal Troop (EOD), Royal Corps of Signals[23][24]
    • 29 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group Support Unit, at Carver Barracks, Wimbish[9][25]
    • 28th Engineer Regiment (Counter-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear), Royal Engineers, at Rock Barracks, Woodbridge (NRBC Defence)[26][27]
      • Falcon Area Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment,[28] at Harman Lines, Warminster Garrison
    • 33rd Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search), Royal Engineers, at Carver Barracks, Wimbish[9][13]
    • 35th Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search), Royal Engineers, at Carver Barracks, Wimbish[9]
    • 101st (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search), Royal Engineers (V), at Hudson House, Catford[9][13] — paired with 33 Engineer Regiment[29]
    • 11th Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, at Vauxhall Barracks, Didcot[9][13]
    • 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, Royal Army Veterinary Corps, at Saint George's Barracks, North Luffenham (Hybrid)[9][13]
      • 101 Military Working Dog Squadron (V), in Oakham[21]

Footnotes

1. Watson & Rinaldi, p. 266
2. "8 Engineer Brigade". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
3. "Information regarding British Army brigades being regionally aligned" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Ministry of Defence UK. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020. Responsible Organisation 8th Engineer Brigade Region South Asia
4. "Army restructures to confront evolving threats". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
5. "SOLDIER". edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
6. "FOI(A) regarding the order of battle of 8th Engineer Brigade" (PDF). What do they know?. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
7. Army 2020 Update Archived 10 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine
8. "HQ 8 Engr Bde CIS Tp". Twitter. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
9. "Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps". United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements. 22 November 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
10. "Transforming A 'Super Garrison': Construction At Catterick". Forces Network. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
11. Ministry of Defence (July 2013). "Transforming the British Army an Update" (PDF). Parliamentary Publishments. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
12. Cooper, Tim. "Queen's Gurkha Engineers Celebrate 73rd Birthday". Forces Network. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
13. "Written Question for the Ministry of Defence regarding Army basing and personnel". Parliamentary Replies. 22 November 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
14. "36 Engineer Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
15. "36 Engineer Regiment". 36 Engineer Regiment — Twitter. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
16. "39 Engineer Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
17. Watson & Rinaldi, p. 281.
18. "OC 43 HQ & Sp Sqn RE". OC 43 HQ & Sp Sqn RE — Twitter. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
19. "20 Works Group RE (Air Support)". British Army. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
20. "Royal Engineers Work Groups location 2018". British Army. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
21. "Information regarding locations of Army Reserve units" (PDF). What do they know?. 6 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
22. Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 335–338. (RE Order of Battle Army 2020)
23. Lord & Watson, p. 127.
24. Royal Corps of Signals, The Wire Summer 2021
25. Army Secretariat, FOI(A) Request in relation to current British Army Garrisons/Installations with Garrison Sergeant Major s (20 March 2018). assets.publishging.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
26. "Force Troops Command Handbook". Retrieved 31 March 2019.
27. "Falcon Squadron: Meet The Army's Chemical Hazard Team". Forces Network. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
28. "The FUCHS Simulator is alive once more. Rhinemetall prove all systems work ready for its move south to Harman Lines, in perpetration for its refurbishment with FALCON". The Royal Tank Regiment – Facebook. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
29. "Written evidence - Ministry of Defence". data.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2021.

References

• Watson, Graham E.; Rinaldi, Richard A. (2018). The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889 – 2018. United Kingdom: Tiger Lilly Books. ISBN 978-1717901804.
• Lord, Cliff; Watson, Graham (2004). The Royal Corps of Signals : unit histories of the Corps (1920-2001) and its antecedents. Solihull, West Midlands, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-874622-92-5. OCLC 184820114.

External links

• Official website