History of the Regiment

Royal Engineers were very much involved in the deployment of the tank during World War 1. This included development of specialist attachments such as fascines to allow tanks to cross the trenches and shell craters. Despite this there was no armoured capability for the Engineers at the start of World War 2. This resulted in heavy losses during the withdrawal at Dunkirk in 1940.

Four years later the 79th Armoured Division was formed which included proper Armoured Engineers with tracked vehicles with the necessary attachments to breach obstacles in order to establish bridgeheads during the Allied assault on Europe. By the end of the war there were 2 Assault Engineer Brigades, one in 79th Division and one in Italy.

After the war in 1948, 42 Assault Regiment was re-designated 32 Assault Engineer Regiment. The Regiment was disbanded in 1957, except for 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron, which moved to Germany, then known as British Army on the Rhine or BAOR. The formation of 2 Armoured Engineer Squadron in 1964 lead to the formation of 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment.

31 Armoured Engineer Squadron was formed in 1969 and the 3 independent squadrons were dispersed under command of each Division. In 1978 defence cuts forced the disbandment of 2 and 31 Squadrons but 26 Squadron yet again survived. It became the only ‘Corps’ Armoured Engineer Squadron but still had all the equipment of the previous 3 Squadrons. This was unmanageable so 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron was reformed in 1980 allowing 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment to exist once again. 77 Armoured Engineer Squadron was raised in 1983; it had been 77 Assault Engineer Squadron in World War 2.

The Regiment continues its close association with Assault Engineers being the only remaining unit of the 79th Armoured Division. It still wears the 79th insignia of the Bull’s Head to this day.

Armoured Engineers were by now an essential part of the British Army’s order of battle and deployed to Kuwait on Operation GRANBY in 1990. Apart from breaching many of the Iraqi obstacles, the Regiment played a major role in clearing the Mutla Pass.

In 1993 following the Options for Change review, there was a fundamental change in the roles and organisation of all Royal Engineer units. For the Armoured Engineers this resulted in the formation of 2 Headquarters Squadron and the dropping of ‘Armoured’ from the Unit title, commensurate with a more flexible role. Armoured Engineers deployed to Northern Ireland, for the first time, on a construction tour in 1994, and have subsequently deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo as part of the United Nations and NATO Forces in the Close Support role.

The rationalisation of Britain’s Armed Forces, The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) saw the re-organisation of the Regiment into a Close Support Regiment comprising a headquarters squadron, 3 close support squadrons and a workshop. This re-organisation was complete by 2001. During this period, 77 Armoured Engineer Squadron moved to Paderborn and 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron reformed in Hohne. In 2001 the Regiment deployed pan-Balkans on Operation AGRICOLA and Operation PALATINE.

In 2002 the Regiment carried out a training year, which culminated in exercises across the Canadian plains. This left the Regiment in the high readiness state and the obvious choice to deploy to the Gulf. The Regiment deployed to the Gulf in Feb 2003 complete with 25 Armd Engr Sqn from 38 Engr Regt. The Regiment went out in the war fighting role in direct support of 7th Armoured Brigade. The Regiment was responsible for providing crossing for both the 7 Armoured Brigade and the US Forces. During the fight for Basra engineers were attached to the infantry and armour often leading the way forward clearing any mines and obstacles in their way.  The Regiment returned to Hohne in July 2003.

In the autumn of 2003, 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron deployed to Bosnia as the Pan Balkans Engr Sqn from Oct 2003-Apr 2004 and Support Troop from 2 HQ Squadron support the RGBW Battle Group on Exercise Grand Prix in Kenya from Jan-Feb 2004.

During 2004 / 2005 the Regt received BOWMAN, which is the new in field digital communication system. The conversion period started in October 2004 and was implemented predominantly in barracks. During this time also the Regiment was on its training year preparing for  its war fighting role in engineer support to 7 Armoured Brigade. The regiment was involved in various exercises in Germany before deploying to Canada during March  - July 2005 in support of the Battlegroups on Exercise MEDMAN 1 and 2.

The summer of 2005 also was the 150th anniversary for 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron, to celebrate this events were held in UK and Hohne.

32 Engineer Regiment since September 2005 have been preparing for deployment on OP TELIC 7. This deployment was in support of 7 Armoured Brigade and the Regiment provided engineer peace support tasks incorporating 15 Fd Sp Sqn and 21 EOD Sqn. The Regiment returned to Hohne in May 2006.