The British Army

The British Army is committed to inspiring the next generation of Scientists, Engineers, Technologists and Mathematicians through its involvement in the Bloodhound SSC project.

The Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) are amongst the world’s leading engineering and management organisations supporting cutting edge equipment and technology in the most challenging environments across the world.

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

As professional Mechanical, Electronic and Aeronautical Engineers the REME employ a wide range of trade skills from Avionics Technicians servicing Apache Helicopters to Vehicle Mechanics repairing vehicles to Electronic Technicians climbing masts to maintain optical systems that protect British bases.

A five strong REME team (one Officer and 4 Soldiers) will use their Army training and experience from Operations to provide engineering and management skills to the Bloodhound SSC team which will be vital to the success of the project both in the UK and during the record attempts.

From left: the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Team, Defence Minister Philip Dunne, driver Wing Commander Andy Green and Bloodhound Director Richard Noble pose with a model of the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car
[Picture: Sergeant Adrian Harlen RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

History of the Corps - over 70 years of REME Heritage

Maintaining and repairing the Army's equipment has always played an important part in ensuring the fighting efficiency of the Service. Until the late 19th century, however, the relative simplicity of the equipment in use with the Army made a specialist corps of tradesman unnecessary. The soldier carried out minor repairs on his own equipment, assisted as necessary by the armourer, the regimental farrier, the carpenter and the leatherworker.

The early years of the Second World War brought the realisation that the existing repair system was not able to support the massive scale of equipment being deployed in every theatre. In 1941 the War Cabinet directed Sir William Beveridge to carry out an enquiry into the employment of technical manpower in the Services. As a result of the recommendations of this enquiry, the Royal Corp of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed on 1st October 1942.

One of its first missions was the Battle of El Alamein, the British Army's first major operation after the Corps was formed. It has since evolved into a highly skilled and specialised Corps that is capable of meeting the toughest of challenges anywhere in the world.

Over the past 60 years REME has played a vital role in all of the Army's operations, being present in Palestine, Korea, Kenya, Malaya, Suez, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Afghanistan and both Gulf Wars. It has also been involved in peacekeeping duties all over the globe, from the Balkans to Sierra Leone.