Gibraltar - Bicentenary of Royal Engineer 1972

With more than 900 years unbroken service to the crown, the Kent-based Corps of Royal Engineers is among the British Army’s finest.

Its origins date back to William the Conquerer and this year the corps marks its 200th year at Brompton Barracks, near Gillingham.

The barracks are home to the Royal School of Military Engineering and next door the Royal Engineers Museum, where its history has been honoured in an exhibition.

The Early Engineers Gallery shows how the corps, commonly known as the Sappers, has evolved from designing castles and planning sieges to the professional role of today.

The history of the engineers on Gibraltar and their key role in defending the principality from the longest-ever siege on English soil, which ran from 1779 to 1783. The Royal Engineers in Gibraltar has built centuries of fortifications and defences alongside the miles of tunnels within the rock.

A third room in the gallery looks at the corps’ role in the Peninsular War in the 19th century. The war was a turning point for the Engineers as it led to the Engineer Establishment being opened on Brompton Barracks near Gillingham in 1812. This provided the first standardised training for Royal Engineers. Now known as the Royal School of Military Engineering, it celebrates its 200th anniversary this year.