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CHRONICLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN MILITARY ENGINEERING IN INDIA Although M ilitary Engineering was well known in ancient, medieval and pre-British India, as evidenced by the innumerable constructions such as forts and moats all over the country, the chronology of these developments has not been established. The developments during the B ritish period are given below BRITISH PERIOD 1 671 The first M ilitary Engineer in India was appointed by the East India Company, in Bombay, He was Colonel Herman Bake, and was designated "Engineer and Su.y^e.yar' General” of the Island of Bombay. 1672 The first uniform appeared in Bombay, 1726 Surveyor of Works (possibly the first) appointed in B o m b a y , 1750 Appointment of “Engineer General” was created, 1755 Though M ilitary Engineers had taken part in several campaigns earlier, it was only this year that they were officially recognised as Combat O fficers, in addition to being Technical Experts, « ~ 1777 Company of Pioneer Laskers was raised in Bombay, 18 Field Company traces its origin to it and is possibly the oldest Company of the Corps of Engineers, 1780 Madras Sapers formed at Madras, 1799 "Engineer Brigade” employed at Seringapatam, 1803 The pontoon made its first appearance, inspired by local boats used by the Mahratta armies, 1818 Bengal Sappers formed at Allahabad, 1820 Bombay Sappers formed, 1831 The term “Corps of Sappers & Miners” first used, 1847 Thomason College of Civil Engineering was established with a Bengal Sapper as its first principal. 1870 First telegraph section was raised by Bengal Sappers, 1885 Battalion Organisation of ”Sa|>pers & Miners” was abolished. Independent Companies came into being. Depot Companies in Centres started, 1895 Present seniorities of the Groups decided. 1907 Bangalore Torpedo designed, 1909 The term "Field Company” came into vogue. Throughout th e 19th Century, M ilitary Engineers constructed canals, railw ays, roads, buildings, dams, reservoirs, water supply schemes, hydro-electric schemes, marine works, and lighthouses. They surveyed the whole of India, leading to the discovery of Mo\jnt Everest, pioneered in the field of civil and m ilitary telegraphy and gave assistance in Archaeology, 1914 Sappers took part in the War in France (Neuve Chapelle t o I 9I 8 Ypres, Loos), IraQ (Kut-al-amara, Ctesiphon, Baghdad) Iran, Egypt, Palestine, East Africa and Aden, 1922 Burma Sappers were evolved from Madras Sappers, 1923 The post of Engineer-in-Chief created. The term "M ilitary Engineering Services" came to be used. 1931 Mechanisation introduced into the Corps of Engineers, 1932 The Corps of Indian Engineers was formed. Training Battalions were created. Pioneers were disbanded and absorbed in the Corps, 2/Lieut R,E, Aserappa joined the Corps. 1935 Earthmoving Plant used extensively for the first time at the Quetta earthQuake disaster, 1940 Store Section first formed in E-in-C's Branch, 1941 Mines used by the Corps in Egypt, 1943 First Bailey Assault Bridge constructed by the Corps at Cassino, Italy, Bailey Bridge made its first appearance in Indian Theatre, SDLES prepared, 1939 From one ESD at Lahore, the Corps progressed to ESDs t o 1945 at Calcutta, Bombay (Kurla and Kandivlee), Karachi, Kankinara, Dehu Road, Avadi, Raipur and W altair, These were territorially divided during partition. Sappers fought in N. A frica, Sudan, Malaya, Italy, Burma, IraQ, S 5rria, Persia, Greece and took part in post-war operations in Malaya, Singapore, Thailand, French Indo-China, Borneo, Celebes, Hong Kong and Japan, In 19^1, 2/Lieut P.S. Bhagat of 211 Field Company was awarded the first VC, in connection with the battle of Keren. I n 1943, Sub Subramaniyam of 11 Field Park Company won the George Cross. 19^6 Inspectorate of Engineering Stores amalgamated with Technical Development Establishment (Vehicles) at Chaklala (now in Pakistan), The chronological record from 19^7 to present day has been arranged under several headings:- ARMY WORKS 19^-9 Several works in the National Defence Academy were undertaken. 19^9 Numerous works at the A rtillery Centre, Deolali, to completed, 1960 1951 The College of Military Engineering was constructed. 1951 Works at the Armed Forces Medical College, Poona, to completed. 1 9 6 3 1952 Olympic Size swimming pool constructed at the Madras Engineer Group & Centre. 1952 Married accommodation and library constructed at the t o 1972 Defence Services Staff College. 1956 New Gymnasium constructed at the Army School of Physical Training, 1956 Several works undertaken at the EME Centre t o 1972 Secunderabad. 1966 Works carried out at the ME School, Baroda t o 1 9 6 9 1971 Several works executed at the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, t o 1973 In addition various works were completed in allthe stations of all the Commands. NAVAL WORKS With the rapid growth of the Navy since independence, base facilities were concurrently augmented and new bases established. For this purpose, the Engineers played a vital role in the expansion of Naval Dock-yards, construction of major marine works and large scale construction of technical and livin g accommodation, mainly in Jamnagar, Bombay, Goa, Cochin, Visakhapatnam and Port Blair, These were either directly executed by the Corps of Engineers or in certain cases through the D irectors General, Naval Dockyard Expansion Schemes, Bombay and Naval Project, Visakhapatnam to whom engineering personnel and support were provided by the Corps of Engineers. The total investment in new projects during the last 25 years has been about Rs,120 crores. Living accommodation projects have been carried out at various Naval stations, involving pile fotindations and m ultistoreyed buildings, i I 95O-I 97O Naval Training School at Cochin, built, 1952-1963 INS Valsura, the Navy's new electrical school c o m p l e t e d . 1954 Naval Dockyard Expansion Schemes started and still in progress, 1955 Naval Armament Depot at Alwaye, built. 1957-1970 Naval Armament Depot at Karanja as well as a break­ water jetty, constructed. 1965 Naval Project at Visakhapatnam started and in progress, 1966 Naval works in Andaman and Nicobar islands commenced The construction of a wharf, the Dhanikhari Dam and water supply scheme and residential and office acco­ mmodation b u ilt, 1970 Sailors Training Establishment Project commenced i n G o a , A IR FORCE 1948-1950 Bases at Agra, Poona and Kalaikimda constructed. 1957 New Parallel runway at Ambala commenced. 1961 New runway at Pathankot commenced. 1962 Srinagar runway extended. 1963 Awantipur runway developed. Additional airstrip at Leh made. 1964 SAGW complex at Chandigarh started. 1965 Bhuji airfield developed. 1966 Air Force Academy commenced. Barmer and Jaiselmer airfields developed. 1969 Remote Receiving Station and W ireless Transmitting Station at Nagpur constructed, 1970 Udhampur airfield developed. Numerous works have been done at all Air Force Stations, including extension of runways and office and residential accommodation, DEFENCE PRODUCTION 1963 Directorate of Defence Production formed. 1963 Factory works have been undertaken at Kanpur, o n w a rd s Bhandara, Itarsi, Chanda, Ambamath, Muradnagar, Kirkee and Aruvangadu. Research Development Projects have beenundertaken at Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Ahmednagar and Hyderabad, DGI works have beenvindertaken at Itarsi and Bombay. 35 £ ^^0 ENGINEER PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 1959 liidigenously manufactured compressors introduced into the Corps, ''960 Indigenously assembled Plant introduced into the C o r p s . 1962-1965 Explosive methods of mine breaching introduced, 1967 KM Bridge used in the Corps, 1969-71 Lighter, faster-to-make Bridge eQuipment introduced, indigenously manufactured, 1971 Mechanical Mine Layer used. ENGINEER STORES 19^8 Elngineer Sub Park at Pathankot and Engineer Park at Udhampur established to meet the needs of Jammu and Kashmir, 1961 Stores support given from Belgaum, to the Goa operations, 1964 Buffer stock of E and M and water supply items constituted, 1965 Thousands of tons of Engineer Stores moved to operational areas from ESDs, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (ENGINEERS) 1947 Inspectorate disbanded and amalgamated with TDE (V ehicles), Ahmednagar, with a separate Engineering W in g. S57 1962 Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), established in Pune under Lt Col A.C. Aga, 1963 Directorate of Engineering constituted under Brig, NB Grant, The appointment of Officer-in-Charge R6<D Engineers upgraded to the rank of Colonel and redesignated Director, Later the appointment of Director v/as upgraded to the rank of Brigadier, with the taking over of the establishment by i3rig. M,N. P a t e l . 1964 Terrain Evaluation Cell formed under Directorate of Engineering. 1967 Indigenous Production Cell formed under the Directo­ rate of Engineering. 1968 R&D Establishment (Engineers) bifurcated into R&D (Engineers) and Inspectorate of Engineers. The Inspectorate of Engineers came under the control o f D G I. 1969 Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment formed under the Directorate of Engineering. 1971 Defence Institute of Fire Research placed under the Administrative Control of the Directorate of Engine erijng. CANTONMENT PLANNING To ensure system atic plannljag of new major cantonments and remodelling existing cantonments conforming to modern ideas on town planning, an Army HeadQuarters planning team was established in June 1964, The team consistgd of a ’Q' and an 'E' component, the former working \mder the QM5,and the latter under the E-in-C. Since 1 April 1959, the establishment of the Directorate of Cantonment Planning was reduced and included in the overall.1 establishment of the E-in-C s Branch, Brig, Sham- sher Singh was the first head of the planning team. From 1964 to the present day, the following major cantonments have beenplanned and sanctioned - M issam ari, Binnaguri, Bengdubi, Chandigarh and Pithoragarh, In addition, master plans for major cantonments at Khaprail, Barapani, Alwar, IMA Dehradim, Mhow, Gopalpur-on-Sea, and Ranchi have been prepared and partly sanctioned for the first five of them, and work is in progress.

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