THE ROYAL JOURNAL INSTITUTION OF RE OFFICE COPY i DO NOT REMOVE AUGUST 1995 VOL 109 NO 2 Guidelines for Authors The Editor is always pleased to consider articles Copyright. If an article has been published else- for publication in the Journal. Guidelines for where, copyright clearance must be sought; prospective authors are: copyright clearance on photographs, maps or illus- Subject. Articles should have some military engi- trations must also be obtained prior to submission. neering connection but this can be fairly Photographs should be black and white if tenuous, especially if an article is well written possible, or coloured of good quality with sharp and interesting. definition. Please do not submit laser/photo Length. Normally approximately 4500 words copies of photographs. (approximately ten A4 pages double line Rewards can be generous. The Publications spacing at 12pt) plus illustrations. Committee has about £250 in prize money to Copy. Ideally one copy of the text should be allot for each issue plus valuable annual prizes. submitted, typed in double spacing, plus a short All authors receive £10 to help cover costs. pen picture of the author and a head and shoul- Pseudonyms may be used. They will not be ders photograph. Please don't forget to add revealed by the Editor under any circumstances. captions for any artwork to be included. Clearance. The author must clear his/her article Contributions should reach the Editor by: with his/her CO where applicable. 6 Octoberforthe December 1995 issue Computers. Articles submitted on 3/in discs are Early Februaryfor the April 1996 issue very welcome. Please ensure that text is typed Early Junefor thle August1996 issue with no formatting, ie LH justified only, and saved as Microsoft Word 5 (with a .DOC exten- Submissions before the deadline sion) or as an ASCII file (with a .txt extension). are particularly welcome. .1- SURnA9i^QUb ..... l...7 7U DQHl u -M-F.... ;, 1 ;1. : . '.111..: .II. .II.., -- b77779 1 1 Detecting Set, Metal L8A1. NSN Z5/6665-99-282-4063 Telephone 0181 567 0702 - Facsimile 0181 79 2158 THE INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS (Established 1875, Incorporatedby Royal Charter, 1923) Patron - HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN Chief Royal Engineer General Sir John Stibbon KCB OBE DSc BSc(Eng) CEng FICE COUNCIL President Major General K J Drewienkiewicz MA ... 1994 Vice Presidents Colonel A F George TD MA LLM BSc ... 1990 Major General F G Sugden CB CBE ... 1993 Members Elected Ex Officio Brigadier G Hyde ............................. D Engr Sp ...................................................................... Brigadier C C Galloway BSc(Eng) M ajor T P Grimshaw..................................................................................994 D M il Svy ............ ................. Brigadier A J Hoon BSc(Eng) Colonel M B Mounde MBE BA ................................... 1995 FIMgt MIOP Lieutenant Colonel D W Lewis OBE TD MIMgt MTD .......... 1995 Comd Engr LAND...................Brigadier A S Craig OBE BSc(Eng) Lieutenant Colonel B H Stafford BEM.................................. 1995 Comdt RSME................................Brigadier R Pridham OBE BSc Lieutenant Colonel J D Wootton MBE BA ...................................... 1995 Regt Col .............. Colonel C P R Bates BSc(Eng)(H) Col PB7 ................. Colonel P S Adams MBE BSc(Eng) MSc FCIS Coopted (non-voting) Corps RSM ...WOI (RSM) P L Brown Director National Army Museum (or senior museum professional) Secretary: Colonel M R Cooper BA ... 1994 Treasurer:Lieut Colonel A J Hicks ... 1989 CorrespondingMembers Colonel T R Bradwell OBE BSc(Eng), BLO Fort Leonard Wood, USA Lieutenant Colonel P W Clarke, BLO Pionierschule, Munich Major R C F Braybrook, BLO Engineer School, Angers Major E J Ward BSc(Eng), Exchange Appointment, Australian SME Captain P J Langford, Exchange Appointment, Canadian SME PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ex Officio D Engr Sp ....................................... Brigadier C C Galloway BSc(Eng) ......................................Chairman Regt Col ........ ....... Colonel C P R Bates BSc(Eng)(H)...........................Vice-Chairman Col Engr Svcs .......................Colonel N Munro MA CEng MICE ROI Author RSME .......................Lieutenant Colonel R N C Smales OBE ........................................ BSc(Eng) CEng MIMechE Surveyor ........................................ To be announced Editor RE Journal...........................Colonel M R Cooper BA Elected Senior serving officer ................... Colonel I S Mercer CBE.... ................. ............1993 Senior retired officer ..................... Colonel M J Payne MA AMPIil ........................................................ 1993 TA officer .............. To be announced Coopted Museum Director... ........... Colonel J E Nowers BSc(Econ) FIMgt Secretary: Mrs J D Scanlan INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS' STAFF Secretary: Colonel M R Cooper BA Tel: ATN: 766 2298, BT: (01634) 842669/822298. Assistant Secretary: Mrs J D Scanlan Tel: ATN: 766 2299, BT: (01634) 842669/822299. Administrative Officers: Mrs M Bassett/Mrs J Ellender Tel: ATN: 766 2397, BT: (01634) 822397. All correspondencein connection with editorialmatters should be addressedto the Secretary, Institution of Royal Engineers, Ravelin Building, Brompton Barracks, Chatham, Kent,IME4 4UG The Institution of Royal Engineers is Registered as a Charity Number 249882 BUDGET, INVESTMENT, MEMBERSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP AND MEMORIALS COMMITTEE Chairman: Colonel A F George TD MA LLM BSc..................................1988 Vice Chairman: Colonel J S Field OBE ................................. 1994 Members: Colonel C P R Bates BSc(Engr)(H) .................................1992 Colonel J W F Sweeting LLB .................................................... 1992 Colonel N Munro MA CEng MICE .................................1993 Colonel P S Adams MBE BSc(Eng) MSc FCIS ................ 1993 Colonel R A Hyde-Bales ....................................... 1994 Secretary: Colonel M R Cooper BA Treasurer: Lieutenant Colonel A J Hicks ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM AND LIBRARY Trustees: The Council MUSEUM EXECUTIVE AND LIBRARY COMMITTEE Chairman: Major General F G Sugden CB CBE Vice-Chairman: Colonel C P R Bates BSc(Eng)(H) Members: Brigadier R Pridham OBE BSc Colonel M R Cooper BA Lieutenant Colonel A J Hicks Lieutenant Colonel R A Leonard MISM Lieutenant Colonel E L V Wall MA Dr J N Rhodes TD MA PhD AMA Coopted: J H Fitzmaurice Esq Secretary: Colonel J E Nowers BSc(Econ) FIMgt TRUSTEES RE MUSEUM FOUNDATION Chief Royal Engineer: General Sir John Stibbon KCB OBE DSc BSc(Eng) CEng FICE Chairman: J H Fitzmaurice Esq Members: Major General G B Sinclair CB CBE Major General W N J Withall CB Colonel W T Dennison CBE Colonel Sir Idris Pearce CBE TD DL Colonel P E Williams TD DL FRICS ACIArb Sir Donald Spiers CBE TD MA CEng FRAeS B H Pearce Esq Ex Officio Members: Major General K J Drewienkiewicz MA Colonel C P R Bates BSc(Eng)(H) Colonel J E Nowers BSc(Econ) FIMgt Secretary: Mrs A R Bennett BA ALA RE MUSEUM STAFF Director: Colonel J E Nowers BSc(Econ) FIMgt Curator: Dr J N Rhodes TD MA PhD AMA Assistant Curators: Mrs B J Williams J Rattue Esq BA MA A Gladwell Esq MA Administrative Officer: Mrs G Eden Telephone: ATN: 766 2312, BT: (01634) 406397/822312. RE CORPS LIBRARY STAFF Librarian: Captain R T Arnold Assistant Librarian: Mrs M Magnuson Telephone: ATN: 766 2416, BT: (01634) 822416. ISSN 0035-8878 THE ROYAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL O Publishedin April, August and December by the Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4UG Printedby Staples PrintersRochester Limited, Neptune Close, Medway City Estate, Frindsbury,Rochester, Kent, ME2 4LT Volume 109 August 1995 No 2 Contents 1 E N G IN EER IN C H IEF (D ESIG N A TE) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 2 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CORPS BY THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF ............................................................................................................ 118 3 JO U RN A L A W A R D S .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 8 4 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBAY SAPPERS, Brigadier D A Barker-Wyatt CBE .................................................. 129 5 FROM RIPON TO RANGOON, Captain M Wilkinson ............... ...........................................................................130 6 ENGINEER OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS - RWANDA OPERATION GABRIEL AUGUST TO NOVEMBER 1994, Major I S James MBE .................................................................... 136 7 SAPPERS IN LAND COMMAND - A PERSONAL VIEW, Brigadier I D T McGill ......................................................................145 8 BUILDING BRIDGES IN GREECE IN 1945, Major W A G Gerrie MC ............................................................................................ 152 9 THE NOBLE SAPPER ON THE Box, CHARLES ROBSON RE, Lee Stevenson Esq............. ............................................................156 10 T HE O LD PORTON IANS, G B C arter ISO .......................................................................................................................................................... 162 11 FACING THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE - HQ ARRC REACHES OPERATIONAL READINESS, B rigadier J D M oore-B ick O BE .........................................................................................................