24 Commando Royal Engineers

Role
Responsible for all engineer tasks in the 3 Commando Brigade forward area. This includes route maintenance, bridging, water supply, electricity supply construction of field defences and structures, demolition tasks and mine clearance.
As well as possessing a large number of skilled craftsmen, the Regiment also has a variety of plant machinery and other equipment. This gives the Unit the capability to tackle almost any form of construction or demolition.
Additionally, the Regiment also has a diving team, trained to conduct sub-surface engineering tasks as well as survey rivers and beaches in order to identify their suitability for bridging.
Training
24 Commando personnel undergo the All Arms Commando Course, on successful completion of which they are able to wear the coveted green beret. 
The Unit is trained to operate everywhere in support of 3 Commando Brigade. This means regular Arctic training as well as jungle and desert climates focusing on amphibious operations. Essentially the Regiment allows the Brigade to fight and move. 
Timeline
1971 formation of 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers.
2008 expanded to form 24 Commando Engineer Regiment.
2012 the Regiment was reduced in size to form three squadrons.
2017 re-roled as 24 Commando Royal Engineers.

Current ORBAT
24 Commando Royal Engineers
56 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron
54 Commando Squadron
59 Commando Squadron
131 Commando Squadron
REME Workshop.

131 Commando Squadron

131 Commando Squadron is the Army Reserve sub-unit of 24 Commando Royal Engineers. 131 has served in over 60 nations and territories worldwide. Since 1978 it has supported the Royal Marines and Commando Forces. Before that it was a parachute unit, supporting the Parachute Regiment. 

[Source: MOD].

View the Gallery images of Army Commando Sappers


View the Army Commando ROH post WW2 [HERE].
 

59 Independent Commando Sqn. RE

At the end of the war a decision was made to disband the Army Commandos. Many years later Army Commandos were reformed to support 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. The 1st of April 2021 marked the 50th Anniversary of the formation of 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers.
 
59 Field Squadron at the time were stationed in Singapore providing support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was in 1967 that Brigadier Richard Clutterbuck, Chief Engineer Far East Land Forces (FELF) first proposed that 59 Field Squadron re-role as a Commando Squadron and be attached to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines.
 
Although this decision was met with universal agreement it would not be until 1st April 1971 that the Squadron would be retitled.
 
This is not the first time that the Corps had commando sappers as there were individually trained sappers on the Staff of HQ 3 Commando Brigade with a responsibility for providing specialist support and advice to the Bde Comd and his staff. 
The earliest recorded sapper recipient of the Commando Medal was SSgt John Craig who successfully completed the commando course in 1964 and went on to serve as a QMSI in the Bde HQ. 
 
Looking further back in history there were many sapper officers and soldiers in WW2 who were commando trained. These included Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant RE, attached to No.1 Commando, who died during Operation Chariot, the raid at St. Nazaire and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. 
 
There is currently an annual award ‘The Durrant Award’ which is presented to the Sergeant who has demonstrated throughout the reporting period the very best examples of the Commando qualities:
 
Unselfishness.
Courage.
Cheerfulness in Adversity.
Determination.
Unity.
 
Singapore Days
Following the decision to re-role 59 Field Squadron to 59 Independent Commando Squadron, Gerry Taggart, who was the Staff Officer Royal Engineers (SORE) in HQ 3 Commando Brigade RM explained how 59 Field Squadron came to be called 59 Independent Commando Squadron. 
“The Brigade Commander, Brigadier Peter Whitely asked me what we should call the newly announced Commando Squadron. I replied 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers to harmonize with 9 Independent Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers who are a unit of 16th Parachute Brigade. He was delighted with the suggestion and that he now had his own dedicated Royal Engineer Squadron in the Brigade”. 
 
And so, the ‘seeds were sown’ for a professional association that has endured for 50 years and still going strong.
 
Although the Squadron continued to provide sapper support to the Royal Marines there was a significant shift in direction for those who had volunteered for commando training.  The unit PTI's were now conducting daily physical training to prepare soldiers for when they would report to the Royal Citadel in Plymouth to undertake ‘Pre-Beat Up’ training prior to moving to the Commando Training Centre (CTC), Lympstone to complete the All-Arms Commando Course (AACC).  In some cases, personnel would attend the All-Arms Commando Course prior to arrival in Singapore. 
 
The first commando trained Troop Commander to be posted into the Squadron was Lieutenant John Yerbury who arrived in Singapore in 1968 after completion of the AACC at the CTC, Lympstone. It was a welcome change in temperature as John remembered how cold it was during the commando course and having to break the ice in ‘Peter’s Pool’ and the frozen Water Tunnel on the endurance course.
 
John recalls his arrival in Singapore at a time when the Squadron was commanded by Major Geoffrey Preston-Jones and the Squadron Sergeant Major was WO2 (SSM) ‘Spreader’ Hurst.
 “I arrived as the first Troop Commander proudly wearing my coveted green beret – only to be told I could not wear it unless I was visiting 3 Commando Brigade HQ in the north of Singapore.  I was informed by the OC that I would take command of 3 Troop who supported 42 Commando RM. SSgt ‘Blackjack’ Vowles was my Troop SSgt and Sgt Fawcett my Recce Sgt”.
 
During the next 2 years, John’s troop supported 42 Commando RM in several exercises in Australia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia and undertook a variety of construction tasks including non-equipment bridging, road construction projects and infrastructure tasks. John recounts a particular exercise in support of 42 Commando RM when he was tasked with conducting a recce:
“The Troop deployed on an exercise with 42 Commando RM to provide support in the form of a base camp and water supply near a beach site in northern Malaysia. 
I thought that I could save time by undertaking a site recce by helicopter. In those days it took at least 2 days to drive there, search around and then another 2 days to return.  Then the main rivers had to be crossed by ferry that slowed down one’s progress. 
Unfortunately, we crashed in the jungle just short of Kulantan, writing off the Sioux – fortunately, it did not catch fire as we had run out of fuel ! 
I never did that recce, though I did find a water source when we arrived on site. I did all the pollution tests but did not do a final taste test.  It was salt water!  We rapidly dug another well nearby and fortunately found a good drinkable supply”.
 
John would serve in the Squadron until his posting in September 1970. Further postings of young commando trained Troop Commanders followed and eventually the number of commando trained officers and SNCOs in the Squadron flourished and included the OC, Major John Grosvenor RE,  Squadron 2IC Captain Geoff Field RE, (who would later return to command the Squadron in January 1976) and the SSM, WO2 (SSM) Bill Moretta RE.
 
In good old military fashion, a parade was held in Cloutman Lines to mark the occasion when 59 Field Squadron was retitled as 59 Independent Commando Squadron.
Lance Corporal Lawrence Gilbertson was a draughtsman working in the Drawing Office in SHQ and recalls the part he played in the ceremony:
The Training Sergeant entered my office and said "You are a keen sailor aren’t you and know how to put up a flag properly ?” “Er yes Sgt.” Right come with me”. 
In front of the Squadron Offices was the flagpole, freshly painted with a bright new halyard and the Field Squadron Flag starting to show its age, snapping in a light breeze from the Singapore Strait.
“Right, on the 1st of April, we will be having a Squadron Renaming Parade and you will haul down the Field Squadron Flag and Raise the Independent Commando Squadron Flag”.
Following several rehearsals and practices, the parade was held at noon on the 1st April 1971. The Squadron marched on and following a number of drill movements the OC ordered “59 Field Squadron Royal Engineers Attention”.
I lowered the 59 Field Squadron flag and raised the 59 Independent Commando Squadron flag to the top of the flagpole. Pause for effect, and finally the flag cracked in the breeze off the Singapore Straight.
A few moments for reflection then the OC ordered “59 Independent Commando Squadron, Royal Engineers, Stand at Ease”. A few more commands followed and 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE marched off the parade square for the first time.
I had carried out the last duty of the Field Squadron and the first of the Independent Commando Squadron”.
 
The change in title and the colour of the beret brought another unexpected change and that is ‘Jackspeak’ which is ‘Naval Lingo’ adopted by the Royal Marines!
No longer would we go ‘downtown for a few beers’ instead we would go for ‘a run ashore and a few wets’. Other changes include:
 
‘Going to the cookhouse for scoff’ is now ‘Going to the galley for scran’
No more ‘NAAFI Breaks’ it is now ‘Stand Easy’
Events are no longer ‘Awesome’ but now ‘Hoofing’
We will no longer ‘go to the toilet’ but will now ‘go to the heads’
Our kit is no longer called ‘Army Issue’ but is now ‘Pussers
 
Return to the UK
The bulk of the Squadron moved to Plymouth in May 1971 and would be joined later in the year by 1 Troop who remained behind to support 40 Commando RM and the final withdrawal of British Forces from Singapore. The focus for 59 Independent Commando Squadron would now be to settle into their new accommodation in Crownhill Fort and Seaton Barracks and increase the commando trained strength.
 
Within the first two years the Squadron had reached full strength and had operated in fourteen countries from Borneo to the Arctic. On 4 October 1971, Condor Troop became the first commando trained troop in the Squadron, and were swiftly relocated to their new home in Arbroath, Scotland, alongside 45 Commando, RM.
 
In early 1972, 2 Troop, became the second commando trained troop and they relocated to Malta in support of 41 Commando RM and would be known as ‘Malta Troop’.
 
During the formative years of the Squadron, life was dominated by tours on Operation BANNER, Oversees Training exercises (OTX), conducting specialist Arctic Warfare training in Norway, and Amphibious training in the Mediterranean.
 
The Squadron deployed on Operation CORPORATE in 1982 which was the British Military operation to retake the Falkland Islands following the occupation by Argentine armed forces.  They would return in 1984 but in a completely different posture to that of warfighting, with more emphases on combat and infrastructure support.
 
As part of the UK barrack infrastructure plan, the Squadron moved from Crownhill Fort to Royal Marines Barracks (RMB) Chivenor, North Devon alongside the Commando Logistic Regiment RM. Squadron and eventually Regimental life revolved around continuous specialist training in support of 3 Cdo Bde RM.
Operational deployments to Iraq including Operation HAVEN in Northern Turkey and Operation TELIC were followed by further operational deployments to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK (5,9, and 14). Add to that the re-introduction of arctic warfare training in Norway then life became remarkably busy.
 
An increasing commitment to Humanitarian Aid Disaster Relief (HADR) would involve a permanent commitment of a Troop strength on standby. In 2017 the Regiment were heavily involved in support to Operation RUMAN which was the British government's combined military and humanitarian support to provide relief to the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane IRMA.
 
Commando Sapper Restructuring
The major restructuring of the British Armed Forces announced in 2008 would see sapper support to 3 Cdo Bde RM change from an Independent Commando Squadron to an Engineer Regiment. 
On the 01 April 2008, 24 Commando Engineer Regiment was formed and included 54 Commando Headquarter and Support Squadron, and 59 Commando Squadron.  This would later change to include a further two Commando Squadrons (one of which is a reserve squadron) and a REME Workshop. 
The current ORBAT of the Regiment (which had a title change) is:
 
24 Commando Royal Engineers
56 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron
54 Commando Squadron
59 Commando Squadron
131 Commando Squadron
REME Workshop.

Source
Extract from a document provided by WO1 (RSM) Tim Gort | Regimental Sergeant Major | 24 Commando RE.
Added 24 August 2021.