[14], The Ministry of Defence has announced that disposal will not take place before 2022. Works focused on improving and significantly increasing utility, laundry, and shower and toilet facilities across four barrack blocks for personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment who recently moved into Kinloss. A further announcement in November 2011 confirmed that 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) of the Royal Engineers would move from Waterbeach Barracks, near Cambridge, to Kinloss, in July 2012. Great days and great regiment. One element of support to the RAF was the installations of Rotary Hydraulic Arrester Gear (RHAG) on airfields; this was a rather specialist aspect of Squadron training. Airfield support was first known as Rapid Runway Repair (RRR). The main body of Headquarters 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, including Headquarters Works Group (Airfields) and 529 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Air Support), will rebase from Waterbeach Barracks to RAF Wittering in October 2012. Scott 'Paddy' Patrick recommends 39 Engineer Regiment . [17] In 2014 it was updated to include closure and contact information [18], In December 2012, a group of villagers set up a trust, the Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum, and the Army gifted the collection to it. The barracks, airfield and surrounding quarters most recently housed 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group. Then, in 1812, the Duke of Wellington, recognizing the importance of professional engineer support, set up in Chatham the ‘Royal Engineer Establishment’. Combat engineering training was mostly done on the airfield and on the area around Waterbeach. From the middle seventies DBG was being replaced with "NATO" green and black and it is likely that this would have resulted in the Leyland also being outshopped in this livery at that time. In the early 1920’s, electrical and mechanical elements of the Royal Engineers, led by Major John Mizen of 39 Engineer Regiment, clearly showed how airfields could be put out of action by the destruction of electrical installations and circuitry, or by damage to major mechanical equipment, fuel pumps, fuel supply lines, or indeed key buildings such as the Combat Operations Centre. The origins of military engineering can be traced back to 1066 when Humphrey de Tilleul, William the Conqueror’s engineer, brought a pre-fabricated fort across the Channel and erected it at Hastings after the battle. The Regiment then returned to the UK and was disbanded in February 1956, before being re-, As well as airfield operations, the Regiment was tasked with much other construction work overseas, such as. Two of its squadrons (34 Field Squadron and 53 Field Squadron) have become part of 39 Engineer Regiment and will move to RAF Kinloss. Other less conventional tasks added to the variety: for examples, a short take-off runway, 400 m by 15 m, for Harrier aircraft, was constructed in the Stanford training area in Norfolk, and at RAF Upavon a runway surface of prefabricated aluminium matting was laid straight onto grass, and then tested by fully-loaded Hercules and Andover aircraft. Squadrons from Waterbeach were not involved in the 1982 Falklands War, but after it ended, they rotated through 4-month tours of duty. [4] In November 2011 and March 2012 the Ministry of Defence announced that 39 Engineer Regiment would move to Kinloss Barracks in July 2012. The Sqn Commander of 53 Fd Sqn was arming-up and heading for the gate in a top-priority operation in Crossmaglen, South Armagh, when a signaller came rushing out yelling he had a FLASH NATO message that the OC and Sqn had to report to Wildenrath: the signaller was mollified and persuaded that he should signal back that as the Sqn was currently in operational action against the local IRA, it therefore had a dispensation! So the major duty, the primary operational role, of the RE at Waterbeach right from its formation was to develop the methods and skills to carry out its role of immediately repairing, in war-time conditions, damage to airfields after enemy attack: the Arab Israeli War of 1966 had shown how military capability could be rendered almost totally ineffective if air power is extensively impaired, as had devastated the capabilities of the Arab forces. During its time in the Far East it carried out tasks on the following RAF Stations, Seletar, Tengah, Changi, Gan, China Rock, Labuan, Kuantan, Gong Kedah. It was following this analysis, that the role of 39 Engineer Regiment was redefined as Airfield Damage Repair (ADR). Tower Type: Watch Office with Met Section 5845/39. The museum was set up by the Royal Engineers in 1985, to commemorate the men and women who served at RAF Waterbeach station from its opening until 1966 when 39 Engineer Regiment … Photo D M Adamson, Equipment for runway repair. For example, for many years there was an inter-troop competition in combat engineering skills on the orders of the CO. One year, nine troops rotated on the airfield on eight tasks, the ninth task being to prepare the concrete bow-string bridge on the Stretham-Soham Road for simulated demolition, while keeping the road open. 51 reformed in June 1968 at Waterbeach Barracks as part of 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields). 12 Engineer Group moved to RAF Wittering. [3], In July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that Waterbeach Barracks will close, and the site sold for housing. Waterbeach Waterbeach Barracks, originally RAF Waterbeach, was home until 2013 to 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group and 39 Engineer Regt. That campaign was and is the longest in the Corps’ history. So, he recalls, there was at Waterbeach a demonstration in front of serried ranks of senior NATO officers, with over 80 pieces of engineer plant deploying to fill a specified number of ‘standard NATO craters’, and then covering the filled and compacted holes with interlocking steel planking, all within the NATO ‘two hour’ requirement. The Peace Establishment of the Regiment then was some 900 and its War Establishment (Order of Battle, or ORBAT) said to be over 2,100. Liaison with the RAF locally also remained very close: utill the closure of nearby RAF Oakington in the early 1970s, the main runway at Waterbeach remained active, along with its control tower, and was a relief landing ground for Varsity aircraft used in the advanced pilot training role; there was also use by helicopters and by Vertical/Short Take-off and Landing (VSTOL) Harriers. The honorary curator from the barracks continued to answer enquiries and carry out research. Squadrons from Waterbeach were not involved in the 1982 Falklands War, but after it ended, they rotated through 4-, Waterbeach squadrons were involved in the Iraq War -, More information about the Royal Engineers at Waterbeach can be obtained from the booklet “, The origins of military engineering can be traced back to 1066 when Humphrey de Tilleul, William the Conqueror’s engineer, brought a pre-, A ‘Corps of Engineers’ was established in 1716. History: Station History. The Barracks Museum contents i… In Apr 1977 renamed to 60 Field Support Squadron and moved to Waterbeach (39 Engineer Regiment). The day was marked with a short but poignant flag change ceremony which saw the RAF Ensign lowered for the last time and the flag of 39 Engineer Regiment raised as a Tornado aircraft flew overhead. Waterbeach Barracks, Royal Engineers 39 Army Engineer Regiment. Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum is devoted to preserving the history of the Waterbeach RAF Station from 1938 to 1966 and then 39 Engineer Regiment Barracks from 1966 to 2012 and those who were stationed there. The former airfield was used as a training area for troops, with occasional visits by helicopters and, in the past, by Harriers. Photo D M Adamson, Waterbeach Barracks Denny End Road Waterbeach, In 1813, the Corps of Royal Military Artificers was re-, 39 Corps Engineer Regiment was formed at Crickhowell, Wales, in 1950 and served in Kenya, East Africa, from 1953 to 1955 during the Mau Mau campaign. In its war establishment the Squadrons and Regimental HQ had considerable reinforcement from other Regular and Territorial Army (TA) units; for example, each Sqn took under command a Specialist Team (Bulk Petroleum). Indeed, from the mid-1970’s some of the heavier ADR plant of the Squadrons was also kept in sealed protection on the affiliated RAF(G) air bases. [21][22], Waterbeach Barracks, 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, Planning Application CP88 - Denny St Francis (Waterbeach), "First tranche of Army unit moves confirmed", Moray gets ready to welcome the Army as advance party settles in, "Waterbeach Barracks closes to make way for housing", "Waterbeach Barracks and former Airfield", "Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, open days 17 and 21 October", "Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, Latest News from U&C", "Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, Open Day report published", "Waterbeach arracks and Airfield, Latest News from U&C", "Disposal database: House of Commons report", "Waterbeach Barracks museum contents saved by villagers", "Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, Facilities to be opened up for local use", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waterbeach_Barracks&oldid=991002615, Articles with dead external links from May 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 19:11. At its successful conclusion, 39 Engineer Regiment made a phased return to Waterbeach, from April to July 1991. By the early 1970s, when air forces started having cluster bombs (large bombs spraying out many small ‘bomblets’), repair of smaller scab-damage was added to the requirement. Royal Air Force Waterbeach or more simply RAF Waterbeach is a former Royal Air Force station located in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire which is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north of Cambridge, England.The site was transferred to the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army, in 1966, as Waterbeach Barracks. In 1989 the brigade was under the command of the Eastern District, United Kingdom Land Forces and was headquartered at Waterbeach. Deployed to the Gulf War Sep 90 – Mar 91. Glyn Berry, then a troop commander in 53 Fd Sqn(Airfds), remembers returning from an airfield construction project in Beef Island, British Virgin Islands, and immediately taking up this challenge: firstly assessing, under the guidance of Nigel Clifford, that a sound basis for training would be to define what became known as the ‘standard NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) crater’, and from that, the best way of deploying the fleet of engineer plant supported by combat engineers to effect full repair of craters in order to allow resumption of aircraft operations within the NATO-specified two hours. More information about the Royal Engineers at Waterbeach can be obtained from the booklet “Sappers at the Beach”, available at the Museum shop. [5][6], First units of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) arrived at Kinloss Barracks in June 2012, with the majority leaving Waterbeach during July. It was following this analysis, that the role of 39 Engineer Regiment was redefined as Airfield Damage Repair (ADR). Waterbeach has expanded in recent years along with the economic growth in the region. Tower: Use not known. In 2006 renamed to 60 HQ and Support Squadron (Air Support) Also from Taff C: HQRE (Airfds) was formed in June 1966 in Waterbeach. The regiment became responsible for providing engineering support to the RAF. 17 June 2017 – Official reopening of Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum by Air Vice-Marshal Richard John Knighton, Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Capability and Force Design), and Col. David M. Adamson RE Retd. Royal Engineers have also been deployed to various parts of the Middle East ever since the Regiment was formed in 1966, and that continues until the present day. Other less conventional tasks added to the variety: for examples, a short take-, The secondary role of the Regiment, combat engineering, as carried out by other Sapper front-. These affiliations were very close and symbiotic, and there was a great deal of mutual professional respect. 12 Engineer Group moved to RAF Wittering. Other regiments stationed at Waterbeach were 12 Engineer Brigade/Group (1981 – 2013), 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) (2003 – 2005), and 25 Engineer Regiment (2007 – 2012). About 930 soldiers from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) move from Waterbeach, near Cambridge, to the former RAF Kinloss, Moray, in the summer of 2012 ... (Air Support) Engineer … As the Barracks closed in March 2013, the Museum closed to visitors on 30 September 2012. [15], In June 1984 a station museum was established by the Army to record and preserve items from RAF Waterbeach - in particular from 514 Squadron who hold their reunions at the barracks every year - as well as artefacts from the Army (39 Engineer Regiment). In 1985 a Museum was established by the Army to record and preserve items from RAF Waterbeach - in particular from 514 Squadronwho held their Reunions at the barracks every year - as well as artefacts from the Army (39 Engineer Regiment). [11] Regular Newsletters for local residents are being issued. The site was an RAF Station, RAF Waterbeach and then used by the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army, from 1966, until 2013 when the site closed to make way for housing. HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will … Subsequently renamed the ‘Board of Ordnance’, it remained in being until 1855, and was the source of military engineering officers for engineering works in both peace and war. First units of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) arrived at Kinloss Barracks in June 2012, with the majority leaving Waterbeach during July. On this formal change of name from ‘RAF Waterbeach’ to ‘Waterbeach Barracks’, some RAF officers and other ranks took the option of transferring to the Royal Engineers. Among Gundulf’s better known works are the Keep of the Tower of London and the Old Barbican. Military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland. Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum is devoted to preserving the history of the Waterbeach RAF Station from 1938 to 1966 and then 39 Engineer Regiment Barracks from 1966 to 2012 and those who were stationed there. [5] HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will move from Waterbeach to RAF Wittering in October 2012, with the complete closure of Waterbeach Barracks by 1 April 2013. In 1966 the RAF Waterbeach was transferred to the Royal Engineers, as Waterbeach Barracks. HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will move from Waterbeach to RAF Wittering in October 2012, with the complete closure of Waterbeach Barracks by 1 April 2013. The Regiment was based in Waterbeach until July 2012, when it went north to Kinloss in Scotland. 39th Airfield Damage Repair Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers The main body of 39 Engineer Regiment will rebase from Waterbeach Barracks to RAF Kinloss in July 2012. [7] Their move was complete by September 2012. In March the following year 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields) was formed. So this officer-only Corps had no soldiers, and working parties were raised as required from local civilians, tradesmen, and from the infantry. For five years from 1977 the operational role of 39 Engineer Regiment changed to support of 7 Field Force based at Colchester, but in 1982 the Regiment, less 34 Field Squadron, reverted to its role of support to the RAF, Liaison with the RAF locally also remained very close: utill the closure of nearby RAF Oakington in the early 1970s, the main runway at Waterbeach remained active, along with its control tower, and was a relief landing ground for Varsity aircraft used in the advanced pilot training role; there was also use by helicopters and by Vertical/Short Take-, One element of support to the RAF was the installations of Rotary Hydraulic Arrester Gear (RHAG) on airfields; this was a rather specialist aspect of Squadron training. Members were all deemed to be officers, but were not, until 1757, given military rank as such. I was in 53 Squadron 39 Engineering Regiment at Waterbeach back in the later 1970's we took the PURAGS out of Kinloss and moved the to Lucas. The barracks museum contents were stored outside the barracks. former Commander of 39 Engineer Regiment, Waterbeach. [13], During 2016 design workshops are being held bringing together the Urban&Civic and RLW Estates design teams, key local authority partners, the parish council, neighbourhood plan working group, and local residents. In March the following year 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields) was formed. The Regiment then returned to the UK and was disbanded in February 1956, before being re-formed as 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields) at Waterbeach in 1967, a year after the Royal Engineers took over the barracks at Waterbeach. Tower Type: Watch Office with Met Section 5845/39. On 15 May 1966 the station was officially handed over to the Airfield Construction Branch of the Royal Engineers. [2] 25 Engineer Regiment was disbanded on 19 April 2012. 51 reformed in June 1968 at Waterbeach Barracks as part of 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields). As the barracks closed in March 2013, the Museum closed to visitors on 30 September 2012. Royal Engineers have also been deployed to various parts of the Middle East ever since the Regiment was formed in 1966, and that continues until the present day. Yesterday the Army's 39 Engineer Regiment officially took over the base, which has been home to the RAF since 1939. Waterbeach Barracks, Royal Engineers 39 Army Engineer Regiment. [12] In December 2015 a community engagement report on the Open Days was published by David Lock Associates, for Urban&Civic, which includes the open day display boards. Not only did each Squadron train annually, or nearly so, on its affiliated airfield, it joined in NATO and RAF (G) and other exercises, sometimes at very short notice. [1] Until the closure of nearby RAF Oakington in the early 1970s, the main runway at Waterbeach remained active, along with the control tower, and was used as a relief landing ground for Varsities used in the advanced pilot training role. The Museum was set up to commemorate the men and women who served at RAF Waterbeach from its opening in 1941 until 1966, and those in the Army - 39 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers - who took over the airfield buildings and runways, from 1966 to 2012. A total of 930 Service personnel will move to Kinloss, and 44 Service personnel to Wittering. 39 Engineer Regiment: Waterbeach: The Queen's Gurkha Engineers: Hong Kong: Army Air Corps: 1 Regiment Army Air Corps: Hildesheim: 3 Regiment Army Air Corps: Soest: 4 Regiment … The operational role of the Regiment once formed was to ensure the survivability of the four major airbases in Germany, and support at Royal Air Force (Germany) HQ in Rheindahlen. The engineer support for the Army is provided by the Corps of Royal Engineers (RE). Scott 'Paddy' Patrick recommends 39 Engineer Regiment . Combat engineering training was mostly done on the airfield and on the area around Waterbeach; for example, for many years there was an inter-troop competition in combat engineering skills on the orders of the CO. Nine troops rotated on the airfield on eight tasks, the ninth task (one year) being to prepare the concrete bow-string bridge on the Streatham to Soham Road for simulated demolition, while keeping the road open. He had an assurance from the most likely developers of the MOD owned airfield and barracks (RLW Estates, and then Urban&Civic) that the inclusion of a Museum will form an important part of the site's heritage. 25 Engineer Regiment was disbanded on 19 April 2012. A further announcement in November 2011 confirmed that 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) of the Royal Engineers would move from Waterbeach Barracks, near Cambridge, to Kinloss Barracks in July 2012. In 1966 the station and airfield remained the property of the Ministry of Defence, but was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army. RAF Waterbeach airfield. and the brigade had the following structure: Headquarters - RAF Waterbeach. It was expected that 930 service personnel and their families would move at this time. In 1813, the Corps of Royal Military Artificers was re-titled as the ‘Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners’. The museum was set up by the Royal Engineers in 1985, to commemorate the men and women who served at RAF Waterbeach station from its opening until 1966 when 39 Engineer Regiment … The barracks, airfield and surrounding quarters most recently housed 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group. From 1970 until the late 1990s Squadrons from the Regiment at Waterbeach were regularly deploying to Northern Ireland. The Corps of Royal Engineers performs highly specialised combat and non-combat, and is active all over the world in conflict and peacetime. Each ADR Squadron had an effective and close affiliation with its war-time station in Germany as follows: at RAF Gutersloh supporting the Harrier force, 60 (later 48 Fd Sqn when that came under command of the Regiment); 51 Fd Sqn at RAF Laarbruch; 52 Fd Sqn at Bruggen and 53 Fd Sqn at RAF Wildenrath. For five years from 1977 the operational role of 39 Engineer Regiment changed to support of 7 Field Force based at Colchester, but in 1982 the Regiment, less 34 Field Squadron, reverted to its role of support to the RAF, with combat engineering as its second role. The rank ‘Sapper’ is the same as Private, Trooper, etc, but all members of the Corps are generically known as ‘Sappers’, irrespective of rank. One of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the Royal Air Force and known for its close proximity to flight training areas in Scotland and its favourable local flying conditions. 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields) was not the only regiment stationed at Waterbeach, although it was the only one to remain there from 1966, when the RAF handed it over to the army, until 2012, shortly before the Barracks closed in 2013. Many a night on the Waterbeach training areas there were Sappers operating plant, rolling out matting and treating scabs with epoxy resin mixes. Training on Waterbeach airfield and barracks, and in the wartime locations of the Squadrons, reflected this shift in emphasis; indeed, the organisation and staffing of the Squadrons and Regimental headquarters were accordingly enhanced by adding Officers, Warrant Officers, Senior NCOs and craftsman from electrical and mechanical backgrounds; a Fd Sqn Airfields had eight officers, including at least 5 majors/captains and a large number of Warrant/Senior non-commissioned officers, an establishment which proved invaluable in combat engineering in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Two of its squadrons (34 Field Squadron and 53 Field Squadron) have become part of 39 Engineer Regiment and will move to RAF Kinloss. For example, in 1977 one of the fairly regular NATO TacEvals (Tactical Evaluations by NATO of the competence of units: many careers blossomed or faded depending on the results) was called to assess NATO operational readiness, and a ‘Flash message’ went out for all troops to muster in the various Combat Operation Centres on the four airfields. I was in 53 Squadron 39 Engineering Regiment at Waterbeach back in the later 1970's we took the PURAGS out of Kinloss and moved the to Lucas. Waterbeach was popular for RAF reunions, and Burma Star Days, as described below, always attracted huge crowds. In war and on training exercise, Regimental HQ command element went to HQ RAF (G) at Rheindahlen with the Commanding Officer on the staff of the commander of UK Air Forces in Germany. Engineers fly from RAF Lyneham and unload at Waterbeach airfield, Cambridgeshire. Deployed to the Gulf War Sep 90 – Mar 91. In the same year, the ‘Corps of Royal Military Artificers’ was formed, and, although separate from the Royal Engineers, it was officered by them. [19][20], During 2015 the museum started the move back into its building at the barracks, and will be formally re-opened on 17 June 2017, thereafter it will open from 10 am - 4 pm on the first Sunday and first Wednesday of each month during the summer, it will also be open by appointment. In 1984 there came a sudden order from BAOR, the British Army of the Rhine for all ‘medium-size dozers’ held by runway repair Squadrons in UK to be sent over to the Germany for an indefinite period for the reinforcement of the RRR (Rapid Runway Repair) capability held in readiness on the four RAF airfields in Germany (and station commanders had the plant spray-painted per RAF vehicles). Tower: Use not known. The main challenge was the repair of the huge craters caused by large bombs, particularly on the runways. 39 Engineer Regiment provides engineer support to the Royal Air Force and to United Kingdom Land Forces. The f… The secondary role of the Regiment - combat engineering, as carried out by other Sapper front-line Regiments - included mine warfare, bridging and demolitions, road construction, defensive works, and water supply. On 25 April 1787 the Corps of Engineers - still officers only - received a Royal Warrant from King George III authorising the style and title of ‘Royal Engineers’. It became the base for 39 Engineer Regiments, which was joined in 2007 by 25 Engineer Regiment - both are part of 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group. History: Station History. Other Buildings: Many. Great days and great regiment. Kinloss Barracks-Wikipedia 39 Corps Engineer Regiment was formed at Crickhowell, Wales, in 1950 and served in Kenya, East Africa, from 1953 to 1955 during the Mau Mau campaign. 39 Combat Engineer Regiment was created on 3 May 2008 and amalgamated all the independent field engineer squadrons of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group in British Columbia. After the collapse of the Taliban-led regime in Afghanistan, a coalition force went into Afghanistan on 7 October 2001, in what was called Operation Enduring Freedom. 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) were at Waterbeach until 2013, when it moved to Kinloss Barracks. See below for an extract from that book: Royal Engineers squad outside J hangar at Waterbeach Barracks. The moving unit, 39 Engineer Regiment from Waterbeach, provides engineer support to both the Royal Air Force and the Army. On 15 May 1966 the station was officially handed over to the Airfield Construction Branch of the Royal Engineers. [8] Waterbeach Barracks closed on 28 March 2013. A further announcement in November 2011 confirmed that 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) of the Royal Engineers would move from Waterbeach Barracks, near Cambridge, to Kinloss, in July 2012. The Squadron was withdrawn from Singapore as part of the “withdrawal from East of Suez” plan in 1968. Royal Engineer Squadrons are still serving tours in the Falklands. [16], In 2011 John Hamlin, an aviation historian, and the museum curator wrote a book documenting the history of RAF Waterbeach and Waterbeach Barracks, to raise money for the museum. The majority of the soldiers on parade were from 39 Engineer Regiment, which is based at Waterbeach Barracks, and 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD), which is … Training on Waterbeach airfield and barracks, and in the wartime locations of the Squadrons, reflected this shift in emphasis; indeed, the organisation and staffing of the Squadrons and Regimental headquarters were accordingly enhanced by adding Officers, Warrant Officers, Senior NCOs and craftsman from electrical and mechanical backgrounds; a Fd Sqn Airfields had eight officers, including at least 5 majors/captains and a large number of Warrant/Senior non-, In 1984 there came a sudden order from BAOR, the British Army of the Rhine for all ‘medium-, Each ADR Squadron had an effective and close affiliation with its war-, In its war establishment the Squadrons and Regimental HQ had considerable reinforcement from other Regular and Territorial Army (TA) units; for example, each Sqn took under command a Specialist Team (Bulk Petroleum). RAF Waterbeach airfield. 1966 – 2013 – 39 Royal Engineer Regiment (Airfields Air Support) 1982 – 2013 – 12 (Air Support) Brigade Group 1984 – First museum opened for RAF and RE in Building 3 10 November 2011 - Move of Royal Engineers from Waterbeach announced, as part of the Defence Rebasing Programme Within this buzzing village of pretty weird people is Waterbeach Barracks, home to 39 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers.. So this officer-, On 25 April 1787 the Corps of Engineers -, After the abolition of the ‘Board of Ordnance’ in 1856, the soldiers of the Royal Sappers and Miners were combined with the Royal Engineers into the ‘Corps of Royal Engineers’, hence combining both officers and soldiers and creating the, 39 Regiment, Royal Engineers at Waterbeach, The Operational Role of 39 Engineer Regiment, The unit’s main role was Airfield Damage Repair (ADR), The operational role of the Regiment once formed was to ensure the survivability of the four major airbases in Germany, and support at Royal Air Force (Germany) HQ in Rheindahlen. By 1989, the brigade had a mix of regular and reserve units. road, school and other infrastructure projects like those carried out by 48 Field Squadron in Malawi, and in Kenya in 1983. In July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that the … 34 Fd Sqn deployed from December 1982 until May 1983, handing over to 48 Fd Sqn (Airfds) who were there from September 1983, working the rock quarry, among other tasks.