- Bengal Engineer Group
The Bengal Engineer Group (BEG) or the "Bengal Sappers" are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army which draw their origin from the erstwhile Bengal Presidency army of the British Raj. The Bengal Sappers and Miners, as they were earlier known, was originally the "Corps of Bengal Pioneers", which was raised from two pioneer companies in 1803. This Corps became the "Bengal Sappers and Miners" in 1819 when it merged with the "Company of Miners", which had been raised in 1808. In 1843 'Broadfoot's Sappers', which had been raised in 1840, merged into the "Bengal Sappers and Miners".
In 1847 the "Bengal Sappers and Miners" was renamed the "Bengal Sappers and Pioneers", and in 1851 it became the "Corps of Bengal Sappers and Miners". Lord Kitchener's Reforms in 1903 saw it redesignated as the "1st Sappers and Miners", which was again altered in 1906 to the "1st Prince of Wales's Own Sappers and Miners".
On the accession of George V to the throne in 1910 it was renamed "1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners", with the '1st' being dropped in 1923. In 1937 it was renamed "King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners", and in 1941 they became the 'King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group' of the Indian Engineers. In 1946 it became the 'King George V's Group' of the Royal Indian Engineers. On Indian independence and partition in 1947, about half of the serving personnel were allocated to the Pakistan Royal Engineers. In 1950 they became the Bengal Centre, Corps of Engineers, after which they became the Bengal Engineer Group and Centre.http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/art-eng-sig/sm-ben.htm]
Battle Honours
* Bhurtpore, Cabool 1842, Ferozeshah, Sobraon, Mooltan, Goojerat, Punjaub, Delhi 1857, Lucknow, Ali Masjid, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Ahmad Khel, Afghanistan 1878-80, Burma 1885-87, Chitral, Punjab Frontier, Tirah, China 1900
* The Great War: La Bassée 1914, Festubert 1914 '15, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Loos, France and Flanders 1914-15, Megiddo, Sharon, Damascus, Palestine 1918, Aden, Kut al Amara 1915 '17, Ctesiphon, Defence of Kut al Amara, Tigris 1916, Baghdad, Khan Baghdadi, Sharqat, Mesopotamia 1915-18, Persia 1918, NW Frontier India 1915 '16-17, Baluchistan 1918
* Afghanistan 1919
* The Second World War: Kampar, Malaya 1941-42, North Africa 1940-43, Cassino II, Italy 1943-45, Yenangyaung 1942, Ngakedaung Pass, Jail Hill, Meiktila, Burma 1942-45
* Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48, Jammu and Kashmir 1965, Punjab 1965, Rajasthan 1965, East Pakistan 1971, Jammu and Kashmir 1971, Sindh 1971References
Short Histories:
* Rhamat Ullan Khan, K.S. Calendar of battles, honours and awards : King George V's Own Bengal Sappers & Miners from 1803 to 1939. (ca. 1944)
* History and digest of service of the 1st King George's Own Sappers & Miners. Roorkee : 1st King's Own Press, (ca. 1911)
* Regimental history of the King George's Own Bengal Sappers & Miners. Roorkee : KGO Sappers & Miners Press, 1937.
* Corps reunion and the unveiling of the war memorial. (Roorkee : King George V's own Bengal sappers and miners group, R.I.E),1927.First World War:
* Cunningham, A.H. A short history of the Corps of King George's Own Bengal Sappers & Miners during the War, 1914-1918. (1930)Second World War:
* Pearson, G. Brief history of the K.G.V's own Bengal Sappers and Miners Group, R.I.E., August 1939-July 1946. Roorkee : Pearson, 1947.Notes
External links
* [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/corpshistory/rem_corps_part10.htm Bengal Sappers and Miners on the Royal Engineers website]
* [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/art-eng-sig/sm-ben.htm Bengal Sappers and Miners on Regiments.org]
* [http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:-L9la2l3yaEJ:www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccroyeng.htm+bengal+sappers+and+miners&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=uk Bengal Sappers and Miners and the Victoria Cross]ee also
*
Indian Army
*Indian Army Corps of Engineers
*Bengal Engineer Group
*Bombay Engineer Group
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