Royal Engineers combine training and heritage on Rock

Members of the Royal Engineers took part in a civil works task at the Northern Defences on Monday, where they helped to clear up the site as part of Exercise Stronghold. 

The Engineers were on the Rock for over a week as part of the Royal Engineers Troops Commanders’ Course, which trains junior officers ahead of being posted into regiments in the wider Field Army. 

Their work at the Northern Defences served as an opportunity for them to maintain and further strengthen the bond they hold with Gibraltar and its people, built over three centuries, with such a task usually undertaken when they deploy to Gibraltar. 

Second Lieutenant Tom Underhill was one of the engineers on the site and told the Chronicle that it was important to put the team ‘s skills to good use. 

“This is an incredible site, lots of history and lots of engineering history,” he said. 

“So, it’s really part of our heritage and it’s important for us to maintain and rediscover parts of our history.” 

The team’s main activity while on the Rock was to plan a notional engineer construction task as part of a military construction force. 

They also conducted a tour of the tunnels and analysed other infrastructure in Gibraltar. 

The time spent in Gibraltar gave the team an insight as to what they could expect when deployed on operations, including support to civil authorities.