HMS Sultan sends special message for RN Engineering branch birthday

Engineers at HMS Sultan came together recently in order to send out a special birthday message for the 183rd birthday of the Royal Navy Engineering Branch on 19th July.

RN engineers play an important role as the ‘beating heart of operational capability’ in designing, building, generating, sustaining and operating our aircraft, ships, submarines and vehicles daily on operations across the globe.

The Engineering Branch of the RN has a rich and illustrious history. Although steam propulsion was introduced to the RN in 1812, the early ships were manned by civilian engineers employed on an ad hoc basis.  By 1837 with 27 steam vessels in the Fleet it was clear that more formal management arrangements for engineers were needed and so early that year the post of Comptroller of the Steam Machinery and Packet Department was created.

Then on 19 July 1837 an Order in Council was issued placing engineers onto a permanent footing, “with such rank and pay as appears to be fitting for persons charged with the performance of such important and responsible duties”.

Since its first commission in 1956 as a Mechanical Training and Repair establishment, HMS Sultan has made a significant contribution towards the ongoing success of the Branch. Today the Establishment is home to Defence College of Technical Training’s Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE) and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School (RNAESS).

With representation from the Weapons Engineering Training Group (WETG) who have been delivering training at HMS Collingwood since the formation of the School of Electrical Engineering in 1946 and Assistant Chief of Staff Future Support and Engineering and Deputy Chief Naval Engineer, Commodore Graeme Little OBE also within the recording, the message serves as a poignant reminder of everything the Engineering Branch has and continues to achieve.