Any ex-Royal Engineers on this Forum?

On the face of it this may appear a strange question on an airfields forum, but having just purchased “Built to Endure - The Story of the RAF Airfield Construction Branch in the Cold War” by Group Captain Nigel Walpole, he quite rightly has a chapter entitled “Over to the Sappers” detailing the Royal Engineers role on the airfields.

So I wondered were there any other Sappers who viewed this forum and specifically any who served in airfields/construction/air support squadrons?

Final points to note:
• The above publication is well worth buying
• I’m biased in asking this question as I’m ex 52 Field Squadron (construction) Royal Engineers which is referenced within the book
• Maybe an area for future research/articles, depending on level of interest?

I was on the Harrier force so Ive seen the Sappers in action, I was also at the infamous Ploce dockyard camp.

But why was the role handed over? Nothing against the Sappers but surely the RAF should be doing the job? After all the USAF do.

I'm an ex RE, although from the early 1990's when the Harrier force moved away from woodland hides in Germany to more suitable 5 star hotels.....

The woodland hides were in fact the last ditch option. The real disperesed site locations were known only by the Force and Squadron commanders, but logic would say it would have been autobahns.

As for 5 star hotels, well there is a saying in the army "any fool can be uncomfortable"!!!!!!!!

I guess a user name like SAPPER is actually self-explanatory.

As for why the role was handed over I'm not sure? It happened before I was born!

I believe the RAF now do have a unit that does 'airfield work', but I'm not sure that this involves Harrier support or the Airfield Damage Repair (ADR) role - though I'll stand corrected as it's 20 years since last serving.

I was based at RAF Bruggen for a couple of years in the ADR role, give me a RAF base over an Army one any day!

That is 5001 sqn at Wittering; they have resurrected an airfield construction sqn number. Its mostly staffed by GEF trades their role is portable buildings such as RUBB hangars, PAAG ( Portable Airfield Arrestor Gear) Mobile LOX LIN plants .
Re 52 I was at Bruggen GEF 1979-82 between RE visits we looked after all the dry clad envelopes. Most of us SNCOs did courses with the REs in operating the standby power house and the borehole & pumps over the dutch boder I think that was 52 or maybe 51 sqn ????TED

p.s. my Dad was 279 field Sqn RE