Sultan celebrates Royal Navy engineering heritage
ENGINEERS FROM HMS SULTAN gathered together at an event last week to celebrate the 188th anniversary of the Royal Navy Engineering Branch; which marked a significant milestone in navy engineering history since the early nineteenth century.
The celebration brought together air and marine engineers from across the training establishment at a coffee morning hosted by the Marine Engineers and Sultan Executive team. The event saw Captain Mark Hamilton, Commanding Officer of HMS Sultan, joined by the youngest trainee at HMS Sultan, trainee Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering), AB2 Edward Ellmers, who cut a cake to mark the occasion, symbolising the continuity between past achievements and future aspirations.
The Royal Navy Engineering Branch has deep historical roots, with the branch’s formal establishment following the introduction of steam propulsion to the Fleet in 1812. By 1837, with 27 steam vessels in the Fleet, it was clear that more formal management arrangements were needed, leading to the creation of the post of Comptroller of the Steam Machinery and Packet Department. On 19th July 1837, an Order in Council placed engineers on 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.”
Today’s engineers work with technology their predecessors could never have imagined, from F-35 Lightning aircraft and Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers to nuclear-powered submarines. The Engineering Branch encompasses three main disciplines: Marine Engineering, Air Engineering, both trained at Sultan, and Weapons Engineering, at HMS Collingwood.
The Royal Navy’s recognition and value of engineers has grown significantly since steam propulsion first transformed naval operations. This evolution began when the Navy appointed 3rd Class Engineer Thomas Brown as the first Royal Navy Marine Engineer Officer in 1826 and continues today with engineers rising to the most senior ranks, including Rear Admiral and in recent times Second Sea Lord.
Captain Mark Hamilton, who himself is a Marine Engineer, said: “It is a tremendous honour to celebrate the rich heritage of the Royal Navy Engineering Branch here at HMS Sultan. Our engineers today work with cutting-edge technology that would have been beyond the imagination of the branch’s founders 188 years ago.”
He continued: “From the advanced systems aboard our Queen Elizabeth Class carriers to the sophisticated sonar of our Merlin helicopters, our engineers remain at the beating heart of naval operations worldwide. As we learn from our past, we continue to inspire and train the next generation of engineers who will take the Royal Navy forward into the future.”
HMS Sultan has been central to Royal Navy engineering training since its commissioning in 1956 as a Mechanical Training and Repair establishment. Today, it houses the Marine Engineering Training Group and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School (RNAESS), which forms part of the Defence College of Technical Training.
The anniversary celebration highlighted how the establishment continues to draw inspiration from its historic past while preparing engineers for tomorrow’s challenges. This recognition of engineering excellence served as a powerful reminder of the vital role engineers play in maintaining the Royal Navy’s global operational capability, ensuring ships, submarines and aircraft remain ready for operations around the world.
Within the Fleet Air Arm, Air Engineers tackle the diverse challenges of naval aviation, from maintaining F-35 engines to servicing the cutting-edge sonar systems of Merlin Mk2 helicopters and the sophisticated radar of Wildcat aircraft. Marine Engineers in the Surface and Submarine Fleets are responsible for engines, generators, heating and refrigeration systems, whilst their Weapons Engineering colleagues ensure all weapons and sensor equipment remains in perfect working order.
PICTURED BY LP BAZ SWAINSBURY: A special cake was made as HMS Sultan celebrated the 188th anniversary of the Royal Navy Engineering Branch this week.
