Prior to REME's formation, maintenance was the responsibility of several different corps: •
Royal Army Ordnance Corps—weapons and armoured vehicles •
Royal Engineers—engineering plant and machinery, and RE motor transport •
Royal Corps of Signals—communications equipment •
Royal Army Service Corps—other motor transport •
Royal Artillery—heavy weapons artificers During World War II, the increase in quantity and complexity of equipment exposed the flaws in this system. Pursuant to the recommendation of a Committee on Skilled Men in the Services chaired by
William Beveridge, the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed on 1 October 1942.
Phase I Such a major re-organisation was too complex to be carried out quickly and completely in the middle of a world war. Therefore, the changeover was undertaken in two phases. In Phase I, which was implemented immediately, REME was formed on the existing framework of the
RAOC Engineering Branch, strengthened by the transfer of certain technical units and tradesmen from the
RE and
RASC. At the same time, a number of individual tradesmen were transferred into REME from other corps. The new corps was made responsible for repairing the technical equipment of all arms with certain major exceptions. REME did not yet undertake: • Those repairs that were carried out by unit tradesmen who were driver/mechanics or fitters in
regiments and belonged to the unit rather than being attached to it. • Repairs of RASC-operated vehicles, which remained the responsibility of the RASC; each RASC Transport Company had its own workshop. • Repairs of RE specialist equipment, which remained the responsibility of the RE.
Phase II In 1949, it was decided that "REME Phase II" should be implemented. This decision was published in
Army Council Instruction 110 of 1949, and the necessary reorganisation was carried out in the various arms and services in three stages between July 1951 and January 1952. The main changes were: • The transfer to REME of most of the unit repair responsibilities of other arms (
Infantry,
Royal Artillery,
Royal Armoured Corps etc.). • The provision of
Light Aid Detachments for certain units that had not possessed them under the old organisation. • The provision of new REME Workshops to carry out field repairs in RASC transport companies. Maintenance of vessels of the RASC fleet whilst in port was given to the fleet repair branch, a civilian organisation which came under the REME umbrella. This organisation was also responsible for arranging and overseeing ship refits. Within the wreath was a pair of
calipers. Examples of these early badges can be found at the
REME Museum. In 1947, the Horse and Lightning was adopted as the cap badge, designed by
Stephen Gooden.
Major Ivan Hirst REME and Volkswagen At the end of the war, the Allies occupied the major German industrial centres to decide their fate. The
Volkswagen factory at
Wolfsburg became part of the British Zone in June 1945 and No. 30 Workshop Control Unit, REME, assumed control in July. They operated under the overall direction of Colonel Michael McEvoy at Rhine Army Headquarters, Bad Oeynhausen. Uniquely, he had experience of the KdF Wagen in his pre-war career as a motor racing engineer; whilst attending the Berlin Motor Show in 1939, he was able to test drive one. After visiting the Volkswagen factory, McEvoy had the idea of trying to get Volkswagen back into production to provide light transport for the occupying forces. The British Army, Red Cross and essential German services were chronically short of light vehicles. If the factory could provide them, there would be no cost to the British taxpayer and the factory could be saved. To do this, a good manager with technical experience would be needed. Maj.
Ivan Hirst was told simply to "take charge of" the Volkswagen plant before arriving in August 1945. He had drains fixed and bomb craters filled in; land in front of the factory was given over to food production. At first, the wartime
Kubelwagen was viewed as a suitable vehicle. Once it became clear it could not be put back into production, the Volkswagen saloon or Kaefer (
Beetle) was suggested. Hirst had an example delivered to Rhine Army headquarters, where it was demonstrated by Colonel McEvoy. The positive reaction led to the Military Government placing an order for 20,000 Volkswagens in September 1945. ==Museum==