Royal Australian Engineers Brass Shoulder Title

1902 - 1912
Overview

Brass shoulder title (blackened) depicting “RAE” with two (2) lugs on the back.

Historical information

Victoria was the first state to raise a Corps of volunteer engineers in 1861 involving the government advisor on defence works, Captain Peter SCRATCHLEY RE (later Major General Sir Peter SCRATCHLEY) and Mr John George KNIGHT (civilian architect and engineer). By 1876, Western Australia was one of five (5) other states that had raised their own units and on 1 July 1902 all had merged to form the “Corps of Australian Engineers”. Royal Assent was granted on 19 March 1907 to the regular sappers while militia engineers kept their title of “Australian Engineers”. The Corps has seen service in the Sudan Campaign (1885), the Boer War (1899-1902) the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous UN Peace Keeping operations.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-12-2023.14.3
Item type
Themes
Material
Width
43 mm
Height or length
18 mm
Weight
9 mg
Inscriptions and markings

‘STOKES’ on reverse of object.

Contextual information

This shoulder title was collected by the donor, who served as a sapper in the 2/AIF from 23 June 1942 – 24 January 1946 and lived in Denmark before and after Second World War.
Major General Sir Peter SCRATCHLEY (1835-1885) was a Colonel when he surveyed Australia’s defences and travelled to Albany in 1881. His ‘Report on Defences’ stated that the protection of King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour was “of vital importance for the general security of the Australian colonies in times of war”. Scratchley’s proposed fixed defences for King George Sound were funded by the British government and other Australian colonies, resulting in the construction of the Princess Royal Fortress.
Born in India in 1862, Sergeant Bede Theodoric GOADBY was a British Royal Engineer with expertise in explosives who was loaned to Western Australia and the Princess Royal Fortress for three years. The Fortress opened in 1893 and on 19 August 1893 GOADBY commenced service there. His responsibilities included gun maintenance and laying submarine lines near the entrance of Princess Royal Harbour. Extending his service in Australia, GOADBY transferred to the Royal Australian Engineers (Commonwealth of Australia). He served in both the First and Second World Wars.

Place made
Victoria, Australia
Primary significance criteria
Historic significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Well provenanced
Google Maps search term / URL
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gWHZtRH1mm24SAjK8
Last modified
Tuesday, 23 September, 2025
Completeness
100
Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum

Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum

Royal Australian Engineers brass  shoulder title
Royal Australian Engineers brass shoulder title
RAE Shoulder Title back

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