A pioneer () is a soldier employed to perform

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

and

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and ...

tasks. The term is in principle similar to

sapper A sapper, also called a pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparin ...

or combat engineer. Pioneers were originally part of the

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

branch of European armies. Subsequently, they formed part of the

branch, the logistic branch, part of the infantry, or even comprised a branch in their own right. Historically, the primary role of pioneer units was to assist other arms in tasks such as the construction of field fortifications, military camps, bridges and roads. Prior to and during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, pioneers were often engaged in the construction and repair of

military railway The military use of railways derives from their ability to move troops or materiel rapidly and, less usually, on their use as a platform for military systems, like very large railroad guns and armoured trains, in their own right. Railways have ...

s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, pioneer units were used extensively by all major forces, both on the front line and in supporting roles. During the 20th century,

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

military forces came to distinguish between small units of "

assault pioneer An Assault Pioneer is an infantry soldier who is responsible for: * The construction of tools for infantry soldiers to cross natural and man-made obstacles as well as breaching of enemy fortifications; * Supervising the construction of field defe ...

s" belonging to infantry regiments and separate pioneer units (as in the former

Royal Pioneer Corps The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks. It was formed in 1939, and amalgamated into the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993. Pioneer units performed a wide variety of tasks in all theatres of war, in ...

). The

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

has sometimes organized its sappers into "Pioneer Battalions". The arrival of the military engineering vehicle and the deployment of

weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natu ...

vastly expanded capabilities and complicated mission-profiles of modern pioneer units.

Etymology

The word pioneer is originally from France. The word (french: pionnier) was borrowed into English, from Old French ''pionnier'', which meant a "foot soldier", from the root 'peon' recorded in 1523. It was used in a military sense as early as 1626–1627. In the late 18th century, Captain George Smith defined the term as:

Pioneer regiments in the Indian Army

Extensive use was made of pioneers in the British Indian Army because of the demands of campaigning in difficult terrain with little or no

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

. In 1780, two companies of pioneers were raised in Madras, increasing to 16 in 1803 divided into two battalions. Bombay and Bengal pioneers were formed during the same period. In the late nineteenth century, a number of existing Indian infantry regiments took the title and the construction role of pioneers. The twelve Indian Pioneer regiments in existence in 1914 were trained and equipped for road, rail and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...

ing work, as well as for conventional infantry service. While this dual function did not qualify them to be regarded as elite units, the frequency with which they saw active service made postings to pioneer regiments popular with British officers. Prior to World War I, each

sepoy ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its ot ...

in a Pioneer regiment carried a pickaxe or a light spade in special leather equipment as well as a rifle and bayonet. NCOs and buglers carried axes, saws and billhooks. Heavier equipment, such as explosives, was carried by mule. The unit was therefore well equipped for simple field engineering tasks, as well as being able to defend itself in hostile territory. During the War, the increased specialisation required of Pioneers made them too valuable to use as regular assault infantry. Accordingly, in 1929, the Pioneer regiments were taken out of the line infantry and grouped into the Corps of Madras Pioneers (four battalions), the Corps of Bombay Pioneers (four battalions), the Corps of Sikhs Pioneers (four battalions), and the Corps of Hazara Pioneers (one battalion). All four Pioneer Corps were disbanded in 1933 and their personnel mostly transferred into the Corps of Sappers and Miners, whose role they had come to parallel. It was concluded that the Pioneer battalions had become less technically effective than the Sappers and Miners, but too well trained in specialist functions to warrant being used as ordinary infantry. In addition, their major role of frontier road building had now been allocated to civilian workers. An Indian Pioneer Corps was re-established in 1943.

Pioneers in the British Army

Historically, British infantry regiments maintained small units of pioneers for heavy work and engineering, especially for clearing paths through forests and for leading assaults on fortifications. These units evolved into

s. They also inspired the creation of the Royal Pioneer Corps. During World War I, on paper at least, each division was allocated a pioneer infantry battalion, who in addition to being trained infantry were able to conduct pioneer duties. These pioneer battalions were raised and numbered within the existing infantry regiments; where possible recruits were men who possessed transferable skills from civilian life. The ''

'' was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

combatant corps used for light engineering tasks. The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940. It was renamed the Royal Pioneer Corps on 28 November 1946. On 5 April 1993, the Royal Pioneer Corps united with other units to form the Royal Logistic Corps. The specialist pioneer units in the Royal Logistic Corps, 23 Pioneer Regiment, based at St David's Barracks at Bicester, and 168 Pioneer Regiment, headquartered in Prince William of Gloucester Barracks at

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln a ...

, were disbanded in 2014, as part of the

Army 2020 Army 2020, was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army, in light of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Background The British Government gave an indication of its proposals for the future structure of the Army in ea ...

re-organisation. The ARRC Support Battalion is based at

Imjin Barracks Imjin Barracks is a military installation situated near Innsworth in Gloucestershire that is home to NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). The Barracks were named after the Battle of the Imjin River because of the connection with the Gl ...

, Innsworth (until June 2010, it was at Rheindahlen Military Complex,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

) All British infantry regiments still maintain

units. The Pioneer Sergeant is the only rank allowed to wear a beard on parade.

Israeli Army

The Israeli army has an infantry brigade called the '' Fighting Pioneer Youth'', in Hebrew ''Noar Halutzi Lohem'' or just ''"Nahal"''. The title of Israeli military pioneers is a back-derivation from the civilian term. The Israeli army's pioneers were formed in 1948 from Jewish civilian pioneers, i.e. settlers, who were permitted to combine military service and farming.

Pioneer units

United Kingdom

* Maltese Pioneers * British Garrison at Calais Pioneers * Pioneer Corps * 4th (Pioneer) Battalion

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

with the Guards Division, 1917 alternatively known as Guards Pioneer Battalion * 6th

East Yorkshire Regiment The East Yorkshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot and later renamed the 15th Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before eventually being ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with Division, 1917 (three company establishment) * 3rd "Salford Pals" Battalion (19th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers) (converted to a pioneer battalion) * 9th Battalion,

Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...

Regiment (Pioneer Battalion) with 9th Division, 1917 * 1/6th

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with 5th Division, 1917 * 9th Battalion,

South Staffordshire Regiment The South Staffordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for only 68 years. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot an ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with 23rd Division, 1917 * 9th Battalion,

North Staffordshire Regiment The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battalio ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with 37th Division 1915–18 * 19th Battalion,

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with 41st Division, 1917 * 1/5th

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...

(Pioneer Battalion) with 48th Division, 1917 * 8th (Pioneer) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment divisional pioneer battalion * 12th (Pioneer) Battalion

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to f ...

* Pioneer Battalion, The

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regimen ...

* 19th Battalion (Pioneers),

The Welsh Regiment The Welch Regiment (or "The Welch", an archaic spelling of "Welsh") was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1969. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of ...

(Glamorgan Pioneers) * 15th (Pioneer) Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) recruited at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

, Elham and

Lyminge Lyminge is a village in southeast Kent, England. It lies about five miles (8 km) from Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel, on the road passing through the Elham Valley. At the 2011 Census the population of Etchinghill was included. The N ...

Bude Bude (; kw, Porthbud) is a seaside town in north east Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Bude-Stratton and at the mouth of the River Neet (also known locally as the River Strat). It was sometimes formerly known as Bude Haven.''Cornish ...

Woolacombe Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley (or "combe") in the parish of Mortehoe. The beach is long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the western limit of th ...

and

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...

areas during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

* 5th (Pioneer) Battalion,

Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 300 years. T ...

was appointed "in consequence of earning a high reputation as diggers and as constructors of field works" * 25th (Pioneer) Battalion,

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

* Pioneer Battalion, 5th Royal Irish Lancers, 1902 – 1922 was created to construct a new railway in the I Corps area on the Western Front. * 1st Battalions Monmouthshire Regiment Territorial Force 11 November 1915: Pioneer Battalion of 46th Division, south west of Avesnes, France. * 2nd Battalions Monmouthshire Regiment Territorial Force 1 May 1916: Joined 29th Division as Pioneer Battalion. * 3rd Battalions Monmouthshire Regiment Territorial Force 28 September 1915: Became Pioneer Battalion, 28th Division. * 16th (Pioneer) Battalion,

Royal Irish Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal County D ...

* 605th Pioneer Battalion, Pioneer Corps – used for light engineering tasks * 606th Pioneer Battalion, Pioneer Corps – used for light engineering tasks * 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps – Disbanded October 2014 * 168 Pioneer Regiment, Territorial Army- Disbanded April 2014

Australia

During World War I, Australia raised six pioneer battalions within the

First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 15 Aug ...

(1st AIF) for service on the Western Front, one per division: * 1st Pioneer Battalion (New South Wales), 1st Division * 2nd Pioneer Battalion (Western Australia), 2nd Division * 3rd Pioneer Battalion (Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia), 3rd Division * 4th Pioneer Battalion (Queensland), 4th Division * 5th Pioneer Battalion (South Australia), 5th Division * 6th Pioneer Battalion, 6th Division (disbanded without seeing combat) In World War II, four pioneer battalions were raised as part of the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...

(2nd AIF): * 2/1 Australian Pioneer Battalion * 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion * 2/3 Australian Pioneer Battalion * 2/4 Australian Pioneer Battalion Other World War II pioneer units: * 2/1st Special Pioneer Company (Formed in New South Wales in 1942 from the 9th Pioneer Training Battalion. Absorbed by 2/11th Army Troops Company in September 1943.) * 2/2nd Special Pioneer Company (Formed in New South Wales in 1942 from the 9th Pioneer Training Battalion. Absorbed by 2/11th Army Troops Company in September 1943.) * 3rd Special Pioneer Company (Formed in Victoria in March 1942. Redesignated 30th Employment Company in September 1942.) * 2/4th Special Pioneer Company (Formed in Victoria in March 1942. Redesignated 29th Employment Company in September 1942.) * 2/5th Pioneer Company (Formed in Victoria in March 1942. Redesignated 34th Infantry Training Battalion in May 1942.) * 7th Special Pioneer Company (Formed in Queensland in April 1942 from the 7th Infantry Training Battalion. Disbanded September 1942.) * 8th Special Pioneer Company (Formed in Queensland in April 1942 from the 29th Infantry Training Battalion. Disbanded September 1942.) * 20th Pioneer Battalion (Formed by redesignation of the 20th Motor Regiment, February 1945. Disbanded September 1945) * Torres Strait Pioneer Company (Formed from Torres Strait islanders, 1943. Disbanded January 1945) * The Headquarters Companies of Infantry Battalions serving in the

South West Pacific Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million as of ...

included Pioneer Platoons, giving Battalion Commanders the authority over deployment of Pioneer troops as required in combat pioneering, infantry combat or service roles.

Canada

* 2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion,

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

with over a thousand men whose training gave them a combination of engineering and infantry skills. * 48th Battalion served in the field as the 3rd Canadian Pioneer Battalion (48th Canadians), with the 3rd Canadian Division * 67th "Western Scots" (Pioneer Battalion), Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1916 * 107th Pioneer Battalion * 123rd Infantry Battalion repurposed as a Pioneer Battalion in January 1917, and replaced the 3rd Pioneer Battalion in May 1917 as the Pioneer Battalion of the 3rd Canadian Division * 124th Infantry Battalion repurposed as a Pioneer Battalion in January 1917, and became the Pioneer Battalion of the 4th Canadian Division

New Zealand

* The New Zealand Pioneer Battalion, sometimes referred to as the Pioneer Māori Battalion. The

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

included four companies, each with two

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

and two European (Pākehā)

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

s, and included remnants of the

Otago Mounted Rifle Regiment The Otago Mounted Rifle Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during World War I. It was formed from units of the Territorial Force consisting of the 5th Mounted Rifles (Otago Hussars), the 7th (Southland) Mounted Rifle ...

South Africa

* South African Army Pioneer Battalion

India

''For Indian Army Pioneer Corps, see also

Indian Army Pioneer Corps The Indian Army Pioneer Corps or Pioneers is the operational logistics arm of the Indian Army. Though not a combat arm, the Pioneer Corps provide disciplined and well trained manpower where civilian labour is either not available or its employmen ...

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

Pioneer Battalions enlisted, drilled and trained as any other native infantry battalion of the line, but received additional construction training. * 1st Madras Pioneers, Indian Army * 2nd Bombay Pioneers, Indian Army * 3rd Sikh Pioneers, Indian Army * 4th Hazara Pioneers, Indian Army

Other commonwealth countries

African Pioneer Corps The African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps (AAPC) was a unit of the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces recruited among Africans from the High Commission Territories (HCT). It was established in July 1941, after the paramount chiefs of the HCT managed t ...

Nepal

* 1st Jangi Auxiliary Pioneer Battalion (1000 strong), Nepalese Army * Jagannath Auxiliary Pioneer Battalion, Nepalese Army

France

* The Foreign Legion Pionniers, members of the Foreign Legion, open all the Legion's parades as a matter of tradition.They grow full beards, wear leather aprons and carry axes during these parades.

Germany

;First World War :

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...

pioneers (''Pioniere'') were regarded as a separate combat arm trained in construction and the demolition of fortifications, but they were often used as specialist infantry, serving the role of combat engineers. One battalion was assigned to each

Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

. :* The Guard Pioneer Battalion 1. (6 companies, each with 20 large and 18 small flame-throwers) :* The Guard Pioneer Battalion 2. :* The Guard Pioneer Battalion 3. :* The Guard Reserve Pioneer Battalion – created from

reservist A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...

s who had been civilian

firemen A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

, the battalion was issued with experimental

flame-thrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in Worl ...

s :* 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion, First Bavarian Division (12 destruction squads) :* 2nd Bavarian Pioneer Battalion :Prussian Army pioneer battalions: :* 1 Prussian Pioneer Battalion of the Guards – 3 Field companies, one Reserve company :* 12 Prussian Pioneer Battalions of the Line (18 officers, 495 men and 6 other people) :** 2nd Pioneer Battalion at Stettin :** 4th Pioneer Battalion at Magdeburg :* Saxon Pioneer Battalion ;World War Two :

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

''Pionier'' battalions: :* Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon (armoured pioneer battalion performing engineering tasks during an assault from manoeuvre) :* Sturmpionierbataillon (

battalion performing engineering tasks during an infantry assault) :* Gebirgs-Pionier-Bataillon 95, a pioneer unit trained for the mountain terrain :* Pionier-Bataillon 233 (divisional pioneer unit) :* Heeres-Pionier-Bataillon 73 (Corps pioneer unit) :* Pioneer Battalion,

Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH, (german: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") began as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding ...

, Waffen-SS :* Pioneer Battalions,

Estonian Auxiliary Police Estonian Auxiliary Police (, german: Estnische Hilfspolizei) were Estonian collaborationist police units during World War II. Formation Estonian units were first established on 25 August 1941, when under the order of Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritt ...

Russia

* 1st Pioneer Battalion,

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

* 2nd Pioneer Battalion, Imperial Russian Army * 3rd Pioneer Battalion (later 5th Pioneer Battalion), Imperial Russian Army * 4th Pioneer Battalion, Imperial Russian Army

United States

* First Pioneer Battalion of Engineers, Mounted, United States Army (1st Bn. mtd. Engra.) (3 companies) * First Pioneer Battalion of Engineers, United States Army (1st Bn. Engrs.) (3 companies) * First Pioneer Infantry, United States Army (Companies A – M)World War, 1914–1918 – Regimental Histories United States Infantry 1st Pionee
The Story of the First Pioneer Infantry U.S.A.
/ref> * 9th Pioneer Battalion, US Army * 18th Reserve Pioneer Battalion, US Army * Jefferson County Pioneer Battalion, Pennsylvania (CO Lieutenant-Colonel, Hance Robinson) *

Red Patch The "Red Patch" is a distinguishing marking worn by United States Marine Corps, United States Marines of the List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_MOS#04_Logistics, Landing Support Specialist United States military occupation code, MOS. History The r ...

* 1st Pioneer Battalion, United States Marine Corps * 2nd Pioneer Battalion, United States Marine Corps * 3rd Pioneer Battalion, United States Marine Corps * 4th Pioneer Battalion, United States Marine Corps * 5th Pioneer Battalion, United States Marine Corps (deactivated in November 1969) * 31st Naval Construction Battalion TAD as USMC Pioneers 5th Shore Party Regiment, 5th Marine Division (decommissioned) * 71st Naval Construction Battalion TAD as USMC Pioneers 3rd Marine Division (decommissioned) * 133rd Naval Construction Battalion TAD as USMC Pioneers to 23rd Marines, now called "

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133) is a United States Navy Construction Battalion, otherwise known as a Seabee Battalion, homeported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (Gulfport, Mississippi) (aka: Naval Mobile Constructio ...

Citations and notes

References

* Dooley, Thomas P., ''Irishmen Or English Soldiers?: The Times and World of a Southern Catholic Irish Man (1876–1916) Enlisting in the British Army During the First World War'', Liverpool University Press, 1995 * Lane, Kerry, ''Guadalcanal Marine'', University Press of Mississippi, 2004 * Showalter, Dennis E., ''Tannenberg: Clash of Empires, 1914'', Brassey's, London, 2004 {{Authority control Combat occupations Military engineering