2 Combat Engineer Regiment

2 Combat Engineer Regiment is a regiment of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers; a subdivision of the Canadian Military Engineers. It is located at Garrison Petawawa, and is part of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. 2 CER was redesignated from 1 Field Engineer Squadron in 1977.

Unit phrases - "Sea of Blue"

History

Formation

In 1903, following the Boer War, the Royal Canadian Engineers were founded as the basis for the permanent military engineers and the Canadian Engineer Corps was created as a militia unit.

World War I

One of the first tasks given to the Canadian engineers after the declaration of World War I was the construction of the Valcartier training site in Quebec. At its peak, 30,000 men were stationed there before the 1st Canadian Division was deployed. When the 1st Canadian Division arrived in Belgium, they were accompanied by the Canadian Engineer Corps. These troops were responsible for the construction of defences, sanitation systems, water supplies, bridging, and assisting with trench raids. The engineers, known as Sappers, were also tasked with digging tunnels underneath enemy trenches and planting explosives to destroy the trenches. These tunnels were strategic in winning the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

World War II

Canadian engineers spent the early phases of World War II building camps in Canada and as they deployed to the United Kingdom, turned their attention to building camps, defence work, roads and airfields in England. Sappers of the