1070 Bishop Gundulf (a Norman Conquest import) became the “first King’s Engineer”. Gundulf’s architectural and engineering credits included Rochester Castle and the White Tower (part of the Tower of London).
1414 Board of Ordnance established, superseding the earlier Ordnance Office.
During this period military engineers were employed by the King for duty in the Royal arsenals and fortifications, and the maintenance of military equipment. When engineering tradesmen and specialists were required for campaigns, they were impressed and disbanded on the cessation of hostilities.
1716 Corps of Engineers established as a permanent officer corps.
1782 Gibraltar Soldier Artificer Company established, comprising non-commissioned military engineers.
1787 Corps of Royal Engineers (Corps of Engineers renamed).
1787 Corps of Royal Military Artificers established comprising only NCOs and other ranks; officers attached from other Corps.
1813 Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners (Corps of Royal Military Artificers renamed).
1855 Abolition of Board of Ordnance. The Corps of Royal Engineers and Corps of Sappers and Miners operated directly under the War Office.
1856 Corps of Sappers and Miners absorbed into Corps of Royal Engineers.
Thus the NCOs and other ranks who came to Western Australia as the 20th Company, Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners returned home (after 1856) as the 20th Company, Royal Engineers.
A court martial is a court convened to try an offence against military discipline, or against the ordinary law, committed by a person in one of the armed services. Courts martial were also used to try civilians when martial law was in force.
Many of the Sappers and Miners were the subject of a Regimental Court Martial, the least serious of courts martial. At least one was subject to a District Court Martial. Frequently the detail of the conviction is not detailed in the WO97 (discharge documents) in which case one may need to check the Judge Advocate General’s registers or regimental records. The various courts martial are described below.
General Court Martial
This was army’s highest tribunal, dealing with commissioned officers and the most serious cases involving other ranks. It could only be convened by the Crown or its deputy (for example, the commander in chief, or governors general). At least 13 commissioned officers had to be present if ‘at home’ (serving in the British Isles, Ireland, non-British territories or small British possessions), or five if ‘overseas’ (the British colonies), together with a judge advocate. Decisions were confirmed by the person who issued the warrant (that is, the Crown or its direct deputy).
Field Court Martial
This type of court martial was often used in wartime. Only three commissioned officers needed to be present. The decision had to be unanimous for the death penalty to be imposed.
District Court Martial
More limited in jurisdiction, this court could not try commissioned officers or charges carrying the death penalty, transportation, floggings of more than 150 lashes or prison sentences of more than two years. It required seven officers at home or five if overseas. Details of the sentence were sent up to the Judge Advocate General’s office. Prior to 1829 the District (or Garrison) Court Martial was known as the General Regimental Court Martial.
Regimental Court Martial
The regimental court martial was used for ranks other than commissioned officers who were charged with lesser offences. They may be noted in war diaries, but no records were sent to the Judge Advocate General’s Office. Some of the records of these courts may survive among the records preserved by individual regiments.
Registers of Courts Martial, 1796-1963
The Judge Advocate General’s office compiled registers of general and field courts martial, giving name, rank, regiment, place of trial, charge, finding, and sentence. These are in WO 90(abroad, 1796-1960 – with a volume for India), and WO 92 (home, 1666-1704, 1806-1960 – with registers for part of the Boer War). An index for 1806-1833 is in WO 93/1A.
Source
The National Archives, Guide Reference: Military Records.