The unit helped to defend the vital naval base of Plymouth, and supplied detachments for service in the field in both World Wars.

During the North African campaign in the Second World War, the unit's sappers distinguished themselves in bridging the Nile and clearing minefields during and after the Second Battle of El Alamein.

[4][5] In August 1889, the Devon and Somerset companies were removed from the Gloucestershire battalion and constituted as a separate 1st Devonshire and Somersetshire RE (V), with its HQ at the Priory, Colleton Crescent, Exeter.

[3][4][6][7] The 1st Devonshire and Somerset RE (V) sent a detachment of one officer and 25 other ranks to assist the regular REs during the Second Boer War in 1900, and a second section the following year.

At this stage of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was about to launch the Battle of Beersheba and begin its advance to capture Jerusalem.

However, their work was overtaken by the German spring offensive in March that year, when III Corps was forced to abandon all its defences and retire behind the Crozat Canal on the first day.

[11][19][20][26] The Devonshire Fortress Engineers was reformed at Muttley Barracks, Plymouth, in the renamed Territorial Army (TA) in 1920, forming part of the Coast Defence forces in 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Area.

[33] On 20 July 1942, when Rommel was driving towards Egypt, General Headquarters (GHQ) ordered the construction of two bridges across the Nile to allow Eighth Army's armour to manoeuvre to the south if the Cairo defences were attacked.

In the event, Rommel's final drive was halted at the Battle of Alam Halfa, the Cairo defences were not required, and the bridges were dismantled in November.

For the first phase, the aptly-named Operation Lightfoot, the key was to breach the extensive German minefields during the night to allow the armour formations to pass through and exploit the success of the initial bombardment and infantry assault.

Progress was slower in the northern corridor and 51st (Highland) Division had to put in a fresh attack with massed artillery support at 15.00, after which the sappers were able to clear the way for 1st Armoured to deploy during the second night.

The regimental history attributes the relatively light casualties among the mine clearance parties, despite the firefights going on around them, 'to the excellence of the mine-lifting drill and the accuracy with which it was carried out'.

[37] Captain Desmond Fitzgerald, a Regular RE officer attached to the TA Devonians of 571st Fd Co for two months from 1 January, recalled that his duties mainly involved clearing mines and booby-traps from captured landing strips before they could be used by the Royal Air Force.

[38] When the damaged port of Tripoli was captured in late January 1943, Montgomery said that his "main preoccupation was to get the harbour uncorked and ships inside, so as to get a good daily tonnage landed" and reduce reliance on the long coast road from Tobruk.

[37] The next task was to remove Fascist Party emblems and pictures of Benito Mussolini, and erect a special podium in the town square for a victory parade attended by Winston Churchill on 4 February.

[42][45] The following officers served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[4] There is a memorial plaque in Exeter Guildhall to the men of 570, 571, 572 and 573 Field Companies, 'formerly Devon and Cornwall Fortress Engineers', who died at home, and in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War.