The troops of the Bengal Sappers have been a familiar sight for over 200 years in the battlefields of British India with their never-say-die attitude of Chak De and brandishing their favourite tool the hamber.

[3][6] Lt Gen Joginder Singh Dhillon was commissioned into Bengal Engineer Group in 1936 and commanded the First Republic Day Parade in New Delhi,[citation needed] becoming the first army officer to be awarded the Padma Bhushan in November 1965.

Units of the Bengal Sappers rose magnificently to the demands made of them during the 1971 operations leading to the liberation of Bangladesh and the dismemberment of Pakistan.

In many literatures, the operations in Bangladesh are best described as an "Engineers War", since ultimate victory depended to a large extent on the timely and skillfully executed passages of our forces across the innumerable obstacles in the riverine terrain of what was East Pakistan.

When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Roorkee in November 1949, he was so impressed by the achievements of the Bengal Sappers Centre that he chose Brig JS Dhillon to lead the first Republic Day parade in 1950.

In present day, Sappers are required in Indian Army operations to assist the infantryman to victory by using technical skills and resources to overcome an enemy entrenched behind seemingly impregnable and impassable obstacles or fortifications.

They assist and maintain the tactical mobility of our own forces during war by quickly making bridges, roads, airfields and railways, often in the face of the enemy.

The Sappers carry out a host of associated functions like provision of accommodation for troops and equipment upto the remotest areas, water supply and sanitation to ensure the Army's well-being.

The troops of the Bengal Sappers have been a familiar sight for over 200 years in the battlefields of British India and post-Independence operations with their never-say-die attitude and living up to their motto of Sarvatra.