The corps has also served on numerous peacekeeping operations and was heavily involved in the Australian contribution to the war in Afghanistan.

[5] With the outbreak of World War II, however, the corps was expanded greatly, eventually reaching a peak of 32,984 men in 1945.

[5] RAE units of the Second Australian Imperial Force and militia served in North Africa, Malaya, New Guinea and Borneo campaigns.

[5] Later, RAE units deployed as part of the Australian commitment to the Malayan Emergency, Confrontation and the Vietnam War.

Following the end of the war the size of the Australian Army was decreased in line with the abolition of the national service scheme and as a consequence of this and a number of lessons that came out of the deployment to Vietnam the RAE underwent a series of changes.

[5] As a part of this restructuring the RAE was reorganised to raise one regiment for each brigade and the Corps lost its responsibility for maintaining water transport and engineering stores.

[5] Since the late 1980s members of the Corps have been involved in combat and peacekeeping operations in Namibia, Rhodesia, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Bougainville and Mozambique as well as Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

This motto was bestowed by King William IV in 1832 in recognition that both Sappers and Gunners were not entitled to carry Regimental Colours and typically served as small detachments instead of a whole unit.

[7] The original motto of the RAE, adopted at Federation was Facimus et Frangimus (We make and we break) and appeared on the engineer hat badge up until 1947 when it was replaced by Honi soit qui mal y pense.

In order to provide these capabilities, engineers are required to conduct many tasks, including penetrating minefields, locating and disarming booby traps, clearing unexploded ordnance, conducting explosive demolitions, purifying water, surveying, and building and maintaining roads, airfields, and bridges.

The Corps also performs the majority of the Australian Army's demolition tasks and is trained to fight as infantry if needed.