The Bataillon Mineurs en Sappeurs (Battalion of Miners and Sappers) was the combatant engineer battalion of the Dutch army from its organisation in the early nineteenth century until its reorganisation as the Korps Genietroepen in 1881. The battalion was garrisoned at Nijmegen until 1873 and thereafter at Utrecht; it supplied the sapper companies — the Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs — for the Atjeh-oorlog. The battalion is the unit with which Generaal C. J. Snijders served his only extended troop duty in the engineers, both as a cadet in the 1870 mobilisation and as a Tweede Luitenant in Atjeh in 1874–1875.
Organisation
The battalion was the combatant element of the Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs. Its officers served alternatingly with the battalion and with the Korps Ingenieurs (the staff element); the typical lieutenant of the engineers served three to three-and-a-half years with the battalion in the lieutenants’ rank. Snijders was a marked exception: he served, “gerekend over een reeks van eenige tientallen jaren, de eenige, die in dezen rang, althans hier te lande, nimmer bij den troep had gediend” before his short battalion command of 1886–1887.
The 1870 Mobilisation
In the 1870 mobilisation at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, the KMA cadets on leave were called up and posted to various troop units. The cadet Snijders, then a cadet-korporaal, was posted with 14 cadets of the Netherlands and Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger to the Staf of the Bataillon Mineurs en Sappeurs at Utrecht on 10 August 10 August 1870. He was assigned to the 2e Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs of the Utrechtsche Linie; the detachment, however, kept him only at fatigue and corvée duties — a disappointment. After the Battle of Sedan the demobilisation came on 11 September 11 September 1870.
Service in the Aceh War
A Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs of the Bataillon was attached to the field army at Kota Radja during the middle phase of the Atjeh-oorlog. In November 1874 the company was commanded by Eerste-Luitenant Van den Blijck (infantry) with Eerste-Luitenant Bartelds (infantry) as second-in-command, both infantry officers on temporary detachment for want of trained engineer officers, under the supervising engineer officer Majoor der Genie W. J. C. Leers. Tweede-Luitenant C. J. Snijders was detached to the company from the metropolitan army by KB of 10 June 1873 No. 33, arriving at Kota Radja on 8 November 8 November 1874.
The company’s service in Atjeh included the Benting Kota Alam operation of 13 November 1874, the Missigit Longbatta operation of 31 December 1874 – 13 January 1875, the capture of Pungej Blang Tjoet on 23 January 1875, the capture of Mandarsah Poetih on 28 January 1875, and the Lamara Olejlo fortification of 15 February 1875. For these services Snijders was decorated with the Ridderkruis der Militaire Willemsorde 4th class by KB of 12 November 1875 No. 18.
Reorganisation of 1881
By 1881 the Bataillon was reorganised as the Korps Genietroepen (Engineer Troops Corps), with the addition of spoorweg- and telegraaftroepen (railway and telegraph troops). The Staf der Genie element continued as the Korps Ingenieurs (Engineers Corps).
See Also
- Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- W. J. C. Leers
- Van den Blijck
- Bartelds
- Koninklijke Militaire Academie
- Koninklijk Besluit of 10 June 1873 No. 33
- Koninklijk Besluit of 12 November 1875 No. 18
- Militaire Willemsorde
- Benting Kota Alam operation (13 November 1874)
- Missigit Longbatta operation (31 December 1874 – 13 January 1875)
- Lamara Olejlo fortification (15 February 1875)
- Aceh War
- Koeta Radja
- Nijmegen
- Utrecht
- 1870
- 1873
- 1874
- 1875
- 1881
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 16–17 (organisation), pp. 22–35 (Atjeh service), p. 49 (Snijders’ exceptional lack of prior troop service). Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.
The Bataillon Mineurs en Sappeurs (Battalion of Miners and Sappers) was the combatant engineer battalion of the Dutch army from its organisation in the early nineteenth century until its reorganisation as the Korps Genietroepen in 1881. The battalion was garrisoned at Nijmegen until 1873 and thereafter at Utrecht; it supplied the sapper companies — the Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs — for the Atjeh-oorlog. The battalion is the unit with which Generaal C. J. Snijders served his only extended troop duty in the engineers, both as a cadet in the 1870 mobilisation and as a Tweede Luitenant in Atjeh in 1874–1875.
Organisation
The battalion was the combatant element of the Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs. Its officers served alternatingly with the battalion and with the Korps Ingenieurs (the staff element); the typical lieutenant of the engineers served three to three-and-a-half years with the battalion in the lieutenants’ rank. Snijders was a marked exception: he served, “gerekend over een reeks van eenige tientallen jaren, de eenige, die in dezen rang, althans hier te lande, nimmer bij den troep had gediend” before his short battalion command of 1886–1887.
The 1870 Mobilisation
In the 1870 mobilisation at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, the KMA cadets on leave were called up and posted to various troop units. The cadet Snijders, then a cadet-korporaal, was posted with 14 cadets of the Netherlands and Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger to the Staf of the Bataillon Mineurs en Sappeurs at Utrecht on 10 August 10 August 1870. He was assigned to the 2e Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs of the Utrechtsche Linie; the detachment, however, kept him only at fatigue and corvée duties — a disappointment. After the Battle of Sedan the demobilisation came on 11 September 11 September 1870.
Service in the Aceh War
A Compagnie Mineurs en Sappeurs of the Bataillon was attached to the field army at Kota Radja during the middle phase of the Atjeh-oorlog. In November 1874 the company was commanded by Eerste-Luitenant Van den Blijck (infantry) with Eerste-Luitenant Bartelds (infantry) as second-in-command, both infantry officers on temporary detachment for want of trained engineer officers, under the supervising engineer officer Majoor der Genie W. J. C. Leers. Tweede-Luitenant C. J. Snijders was detached to the company from the metropolitan army by KB of 10 June 1873 No. 33, arriving at Kota Radja on 8 November 8 November 1874.
The company’s service in Atjeh included the Benting Kota Alam operation of 13 November 1874, the Missigit Longbatta operation of 31 December 1874 – 13 January 1875, the capture of Pungej Blang Tjoet on 23 January 1875, the capture of Mandarsah Poetih on 28 January 1875, and the Lamara Olejlo fortification of 15 February 1875. For these services Snijders was decorated with the Ridderkruis der Militaire Willemsorde 4th class by KB of 12 November 1875 No. 18.
Reorganisation of 1881
By 1881 the Bataillon was reorganised as the Korps Genietroepen (Engineer Troops Corps), with the addition of spoorweg- and telegraaftroepen (railway and telegraph troops). The Staf der Genie element continued as the Korps Ingenieurs (Engineers Corps).
See Also
- Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- W. J. C. Leers
- Van den Blijck
- Bartelds
- Koninklijke Militaire Academie
- Koninklijk Besluit of 10 June 1873 No. 33
- Koninklijk Besluit of 12 November 1875 No. 18
- Militaire Willemsorde
- Benting Kota Alam operation (13 November 1874)
- Missigit Longbatta operation (31 December 1874 – 13 January 1875)
- Lamara Olejlo fortification (15 February 1875)
- Aceh War
- Koeta Radja
- Nijmegen
- Utrecht
- 1870
- 1873
- 1874
- 1875
- 1881
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 16–17 (organisation), pp. 22–35 (Atjeh service), p. 49 (Snijders’ exceptional lack of prior troop service). Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.