what is a sapper in the british army

A sapper in the British Army is a combat engineer who performs a variety of military engineering duties. These duties include breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses, and road and airfield construction and repair. Sappers are also trained and equipped to serve as provisional infantry, fighting as such as a secondary mission. Their duties facilitate and support movement, defense, and survival of allied forces and impede those of enemies. The term "sapper" is used in the British Army and Commonwealth nations and the U.S. military. In the British Army, Royal Engineer soldiers are called Sappers. The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is a corps of the British Army. The corps provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is headed by the Chief Royal Engineer. All Royal Engineers have a specific trade, which includes electrician, plant operator mechanic, plumber, bricklayer, plasterer, carpenter, fabricator, building draughtsman, surveyor, driver, and bomb disposal operative.