About
The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology tells the story of one of the British Army's most vital yet least publicly known corps — the men and women who have kept the Army's equipment working in every theatre of operations from the Second World War to the present day. Located at the former RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, now MoD Lyneham and the home of the REME Corps, the museum houses an outstanding collection of military vehicles, engineering equipment, tools, and personal stories that reveal the extraordinary skill and dedication required to maintain, repair, and recover military equipment under the most demanding conditions imaginable.
REME was formed in October 1942, at a critical point in the Second World War when the increasing complexity and volume of military equipment — tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, aircraft, radar, and communications systems — demanded a dedicated corps of skilled engineers, mechanics, and technicians who could keep the equipment fighting. The museum traces this origin story and follows the Corps through every subsequent conflict and peacekeeping operation in which the British Army has been involved, from the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of Burma to the frozen hills of Korea, the streets of Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, and the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The vehicle collection is one of the museum's greatest strengths, featuring an impressive array of military vehicles from the Second World War through to modern armoured fighting vehicles, many of them restored to running condition by REME craftsmen using the same skills that keep the Army's front-line equipment operational. Tanks, armoured recovery vehicles, engineering vehicles, and specialist equipment are displayed both inside the museum halls and in the outdoor exhibition area, giving visitors a visceral sense of the scale and complexity of the equipment that REME soldiers maintain.
Beyond the vehicles, the museum explores the human story of REME — the craftsmen, artificers, and technicians whose skill and ingenuity have been essential to every military operation the British Army has undertaken since 1942. Personal accounts, medals, photographs, and uniforms bring the individual stories to life, from the workshops of wartime England to forward repair teams working under fire to recover and repair damaged vehicles on the battlefield.
The museum also documents the evolution of military technology itself — from the relatively simple mechanical systems of the Second World War through the electronics revolution that transformed military equipment in the Cold War period to the sophisticated digital systems of modern warfare. This technological narrative makes the museum relevant not just to military enthusiasts but to anyone interested in the history of engineering and technology, showing how military necessity has driven innovation in fields from metallurgy and electrical engineering to computer systems and robotics.
Educational programmes, guided tours, and special events make the museum accessible to a wide audience, from school groups studying twentieth-century history to engineering students interested in practical problem-solving under extreme conditions.
Categories:
Highlights
The REME Vehicle Collection
The museum's vehicle collection is one of the finest displays of military engineering vehicles in Britain, featuring tanks, armoured recovery vehicles, engineering equipment, and specialist vehicles spanning from the Second World War to the present day.
Many vehicles have been restored to running condition by REME craftsmen, demonstrating the same skills that keep the Army's front-line equipment operational on operations around the world. The collection includes armoured recovery vehicles — the workhorses of the REME fleet, designed to tow damaged tanks from the battlefield under fire — alongside engineering vehicles, workshop trucks, and the specialist equipment that enables repairs to be carried out in the field.
The Formation of REME — 1942
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed in October 1942, at a point in the Second World War when the increasing sophistication of military equipment demanded a dedicated corps of skilled engineers and technicians. The museum traces the circumstances that led to REME's creation — the lessons learned from the North Africa campaign, where equipment failures and the lack of organised repair capabilities had hampered operations — and the rapid growth of the Corps from its formation to a strength of over 150,000 personnel by the end of the war, making it one of the largest corps in the British Army.
Battlefield Recovery and Repair
One of REME's most demanding and dangerous roles is the recovery and repair of damaged vehicles under fire on the battlefield — a task that requires extraordinary courage as well as technical skill. The museum documents this aspect of REME's work with accounts, photographs, and equipment from conflicts including the Second World War, Korea, the Falklands, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Recovery mechanics work in exposed positions, often under enemy fire, to extract damaged tanks and armoured vehicles so they can be repaired and returned to the fight.
The displays convey the physical danger and technical ingenuity involved in this essential but unglamorous work.
The Workshop at War
REME's mobile workshops — from the canvas-covered repair trucks of the Second World War to the containerised workshop systems of modern operations — represent a remarkable feat of logistics and organisation. The museum recreates the atmosphere of a REME workshop, showing the tools, equipment, and working conditions in which craftsmen diagnose faults, fabricate replacement parts, and carry out repairs that would challenge a civilian workshop, all under the additional pressures of operational conditions.
The displays reveal the range of skills required — from heavy mechanical engineering and welding to precision electronics and instrument repair — that make REME soldiers some of the most technically skilled personnel in the British Army.
Collections
The REME Story — 1942 to the Present
The main permanent exhibition tracing the history of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from formation in 1942 through the Second World War, Cold War, and modern operations. Personal accounts, medals, uniforms, and operational records.
Vehicle Hall
The museum's centrepiece — a large exhibition hall housing military vehicles from the Second World War to the present day, including tanks, armoured recovery vehicles, and specialist engineering equipment. Many vehicles restored to running condition.
The Workshop
A recreated REME workshop environment showing the tools, equipment, and working conditions in which REME craftsmen carry out repairs and maintenance on the Army's most complex equipment — from heavy engineering to precision electronics.
Current Exhibitions
An exhibition focusing on REME's role in operations in Afghanistan, including the maintenance and recovery of vehicles in one of the most demanding operational environments the British Army has faced in recent decades.