Maltese Pioneers

The Maltese Pioneers was a pioneer corps that served from 1800 to 1801 within the British Army.

Maltese Pioneers
Active1800–1801
Country Kingdom of Great Britain
Branch British Army
RolePioneers
Size500 men
EngagementsFrench Revolutionary Wars
Commanders
LieutenantFrancesco Rivarola

In December 1800, Sir Ralph Abercromby instructed Lieutenant Francesco Rivarola to raise and command a force of 500 Maltese volunteers as pioneers for the expeditionary force in the Egyptian Campaign.[1] The troops were assigned to the Ordnance Department, and their work included cutting wood and loading fuel on transports.[2] Officers could also hire the pioneers as servants. The Pioneers saw combat in March and April 1801.[3] Apart from the pioneers, a third corps of artificers was also set up and joined the Egyptian Campaign.[4]

After their terms of engagement expired, the Maltese Pioneers left Egypt and returned to Malta in late 1801, after a year of service.[4]

The Pioneers shared in the proceeds of the French property captured in Egypt in 1801.[5]

References
  1. Micallef Eynaud, Maurice (27 September 2005). "Rivarola's salver". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016.
  2. Young, John (1802). "XI". A History of the Commencement, Progress, and Termination of the Late War Between Great Britain and France. pp. 407–408.
  3. "The Maltese Pioneers 1800 – 1801". maltaramc.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017.
  4. Baldacchino, James (May 2014). Garrisoning the military 'fief': The Maltese Corps and the Troops (1800 – 1860s) (PDF). pp. 8–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2017.
  5. "No. 15836". The London Gazette. 20 August 1805. p. 1069.
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