Land Electrical Mechanical Engineering Branch Created: 15 June 1970 (as LORE) Status on 1 Jan 2000: Active branch of Canadian Forces

The Land Electrical Mechanical Engineering Branch was the result of a renaming of the Land Ordnance Engineering Branch that had been created after Unification in 1968 began the process of replacing corps with branches. 

Lineage

• Land Ordnance Engineering Branch authorized 1 Feb 1968.

• Renamed Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch 15 May 1984.

History

As part of Integration in 1968, the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) was disbanded, with some tradesmen transferred to other branches and others combined with RCAF Mobile Support Equipment (MSE) mechanics to form the Land Ordnance Engineering Branch (LORE). The former RCEME trades of Electrical Mechanical Technician, Vehicle Technician, and Weapons Technician were maintained.

RCEME was not officially disbanded until Jan 1970. On 15 Jun, the official announcement of the Branch's new name, Land Ordnance Engineering Branch was announced but new badges did not appear until 1975. The new abbreviation was LORE and a new "wankel" cap badge was adopted, described below. Many soldiers felt the new designation did not adequately describe the new branch, and discussion of several new titles (include CREME and CEME) resulted in consensus on the title LEME - Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch. The branch was renamed on 15 May 1984.

By 1990 there was intense pressure coming from within the branch to get the 'horse back on the badge'. Approval for the bilingual EME/GEM 'horse' badge was given in the summer of 1990, and all members were rebadged by 3 Jun 1991.

The branch is often referred to simply as EME in English.

Like RCEME and LORE, EME's existence owed much to the growing complexity and power of guns, radios, radar and vehicles, and the dependence of the Canadian Army on such equipment. Technicians were needed both in forward units and in rear areas to repair, recover, design, and modify equipment as needed.

Motto

The motto "Arte et Marte" (Latin: "By Skill and by Fighting") was intended to convey the concept of a soldier maintainer applying engineering skills in combat.

Trades

Following Unification, the main occupations of the LORE/EME Branch were expanded, eventually encompassing:

• MOC 411 - VEH TECH (Vehicle Technician);

• MOC 421 - WPN TECH (L)(Weapons Technician (Land));

• MOC 431 - ELM TECH (Electro-Mechanical Technician);

• MOC 432 - FCT ELECT (Fire Control Technician Electronic);

• MOC 433 - FCT OPTR (Fire Control Technician Optronic);

In 1978 the Fire Control Systems Technician (Land) trade MOC 435 - FCS TECH(L) (Fire Control Systems Technician)(Land)) was created, due to the increasing use of electronic and optronic equipment in Mobile Command.

On 1 Jan 1985, MOC 441 (MAT TECH (Materials Technician)) was created, incorporating former RCEME and RCAF welders, machinists and refinishers. These new tradesmen were to be employed in both operations and static base support. The incorporation of MAT Techs was the result of the final complete Occupational Analysis (OA) of the EME branch of the 20th Century, completed in 1983. There were no further changes to the occupations. However, a Qualification Level 7 course was suggested, common to all occupations, for introduction at the Warrant Officer level and used as a prerequisite for promotion to Master Warrant Officer.

Training Facilities

Soon after the creation of RCEME in May 1944, a school to train soldiers was established at Barriefield, Kingston in 1946, where it remained until Jun 1970. In Feb 1969 as part of Unification the school amalgamated with a similar school for the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals to become the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Land Ordnance Engineering. On 1 Jun 1970, the school relocated to CFB Borden, amalgamating with the CF Aircraft Trade School to become the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace and Ordnance Engineering.

On 30 Aug 1985 ceremonies were held to mark the split of CFSAOE into three separate and distinct schools; the Canadian Forces School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CFSEME), Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE), and the Canadian Forces Fire Academy (CFFA).

To be consistent with the new EME cap badge instituted 15 May 1991, a new CFSEME crest was approved to reflect that CFSEME was not only the home of the EME Branch but also a training centre for ammunition technicians and Explosive Ordnance Demolition specialists.

Senior Personnel

• Colonel-Commandant Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch

Rank Titles

A Private in LORE and LEME used the rank title Craftsman.

Insignia

The original badge was described officially:

Within a wreath of stylized maple leaves or, a cartouche azure edged or charged with a triangular rotor or voided and surmounted by two cannon barrels in saltire or. In front and in pale a lightning flash argent. The whole is ensigned by the Royal Crown proper.

Significance

The lightning flash, the crossed gun barrels and the triangular rotor depict work in the electrical, electronics, weapons and vehicle fields respectively.¹

Cap Badges

	The LORE cap badge featured an azure oval, upon which was displayed a triangular rotor (the "wankel", depicting the vehicle maintenance trade, it is also the symbol adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineering), crossed guns (representing the weapons technician trade), and a lightning flash in five segments, representing electrical and electronics trades. A wreath of ten maple leaves represented the ten provinces, with a St. Edward's Crown surmounting the whole. The badge was authorized 17 Nov 1973 but not available for issue until 1975. As such, it is not listed in any Uniform Insignia References.
	A badge for the Combat Cap was also issued.
	With the renaming of LORE to LEME, the branch eagerly sought permission to reintroduce the horse. On 15 May 1991 a new badge was authorized. The scroll of the older RCEME badge was changed to read EME and GEM (Genie Electrique Mechanique). The coronet around the horse's neck originally of four fleur-de-lis was changed to a coronet of four maple leaves.

Cloth Badges

Notes

1. Badges of the Canadian Forces, Canadian Forces Publication 267