1st Engineer Regiment (Italy)

The 1st Engineer Regiment (Italian: 1° Reggimento Genio) is an inactive military engineering unit of the Italian Army, which was last based in Trento in Trentino. The regiment is the oldest engineer regiment of the Italian Army. In 1848, the Royal Sardinian Army formed the Sappers Regiment, which in 1860 was split into the 1st Sappers Regiment and 2nd Sappers Regiment. Between its formation and 1866, the regiment's companies fought in the First Italian War of Independence, Crimean War, Second Italian War of Independence, Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy, and the Third Italian War of Independence. In 1867, the two sappers regiments were merged into the Sappers Corps, which, in 1874, was disbanded so the two regiments could be reformed. The 1st Engineer Regiment provided personnel for First Italo-Ethiopian War and two sappers battalions for the Italo-Turkish War. During World War I the regiment's battalions and companies fought in all sectors of the Italian Front, and on the Macedonian Front, Albanian Front, and Western Front. In 1920, the regiment was disbanded. In November 1926, the regiment was reformed and assigned to the I Army Corps. During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and World War II the regiment's depot formed engineer battalions and smaller units, which deployed with divisions and corps to the fronts of the war. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the regiment was disbanded by invading German forces.

In 1950, the Italian Army reformed the 1st Engineer Regiment, which in 1954 was assigned to the IV Army Corps. In 1964, the regiment was disbanded. During the 1975 army reform the 5th Engineer Regiment was disbanded and the regiment's I Miners Battalion became autonomous unit. The battalion was renamed 1st Miners Battalion "Garda" and assigned the flag and traditions of the 1st Engineer Regiment and the traditions of the 1st Miners Regiment. The battalion was based in Udine and assigned to the 5th Army Corps's Engineer Command. In 1991, the battalion was disbanded and the flag of the 1st Engineer Regiment transferred to the Shrine of the Flags in the Vittoriano in Rome. In 1993, the regiment was reformed as 1st Pioneer Regiment in Trento. In 1995, the regiment was once more disbanded. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all engineer units, on 24 June 1918, the last day of the Second Battle of the Piave River.