REME History
St Eligius, REME’s Patron Saint
Painting of St Eligius from an altar piece displayed in several REME garrison churches, recently acquired by the REME Museum.
A key characteristic of the REME Soldier is that they are a Soldier first but a tradesman always. It only makes sense that our Corps patron saint would also have been a tradesman. Kimberley Day, Assistant Curator at the REME Museum, and Corps Welfare Warrant Officer WO2 Kelvin Redshaw share the story behind the artisan who became a bishop.
O
n 1 December the Corps marks St Eligius Day, a celebration of REME’s patron saint, St Eligius. But why does the Corps have a patron saint? And how was Eligius chosen? We’ll fill you in.
Warriors and Craftsmen
We might think of saints as serene and peaceable, but the connection between these holy figures and the military goes back millennia. Saints associated with the Armed Forces include St George, who is said to have been a Roman soldier; St Barbara, associated with risky jobs and explosions; and Joan of Arc who is known for her bravery and military victories. Other saints are tied to professions, most notably to artisans and craftsmen. Medieval trade guilds had their own saints. St Ambrose, for instance, watches over beekeepers and candle makers. Patron saints have been popular in more recent history too. All kinds of organisations have chosen saints, including some – but not all – Corps and Regiments of the British Army.
Who was St Eligius? St Eligius, also called Eloi and Eloy, was a goldsmith before he was a saint. He was born around 588 in modern France, most likely in Chaptelat, near Limoges. While still an apprentice Eligius was commissioned to create a throne for the king of the Franks. By skill or by miracle he was able to make two golden chairs with the materials needed for one. Inspired by this story, his later venerators were metalworkers and other craftsmen. Earning respect for his achievement, Eligius soon joined the royal court and became an influential advisor and later a bishop, known for his charity and the monasteries he founded. Another legend tells that Eligius exorcised a demon from a horse by chopping off its hoof, fitting a horseshoe and then reattaching the beast’s extremity. For this reason St Eligius is also the patron saint of horses, vets and blacksmiths.
“In the life of St Eligius, we can pick out the values and standards we still live by as Soldiers and Officers…”
Choosing a Patron Saint
A fifteenth-century engraving of St Eligius in his busy workshop. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. 12 craftsmaneditor@reme-rhq.org.uk
The decision to adopt a patron saint for the Corps was not made until 1959. Two REME Officers were tasked with researching thousands of possible saints. They created a shortlist of likely candidates and presented it to the Chaplain General of the Forces. Once approved, the list was passed to the Corps Committee. Out of the numerous options the Committee choose St Eligius. In an article for The Craftsman Magazine, printed in July 2009, Colonel (Retd) M E Sibbons, then Corps Archivist, summed up the reason why St Eligius was chosen. ‘There were many good reasons, therefore, for choosing St Eligius as our patron saint. During the first part of his life he was, in succession, an apprentice, a skilled craftsman, and manager of a workshop; he served his rulers at home and in foreign lands; he spent the evening of his days training others; in his early years,
