At the REME Museum, we share the story of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).

The REME Museum was formed in 1958 with a mission to:

• Preserve the heritage of the Corps
• Promote a broader understanding of the Corps
• Provide information to the public, including members of the Corps and researchers
• Collect, conserve, display and interpret objects related to this mission

1958 – Moat House

The Museum was originally located in Moat House, Arborfield, where it occupied four rooms on the ground floor. The collection included medals, plaques, flags, models, a small weapons collection as well as paintings, photographs and documents. It was during these early days that the Museum also acquired some of its more unusual items, including Mussolini’s Boots and the Salerno Wheel.

The Moat House at Arborfield. The ‘Corps Museum’ sign is just visible above the door. A:1975.1361.065.

A new home in Arborfield

As donations continued, the collection increased in size and required more space. A new building for the Museum were included within the plans for revised garrison facilities at Arborfield. The Museum moved to its second home in Arborfield, off Isaac Newton Road, in 1985. Whilst at this location, there were several displays and building developments.

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the opening of the Prince Philip Vehicle Hall at the REME Museum of Technology, Arborfield in 1999. E:09.0896.

Move to Lyneham

In 2006, the Ministry of Defence announced plans for an estates rationalisation programme. By the end of 2015, REME training establishments moved from Arborfield and Bordon to the former RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. This relocation included the REME Museum to Lyneham, which moved to the former Officers' Mess just outside the military base.

Refurbishing the old Mess into a museum provided an opportunity to redesign the Museum; new displays were produced in several exhibition galleries and a dedicated archive, education suite, café, and conferencing space were also added to the Museum’s facilities. The REME Museum opened to the public at the renamed MOD Lyneham in June 2017 and, in 2021, received Visit England’s Hidden Gem award for the fourth year in a row.