When Lt-Gen Sir Andrew Clarke, Inspector-General of Fortifications 1882–6, did not have enough Regular Royal Engineers (RE) to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British seaports, he utilised the Volunteer Engineers for this task. After successful trials the system was rolled out to ports around the country.Beckett, pp. 184–5.Short et al., pp. 1–4. In October 1884 the 1st Lancashire Engineer Volunteer Corps at Edge Hill, Liverpool formed K Company to cover the Mersey Estuary. In 1888 the submarine miners were constituted into a separate branch of the RE Volunteers, and K Company became the Mersey Division Submarine Miners with the first officers' commissions dated 17 March 1888.Westlake, p. 15.
