left|thumb|Working dress of the Royal Military Artificers in Gibraltar, 1795 With the 14th-century development of gunpowder, new siege engines in the form of cannons appeared. Initially military engineers were responsible for maintaining and operating these new weapons just as had been the case with previous siege engines. In England, the challenge of managing the new technology resulted in the creation of the Office of Ordnance around 1370 in order to administer the cannons, armaments and castles of the kingdom. Both military engineers and artillery formed the body of this organization and served together until the office's successor, the Board of Ordnance was disbanded in 1855.
left|thumb|working dress of the royal military artificers in gibraltar 1795 with the 14th-century development of gunpowder new siege engines in the form of cannons appeared initially military engineers were responsible for maintaining and operating these new weapons just as had been the case with previous siege engines in england the challenge of managing the new technology resulted in the creation of the office of ordnance around 1370 in order to administer the cannons armaments and castles of the kingdom both military engineers and artillery formed the body of this organization and served together until the office's successor the board of ordnance was disbanded in 1855