The British Royal Navy, as with almost everything that made the British Empire (once) great, was powered by the Royal Engineering Corps. These tireless workers were the vital organs of Her Majesty's ships, and were responsible for bringing them to the ends of the Earth. To identify themselves as engineers each officer proudly displayed a bright purple patch on his right arm, just below the shoulder.

The long hours of sweat, grime, and bilge water would inevitably transfer a goodly portion of the patch's dye to the Engineer's skin. Thus, even when out of uniform, an engineer proudly wore the mark of his profession.

In the tradition of their vocation, Royal Engineers would often go down with the ship, in last-ditch attempts to slow the sinking so that more people could survive.

As a badge of honor, and as a reminder of all the honorable men and women that have gone before us, we (at least temporarily) mark ourselves with the color that expresses our pride in our history.