<P> Sapper (abbreviated Spr) is the Royal Engineers' equivalent of private . This is also the case within the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers Royal Canadian Engineers, Royal Australian Engineers, South African Army Engineer Formation and Royal New Zealand Engineers . The term "sapper" was introduced in 1856 when the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners was amalgamated with the officer corps of the Royal Engineers to form the Corps of Royal Engineers . </P> <P> During the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I Australian sappers repaired a bridge at the historic crossing of the Jordan River at Jisr Benat Yakub (also known as Jacob's Ford). Here the retreating Ottoman and German rearguard had blown up the bridge's central arch which was repaired in five hours by sappers attached to the Australian Mounted Division . While the light horse brigades forded the river, continuing the Desert Mounted Corps' advance to Damascus, the sappers worked through the night of 27 / 28 September 1918, to repair the bridge to enable the division's wheeled vehicles and guns to follow on 28 September . </P> <P> In the Canadian Forces, sappers exist both in the regular force and reserve force . The rank of sapper is used instead of private trained to signify completion of the Engineer DP1 course . Canadian sappers have been deployed in many major conflicts in recent history including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Afghanistan . The roles of a sapper entail: Bridge building with the ACROW, Bailey, or Medium Girder Bridge bridging systems; explosive ordnance disposal; operating the advanced reverse - osmosis water purification unit, used mainly in domestic operations; maintaining roadways and airfields; combat diving; tactical breaching; and erecting and tearing down friendly living spaces . Ultimately, the objective of the sappers is to facilitate the living, moving, and fighting for friendly troops on the battlefield, and denying the same to enemy forces . The motto of the Canadian Military Engineers is Ubique (Latin: everywhere) a motto shared with the Royal Canadian Artillery . The patron saint of combat engineers is Saint Barbara, and 4 December is the corps' day of celebration . </P> <P> The term "sappers", in addition to the connotation of rank of engineer private, is used collectively to informally refer to the Engineer Corps as a whole and also forms part of the informal names of the three combat engineer groups, viz . Madras Sappers, Bengal Sappers and the Bombay Sappers . Each of these groups consist of about twenty battalion - sized engineer regiments and additional company - sized minor engineer units . The three sapper groups are descended from the sapper and miner groups of the East India Company and later the British Indian Army of the British Raj . </P>

What is a sapper in the canadian army
find me the text answering this question