Napoleonic Command Pioneers advice

[orm1]

Bought my  first Napoleonics Brigade British for skirmish rules.  Been looking at command packs and most seem to include a pioneer what was there roll and how many per company also did they all have beards!

[the commissar]

They were usually allocated at 1 per company (although I think they often operated as a section together). In common with most armies both then - and now -  the pioneers usually had full beards.

Their main tasks were building simple structures and knocking things down for example at Waterloo the pioneers from the British Guards brigade loopholed the walls at Hougomont and made built a fire step IIRC.

Often they would be supervising other troops in these activities as well.