Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an engineer, in both civilian and milit. contexts.

1944		E. Locke ‘Actions’ From Shore to Shore 22: As we shift the mines and bridge the gaps we surely do our job, / For we’re the divvy ‘Ginger Beers’ the pick and shovel mob.
1947		D. Davin For the Rest of Our Lives 368: A man’s got to hand it to these gingerbeers of ours.
1951		(con. 1941) E. Lambert Twenty Thousand Thieves 81: The Ginger Beers have laid so many mines they’ve lost trace of some of ’em.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog.
1971		J. Jones Rhy. Cockney Sl.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 29: Ginger Beer Engineer.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 281: Bristoe — he’s the galley-hag, the ginger-beer — engineer.

2. a tear.

1948

Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 25 Dec. 6/4: Ginger-beers in his Nazi-spies.

3. an ear.

2002

Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 ginger beers: the ears.