Royal Army Service Corps

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The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a former corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery (but not ammunition and military and technical equipment, which were the responsibility of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps); administration of barracks; the Army Fire Service; and provision of staff clerks to headquarters units.

The corps was formed as the Army Service Corps (ASC) in 1888 by the amalgamation of the Commissariat and Transport Staff, Commissariat and Transport Corps and War Department Fleet. The ASC subsequently absorbed some transport elements of the Royal Engineers. In 1918 the corps received the "Royal" prefix for its service in the First World War and became the Royal Army Service Corps. It was divided into Transport and Supply Branches.

The RASC was merged with the Transportation and Movement Control Service of the Royal Engineers (which was responsible for railway transport, inland water transport, port operations, and movements) in 1965 to form the Royal Corps of Transport. All its supply functions, along with the staff clerks, were transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, leaving the new corps solely responsible for transport and movements. The modern descendant of the ASC is the Royal Logistic Corps.

Before the Second World War, RASC recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall and could enlist up to 30 years of age (or 35 for tradesmen in the Transport Branch). They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve (seven years and five years for tradesmen and clerks, three years and nine years for butchers, bakers and supply issuers). They trained at Aldershot.^[1]

Alone among the "Services" (i.e. rear echelon support corps), RASC personnel were considered to be combatant personnel.^[2]