Royal Logistic Corps

Royal Logistic Corps

Active	5 April 1993 - present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Role	Logistics
Garrison/HQ	Dettingen House, Deepcut, Surrey
Nickname(s)	Loggies Really Large Corps
Motto	"We sustain"
March	On Parade Lion, Sword and Crown
Commanders
Colonel-in-chief	HRH The Princess Royal
Insignia
Tactical recognition flash

The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. The RLC flag is dark blue with the Corps Badge emblazoned on the centre. It has a Corps of Drums and a "Marching" Band.

History

Arms of the British Army

Combat Arms
Royal Armoured Corps Infantry Guards Division Scottish Division King's Division Queen's Division Prince of Wales' Division Parachute Regiment Royal Gurkha Rifles The Rifles Special Air Service Army Air Corps Special Reconnaissance Regiment
Combat Support Arms
Royal Artillery Royal Engineers Royal Corps of Signals Intelligence Corps
Combat Services
Royal Army Chaplains' Department Royal Logistic Corps Army Medical Services Royal Army Medical Corps Royal Army Dental Corps Royal Army Veterinary Corps Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Adjutant General's Corps Educational and Training Services Branch Army Legal Services Branch Provost Branch (Royal Military Police Military Provost Staff Military Provost Guard Service) Small Arms School Corps Royal Army Physical Training Corps General Service Corps Corps of Army Music

The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on Monday, 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps:^[1]

Royal Engineers Postal and Courier Service
Royal Corps of Transport
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
Army Catering Corps

The RLC comprises both Regular and Army Reserve units.^[2]

The RLC is the only (Combat Service Support) Corps of the British Army with battle honours, derived from the usage of previous transport elements of the Royal Waggon Train, and their successors as cavalry. The battle honours are:^[3]

Cap Badge

The RLC cap badge is an amalgamation of the cap badges of the forming corps:^[4]

The laurel and garter band is from the Royal Engineers
The star is from the Royal Corps of Transport
The shield in the centre is from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The crossed axes are from the Royal Pioneer Corps
The motto, "We Sustain", is from the Army Catering Corps

The inscription on the garter band "Honi soit qui mal y pense" can be translated as "Evil to him who evil thinks". It is often seen on the insignia of Regiments and Corps with 'Royal' in their title.

Units

RLC units include:^[5]

Regular Army

Unit (with Army 2020 names)	Current Location	Future Location	Notes
1 Regiment RLC (1 Close Support Logistic Regiment RLC)	St David's Barracks	Bicester
3 Regiment RLC (3 Close Support Logistic Regiment RLC)	Dalton Barracks	Aldershot
4 Regiment RLC (4 Close Support Logistic Regiment RLC)	Dalton Barracks	Dalton Barracks
6 Regiment RLC ( 6 Force Logistic Regiment RLC)	Princess Royal Barracks, Gutersloh	Dishforth Airfield
7 Regiment RLC (7 Force Logistic Regiment RLC)	Kendrew Barracks	Kendrew Barracks
9 Regiment RLC (9 Theatre Logistic Regiment RLC)	Buckley Barracks	Buckley Barracks
10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment)	Gale Barracks, Aldershot	Gale Barracks, Aldershot
11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment RLC (11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment RLC)	Vauxhall Barracks	Vauxhall Barracks	421 Headquarters Squadron 4 x EOD Squadrons
13 Air Assault Support Regiment RLC (13 Air Assault Support Regiment RLC)	Colchester	Colchester
17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC (17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC)	McMullen Barracks / Sea Mounting Centre, Marchwood, Southampton	McMullen Barracks / Sea Mounting Centre, Marchwood, Southampton	Part of 104th Logistic Support Brigade. 1 x HQ Squadron, 2 x Port Squadrons.
25 Training Support Regiment RLC	Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut	Worthy Down in 2019
27 Regiment RLC (27 Theatre Logistic Regiment RLC)	Travers Barracks, Aldershot	Dalton Barracks
29 Postal Courier & Movement Regiment RLC (29 Postal Courier & Movement Regiment RLC)	Duke of Gloucester Barracks	Duke of Gloucester Barracks	Part of 104th Logistic Support Brigade.

RHQ The RLC. located at the "Home of the Corps", Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut. Headed by Col RLC.
Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search School (DEMSS) formerly the Army School of Ammunition until 2009.
- 15 Air Assault Close Support Squadron RLC (not mentioned in Army 2020). Attached to 13 Air Assault Support Regiment.
ARRC Support Battalion (an All Arms unit with logistic squadrons making up the bulk of the battalion)

Notable minor units and joint units with a large RLC element include:

20 Logistic Support Squadron, London District
89 Postal and Courier Unit, (SHAPE)
105 Logistic Support Squadron, (BATUS)
132 Aviation Supply Squadron, part of 7 Battalion REME within 16 Air Assault Brigade
Cyprus Service Support Unit, (British Forces Cyprus)
Joint Helicopter Support Squadron, RAF Odiham, a combined RLC / RAF unit.

Disbanded Units:

2 Logistic Support Regiment RLC , based at Gutersloh. Formally disbanded in July 2014.
8 Regiment - The Regiment formed in 1964 at Munster, Germany as 8 Transport Column, RASC at the height of the Cold War. Initially based in Nelson Barracks, it moved to Portsmouth Barracks and was disbanded in York Barracks on 27 March 2012. The regiment consisted of 3, 5, 13 and 27 Squadrons and in its time had attached pioneers from the RPC, and infantry from a resident Munster battalion as Force Protection. It worked closely with the American Custodial Detachment whose role was maintenance of nuclear warheads and weapons components. The regiment directly supported the Gunners (The Royal Regiment of Artillery), firstly 24, 39 and 50 Missile Regiments and later the Multi-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Regiments. This latter task was carried out in the UK from barracks at Catterick,1993-2008.
12 Logistic Support Regiment - Disbanded at Abingdon 12 December 2013.
19 Combat Service Support Battalion - a combined unit with a logistical squadron and an Equipment Support company. Disbanded N Ireland December 2012.
23 Pioneer Regiment - a specialist pioneer unit with artisans, defence and Force Protection elements. Disbanded at Bicester November 2014.
24 Regiment - disbanded in Germany, 30 January 2014. Part of 104th Logistic Support Brigade.

Drivers, Technicians, EOD all selected from the RLC.

44 Support Squadron, (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst)

Army Reserve

Former units

Headquarters

The Corps Headquarters is at Dettingen House within Princess Royal Barracks in Deepcut near Camberley, Surrey. It is headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Col RLC is responsible for the Moral Component, regimental infrastructure and support and works to the Adjutant General Col RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums, which often parades with the RLC Band. (AG).^[6]

Master General of Logistics

There is also a ceremonial head (instituted in 2009), who heads the Corps and its wider family such as the Associations and Cadets, known as the Master General of Logistics (MGL). Holders of the post include:

General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue (2009-2012)^[7]
Lieutenant General Mark Poffley (2012–present)^[8]

Publications

The Sustainer is the magazine of the RLC Association. The Waggoner remains the Journal of the RASC/RCT Association The RAOC Gazette that of the RAOC Association and the Pioneer of the RPC Association The Review is an annual magazine of essays published by the Corps.

Royal Logistic Corps landing craft, the RCL Arezzo

Honours

Victoria Cross

The RLC has six Victoria Cross holders; Five derive historically from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport.

Private Samuel Morley VC. Military Train. 15 April 1858.
Private (Farrier) Michael Murphy VC (forfeited and re-listed). Military Train. 15 April 1858.
Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton VC. Commissariat & Transport Department. 22 January 1879.
Second Lieutenant Alfred Cecil Herring VC. Army Service Corps. 23 March 1918.
Private Richard George Masters VC. Army Service Corps. 9 April 1918.
Major John Buckley (VC). Commissariat Department, Bengal Establishment. 11 May 1857.

Albert Medal

The RLC has ten Albert Medal (lifesaving) holders from its former Corps. Two of the holders exchanged their Albert Medals for the George Cross in 1971.

Lieutenant SA Rowlandson. Army Service Corps. 21 May 1916.
Captain B Stacker TM. Army Service Corps. 21 May 1916.
Staff Sergeant TM Walton. Army Service Corps. 21 May 1916.
Private A Anderson. Army Service Corps. 21 May 1916.
Private JT Lawrence. Army Service Corps. 21 May 1916.
Major LC Bearne DSO. Army Service Corps. 22 October 1916.
Private AS Usher. Army Service Corps. 22 October 1916.
Private A Johnson. Army Service Corps. 30 June 1918.
Driver A Horne. Army Service Corps. 30 June 1918.
Lieutenant G Rackham. Royal Army Service Corps. 27 October 1918. (Exchanged for GC)
Private WC Cleall. Royal Army Service Corps. 11 August 1919. (Exchanged for GC)

George Cross

The RLC has eleven holders of the George Cross, six from the RAOC, one from the Royal Pioneer Corps and one from the Royal Army Service Corps. Three GCs have been awarded to members of the RLC.

Lieutenant William Eastman GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 24 December 1940.
Captain Robert Jephson-Jones GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 24 December 1940.
Corporal James Scully GC. Royal Pioneer Corps. 8 July 1941.
Major Kenneth Biggs GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 11 October 1946.
Staff Sergeant Sidney Rogerson GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 11 October 1946.
Driver Joseph Hughes GC. Royal Army Service Corps. 26 June 1947.
Major Stephen Styles GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 11 January 1972.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Barry Johnson GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 6 November 1990.
Captain Peter Norton GC. Royal Logistic Corps. 24 July 2005.
Staff Sergeant Kim Spencer Hughes GC, Royal Logistic Corps 19 March 2010.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean Schmid GC, Royal Logistic Corps 19 March 2010.

George Medal

The RLC has one hundred and fifteen holders of the George Medal from all of its former Corps, including nineteen from the Royal Army Service Corps, sixty-seven from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, thirteen from the Royal Pioneer Corps, one from the Army Catering Corps and fifteen to the RLC including one first bar. The first George Medals awarded to the RAOC were to Lieutenant R Chalkley and Captain DAS Martin on 13 December 1940 for conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in Great Britain and Gibraltar respectively.

Private L McGariggle GM Royal Pioneer Corps 27 July 1951.
Private A Hilton GM Royal Army Ordnance Corps 20 April 1954.
Lieutenant Colonel MH Mackenzie Orr GM Royal Army Ordnance Corps 18 March 1974.
Warrant Officer Class 1 JRT Balding GM Royal Logistic Corps 12 October 1993, this was the first GM awarded to a member of the newly formed Royal Logistic Corps.
Warrant Officer Class 1 NB Thomsen GM Royal Logistic Corps 1995.
Warrant Officer Class 2 A Islam GM QGM Royal Logistic Corps 1997.
Captain R Baker GM Royal Logistic Corps, 2000
Captain J Priestly GM Royal Logistic Corps, 2000
Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary John O'Donnell, Royal Logistic Corps. 15 December 2006.^[9] O'Donnell was later killed by an IED whilst serving in Afghanistan.^[10] He was later posthumously awarded a second GM in March 2009 for "repeated and sustained acts of immense bravery" for his actions in Afghanistan in two separate incidents in May and July 2008.^[11]
Captain DM Shepherd GM Royal Logistic Corps, 19 March 2010. Killed in Afghanistan whilst clearing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during his tour on Op HERRICK.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Karl Ley GM Royal Logisitc Corps 24 September 2010.
Staff Sergeant BG Linley GM Royal Logistic Corps 25 March 2011. Killed in Afghanistan whilst conducting Improvised Explosive Device Disposal tasks during his tour on Op HERRICK in 2010.

Conspicuous Gallantry Cross

Staff Sergeant JA Wadsworth CGC, Royal Logistic Corps. 7 March 2008

Military Cross

Members of the RLC have received 6 awards of the Military Cross since 1993, 2 for actions in Iraq, the remainder for actions in Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal DG Dickson MC Royal Logistic Corps (The Scottish Transport Regiment) Volunteers, 23 March 2005.
Captain SD Bratcher MC Royal Logistic Corps, 24 March 2006.
Major ID Scattergood MBE MC Royal Logistic Corps, 25 July 2008.
Staff Sergeant GD Wood MC Royal Logistic Corps, 24 September 2010.
Captain SA Scott MC Royal Logistic Corps, 25 March 2011.
Warrant Officer Class 2 JL Palmer MC Royal Logistic Corps, 30 September 2011.

Queen's Gallantry Medal

The RLC has one hundred and fourteen holders of the Queen's Gallantry Medal, three from the Royal Corps of Transport, sixty seven from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps including one first bar and forty four to the RLC including two first bars.

Driver WG Mountain QGM, Royal Corps of Transport, 7 October 1974
Corporal P Fletcher QGM, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 7 October 1974
Captain G O'Sullivan QGM, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 16 April 1984
Warrant Officer Class 1 EL Bienkowski QGM, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 14 April 1987
Warrant Officer Class 1 RJ McLelland QGM, Royal Logistic Corps, 21 November 1994
Warrant Officer Class 2 CRG Grant QGM, Royal Logistic Corps, 11 September 2009 ^[12]
Captain WEJ Owers QGM, Royal Logistic Corps, 19 March 2010
Lance Corporal DJ Timmins QGM, Royal Logistic Corps, 19 March 2010
Captain JP Fidell QGM Royal Logistic Corps, 23 March 2012 - Capt Fidell has the honour of being the 100th award of the QGM to an Ammunition Technician/Ammunition Technical Officer IEDD Operator of the RAOC/RLC since the inception of the QGM in 1974.

Bar to Queen's Gallantry Medal

Warrant Officer Class 1 GR Ferguson QGM*, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 14 April 1986
Captain EC Heakin QGM*, Royal Logistic Corps, 7 March 2008
Captain VM Strafford QGM*, Royal Logistic Corps, 7 March 2008

Queens Commendation for Valuable Service

Warrant Officer Class 2 GJT Medlock, Royal Logistic Corps, 28 September 2012

Fatalities

As of 4 September 2015, The Royal Logistic Corps has lost 44 Corps members on operations to date:

9 in Northern Ireland.
10 in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.
5 in Iraq.
19 in Afghanistan.
1 in Cyprus [UN Peacekeeping]

Order of precedence

Preceded by Royal Army Chaplains' Department	Order of Precedence	Succeeded by Royal Army Medical Corps

References

↑ "The Royal Logistic Corps and Forming Corps". The Royal Logistic Corps Museum. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
↑ "RCL Regiments". British Army website (UK Ministry of Defence). Retrieved 13 May 2013.
↑ "Waggoners". 54 Engineer Support and Ambulance Squadron. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ "History and background of the Royal Pioneer Corps 4". Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ Heyman, p. 63
↑ "The Royal Logistic Corps Regimental Association". Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59126. p. 12040. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60163. p. 10780. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58183. p. 17359. 15 December 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
↑ "Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary 'Gaz' O'Donnell GM, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, killed in Afghanistan". MOD. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
↑ Hughes, Chris (2009-03-06). "Posthumous award for bomb disposal expert Gary O'Donnell - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
↑ "UK | Northern Ireland | Forkhill bomb expert is honoured". BBC News. 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2014-05-05.

Sources

Heyman, Charles (2012). The British Army: A Pocket Guide, 2012-2013. Pen & Sword.

External links

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