Royal Logistic Corps Explained

Unit Name:Royal Logistic Corps
Dates:5 April 1993 – present
Country: United Kingdom
Branch: British Army
Role:Military logistics
Garrison:Worthy Down Camp, Winchester
Motto:"We Sustain"
March:On Parade
Lion, Sword and Crown
Commander1:The Princess Royal
Commander1 Label:Colonel-in-Chief
Commander2:Colonel Patrick Allen
Commander2 Label:Corps Colonel
Commander3:Major General Jonathan Chestnutt
Commander3 Label:Master-General
Identification Symbol Label:Tactical recognition flash

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.[1]

History

The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps:[2]

The RLC comprises both Regular and Army Reserve units.[3]

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:[4]

Cap badge

The RLC cap badge is an amalgamation of the cap badges of the forming corps:[5]

The inscription on the garter band "Honi soit qui mal y pense" can be translated as "Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it".[1] It is the motto of the Order of the Garter.[6]

Headquarters

The Corps Headquarters is at Worthy Down Camp near Winchester. 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 Commander Home Command. Col RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums, which often parades with the RLC Band.(AG).[7]

The RLC Band was formed in 1993. It provides musical support while also representing the Royal Logistic Corps, and on occasion, the wider British Army. They are able to produce no more than 12 working ensembles at a time. These include a marching band, big band, fanfare team, and acoustic groups.[8]

Museum

The Royal Logistic Corps Museum was based at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley in Surrey, but was closed prior to a move to Worthy Down near Winchester, where it re-opened in May 2021.[9]

List of units

Regiments

Regular regiments[10] width=20valign=topReserve regiments[11]

Specialist sub-units

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:

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.[12]

Victoria Cross

The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders. All five derive historically from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport.

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Everything You Need To Know About The RLC. 13 November 2019. Forces Network. 19 February 2020.
  2. Web site: The Royal Logistic Corps and Forming Corps. The Royal Logistic Corps Museum. 13 May 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130814155505/http://rlcmuseum.co.uk/docs/history.html. 14 August 2013. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: RLC Regiments . British Army website (UK Ministry of Defence). 13 May 2013.
  4. Web site: Waggoners. 54 Engineer Support and Ambulance Squadron. 5 May 2014. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042739/http://www.54sqnrct.co.uk/waggoners.html. dead.
  5. Web site: History and background of the Royal Pioneer Corps 4. 5 May 2014.
  6. Web site: College of St George – Windsor Castle – The Order of the Garter . College of St George – Windsor Castle . 4 June 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170715135657/https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/history/the-order-of-the-garter.html . 15 July 2017 .
  7. Web site: The Royal Logistic Corps Regimental Association. 5 May 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140506023128/http://www.veterans-uk.info/charity_hub/regimental_association.html. 6 May 2014. dmy-all.
  8. Web site: The Band of the Royal Logistic Corps | The Esplanade. esplanade.ca.
  9. Web site: Welcome . Royal Logistic Corps Museum. 8 June 2018.
  10. Web site: Regular RLC Units. 2 February 2021.
  11. Web site: Reserve RLC Units. 2 February 2021.
  12. Web site: Association. Royal Logistic Corps Association. 2 October 2016.