Logistic Train 44

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Lore & Background

The Royal Logistic Corps was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: the Royal Engineers Postal and Courier Service, the Royal Corps of Transport, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Royal Pioneer Corps, and the Army Catering Corps. 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. Those battle honours are: Peninsula, Battle of Waterloo, Lucknow, Taku Forts, and Peking. The cap badge reflects each forming corps: the shield from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the laurel and garter band from the Royal Engineers, the crossed axes from the Royal Pioneer Corps, the Brunswick star from the Royal Corps of Transport, and the motto 'We Sustain' from the Army Catering Corps. The inscription on the garter band, 'Honi soit qui mal y pense', is the motto of the Order of the Garter. The Corps Headquarters is at Worthy Down Camp near Winchester, headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Colonel RLC is responsible for the Moral Component, regimental infrastructure and support, and works to Commander Home Command. Colonel RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums, which often parades with the RLC Band. The RLC Band was formed in 1993 and can produce no more than 12 working ensembles at a time, including a marching band, big band, fanfare team, and acoustic groups. The Royal Logistic Corps Museum was based at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley in Surrey, but closed prior to a move to Worthy Down near Winchester, where it re-opened in May 2021.

In Their Own Story

The Royal Logistic Corps was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: the Royal Engineers Postal and Courier Service, the Royal Corps of Transport, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Royal Pioneer Corps, and the Army Catering Corps. The RLC comprises both Regular and Army Reserve units. 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: Peninsula, Battle of Waterloo, Lucknow, Taku Forts, and Peking. The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders, all deriving historically from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport: Private Samuel Morley (Military Train, 15 April 1858), Private (Farrier) Michael Murphy (Military Train, 15 April 1858, later forfeited), Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton (Commissariat & Transport Department, 22 January 1879), Second Lieutenant Alfred Cecil Herring (Army Service Corps, 23 March 1918), and Private Richard George Masters (Army Service Corps, 9 April 1918). The Corps Headquarters is at Worthy Down Camp near Winchester, headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Colonel RLC is responsible for the Moral Component, regimental infrastructure and support, and works to Commander Home Command. Colonel RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums, which often parades with the RLC Band. The RLC Band was formed in 1993 and can produce no more than 12 working ensembles at a time, including a marching band, big band, fanfare team, and acoustic groups. The Royal Logistic Corps Museum was based at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley in Surrey, but closed prior to a move to Worthy Down near Winchester, where it re-opened in May 2021.

Reader's Guide

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. Formed on 5 April 1993, it comprises both Regular and Army Reserve units. 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: Peninsula, Battle of Waterloo, Lucknow, Taku Forts, and Peking. The cap badge is an amalgamation of the cap badges of the forming corps: the shield from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the laurel and garter band from the Royal Engineers, the crossed axes from the Royal Pioneer Corps, the Brunswick star from the Royal Corps of Transport, and the motto 'We Sustain' from the Army Catering Corps. The inscription on the garter band 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' can be translated as 'Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it' and is the motto of the Order of the Garter. The Corps Headquarters is at Worthy Down Camp near Winchester, headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Colonel RLC is responsible for the Moral Component, regimental infrastructure and support, and works to Commander Home Command. Colonel RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums, which often parades with the RLC Band. The RLC Band was formed in 1993 and can produce no more than 12 working ensembles at a time, including a marching band, big band, fanfare team, and acoustic groups. The Royal Logistic Corps Museum was based at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley in Surrey, but closed prior to a move to Worthy Down near Winchester, where it re-opened in May 2021. The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders, all deriving historically from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport: Private Samuel Morley (Military Train, 15 April 1858), Private (Farrier) Michael Murphy (Military Train, 15 April 1858, later forfeited), Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton (Commissariat & Transport Department, 22 January 1879), Second Lieutenant Alfred Cecil Herring (Army Service Corps, 23 March 1918), and Private Richard George Masters (Army Service Corps, 9 April 1918). 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.

Did You Know?

• The Royal Logistic Corps was formed on 5 April 1993 by the union of five British Army corps.
• The RLC is the only combat service support corps of the British Army with battle honours, derived from the Royal Waggon Train and their successors as cavalry.
• The RLC cap badge motto 'We Sustain' comes from the Army Catering Corps.
• The RLC Band, formed in 1993, can produce no more than 12 working ensembles at a time.
• The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders, all deriving from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport.