Royal Logistic Corps - General Information

General Information

Headquarters

The Corps Headquarters is at Dettingen House, Blackdown Road, Deepcut, GU16 6SQ. It is headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Col RLC is responsible for the Moral Component, regimental infrastruture and support and works to the Adjutant General (AG).

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). The first MGL was General Sir Kevin Donoghue, who held until December 2010 the post of Chief of Defence Materiel, the senior military post associated with supply and acquisition in the Ministry of Defence. This post has been civilianised as part of the drawdown of military manpower and the post has been passed to a Civil Servant. The latest MGL, appointed on 1 June 2012, is Maj Gen Mark Pofley. He is currently serving in MOD, Whitehall.

Publications

The RAOC Gazette, The Waggoner and the Link are still published every 6 months as a Membership Newsletters of the Forming Corps Associations, and as a sub-section of 'The Sustainer, House journal of The Royal Logistic Corps'. The latter is quarterly magazine published as the Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer editions. The Pioneer will continue to be published from Bicester until 2015, after which it will be published 6 monthly as is the Waggoner.

The Future Home of The Corps

An update was given at Deepcut on 9 February 2012 on the future planned move of HQ RLC & Defence Logistics School from Deepcut to Worthy Down (Project KESTREL) the date of 2018 is now projected for moves, with new buildings being built from April 2013 with 'ring-fenced' cash not affected by the 'Strategic Defence Review'. The plans are subject to confirmation by the Central Staffs, however a "No move before..." 2015 remains likely.

Colonel-in-Chief

The current Colonel-in-Chief (an honorary position) is HRH The Princess Royal. The Deputy Colonels-in-Chief are HRH The Duke of Gloucester and HRH The Duchess of Kent.

Cap Badge

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

• The star is from the Royal Corps of Transport
• The crossed axes are from the Royal Pioneer Corps
• The laurel and garter band is from the Royal Engineers
• The shield in the centre is from the Royal Army Ordnance 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.

Common Nicknames

The corps is nicknamed "The Really Large Corps", "The Loggies", and by derogatory titles referencing supply such as "Blanket Stackers" or "Duvet Technicians". The Corps forms approximately 17% of the British Army and is the single largest component of the Army. Royal Logistic Corps soldiers can belong to any one or more of the 20 trade groups.

Affiliations

The corps has the alliances with the logistic units of Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. It is affiliated with 4 Livery Companies of the City of London including the Worshipful Company of Launderers.

Notable Achievements

In the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens, the Royal Logistic Corps had the most athletes from the British Army competing in the Games. These were Private Musa Audu (Nigeria), Private Seidu Duah (Ghana), Lance Corporal Josephus Thomas (Sierra Leone) and Corporal Joselyn Thomas (Sierra Leone). Private Audu achieved success at the Olympics when he was part of 4 x 400m relay final that won the Bronze medal for Nigeria.

Fatalities

The Royal Logistic Corps has lost 39 Corps members on operations to date (4 May 2012): 9 in Northern Ireland, 10 in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, 5 in Iraq and 15 in Afghanistan.