On this day in 1965 the formation parade of the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) was held at their new home and headquarters of Buller Barracks, Aldershot, under the careful eye of the then Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir James Cassels GCB KBE DSO.
The RCT was born through the amalgamation of the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and the Movement Control and Transportation Elements of the Royal Engineers.
The Corps held the responsibility for transporting British Army personnel throughout the world. From the frozen far north of Norway, to the deserts of Aden; and the windswept islands of the South Atlantic to the streets of Belfast, they conducted their duties with pride and efficiency.
As well as transporting troops on land, the RCT also inherited airborne roles from the RASC, supplying the British Army through air despatch, whilst also conducting maritime operations, transporting equipment and vehicles from ship to shore thanks to the RCT’s Port & Maritime units.
Likewise, the Corps inherited responsibility for the British Army’s extensive rail network, moving personnel and equipment by rail in the UK, whilst protecting allied access to rail corridors through East Germany to West Berlin thanks to the famous British Military Train, affectionately known as The Berliner.
This, and the images attached to this post, are just a glimpse at what the RCT did. To learn more about their many roles, and those of the RLC’s other Forming Corps, visit the museum at Worthy Down in Hampshire. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free but donations are welcomed.
By Curator, Alex Crisp