The RLC Museum

The RLC will be turning 30 next year. Throughout this time, it has constantly had soldiers deployed on operational tours or on exercises overseas. The museum intends to capture this story and these many deployments using “tour t-shirts”.

We are seeking three t-shirts for each of the 30 years of our Corps history, meaning that 150 will be required to complete the display. A big ask…

The introduction of the new Combat Soldier 95 uniform saw t-shirts being issued to every soldier for the first time, for use in temperate as well as hot climates. These t-shirts were designed to form an essential base layer, providing both thermal insulation and sweat wicking and were based upon the operational hot-weather t-shirt variant. Squadron t-shirts with a personalised motif quickly began to appear and often replaced the issue version.

Today, no operational tour or exercise would be considered complete without the design and distribution of a tour t-shirt. Squadrons or regiments normally

8 6 Regt Ex LION SUN2020

The RLC Museum needs your Tour T-Shirts

By - Major (Retd) Simon Walmsley Director, The Royal Logistic Corps Museum

8 9 Regt Op BANNER2000-1 8 11 GS Sqn - Op TELIC

hold competitions to seek the best design, with the command team making the final choice.

However, it is not unknown for troops or even small teams to produce their own t-shirts. These t-shirts have become ever more elaborate over time, with detailed stitched and embroidered designs replacing the earlier printed versions. Some motifs are rather rude, tongue-in-cheek or include novelty figures or a cartoon; whereas others are more informative rather than humorous. T-shirts have included illustrations of vehicles, equipments or flags, or perhaps the country where they are deployed.

Thus, these t-shirts capture the time, location, unit name, activity and spirit of the soldiers deployed and are a unique record of the Corps’ history.

Can you help? If you wish to donate a tour t-shirt for this museum temporary exhibition, please email information@rlcmuseum.com heading your email “Tour t-shirt”. Please include a picture of your t-shirt motif and give details of the unit, date, location and specifics of the deployment or exercise where it was used. Also, please let the museum know if we can keep this t-shirt, as a donation, or whether you wish to have returned after the exhibition.

The subjects and deployments we seek include: Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Cyprus, UN Tours, Kenya, Norway, adventure training, corps ski team etc. This list is not exhaustive. Any trade t-shirts, exercises, courses, adventure training activity or deployment, where a t-shirt was produced for RLC soldiers, is considered in scope.

8 14 Sqn RLC Botswana 2003

The RLC Foundation exists to foster relationships between The RLC and industry; sharing best practice, knowledge and mutual understanding amongst logistics professionals.

On 11 May, RLC Foundation corporate members visited the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). This event was well attended by 32 corporate members and 12 military hosts. Our sponsor, Maj Gen Duncan Capps CBE, Comdt RMAS gave a briefing on military leadership, which provided for a lively debate amongst attending delegates. This was followed by a briefing and tour of the Indian Room and the Chapel. So far in 2022, RLC Foundation events have been via webinars and other social media platforms. This was the first ‘live’ event of the year and to have this unique opportunity to visit Sandhurst was very much appreciated by our corporate membership. It was also a trip down memory lane for many of our military hosts. Guests enjoyed a curry lunch before departing.

On 18 Jul, RHQ The RLC hosted Ex Log SAFARI at Barton Stacey training area for our corporate members. Before departing for the training area, our guests enjoyed a guided tour of the RLC Museum. Many had previous links with the Corps and they were suitably impressed with what was on show in the Corps’ new hi-tech museum. On the training area, RLC trade specialists showcased trade skills within a field force setting and it gave our corporate members the opportunity to get a feel for the Corps’ equipment and talk to its soldiers about their particular trade specialisations. Our corporate members enjoyed an excellent lunch in the field prepared by RLC Chefs.

Dates for the diary: 28 Sep - 13Air Assault Support Regiment is running a Military Planning event for our corporate membership. This event will be staged within a simulated field force headquarters, with ‘hands-on’ for our members who will get to grips with military supply chain issues within a war gaming scenario.

19 Oct – Project Management (PM) event at Theatre 1, Worthy Down. Guest speakers include Iain McKend - a PM lecturer at Cumbria University - Brig Mike Taylor – the Chinook Team Leader from MOD Abbey Wood - and a guest speaker from Wilson James. This is an excellent opportunity to hear from the experts, for those that are considering a future career in PM. This event is proving to be extremely popular, so get your bids in early to avoid disappointment. Email: therlcfoundation@gmail.com

01 Nov – The RLC Foundation Awards Dinner at the Officers’ Mess, Worthy Down. This gives us the opportunity to recognise and reward those individuals from the Corps and Industry that have achieved success and contributed to logistics development in supporting the objectives of the Foundation.

The RLC Foundation is now working from 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade and from home. Contact details are:

Director: Alan Woods rlcfoundation@gmail.com or Alan.Woods195@mod.gov.uk Business Support Manager: Marti Jerrard therlcfoundation@gmail.com

Follow us on Linkedin and Facebook by searching for Royal Logistic Corps Foundation or visit our website: www.rlcfoundation.com

The RLC Foundation

8 Foundation guests and hosts on the

steps of Old College at RMAS