Royal visit

HRH The Princess Royal visited Worthy Down on 13 May 20 to tour and formally open the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration (DCLPA) and new The Royal Logistic Corps Museum.

Over the last few years, the site, has undergone a £300m transformation process to become a training centre for military logisticians, police officers and administrators from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Relocating military functions and personnel from Princess Royal Barracks, HMS Raleigh and RAF Halton allows the easy sharing of expertise and facilities across all three services.

The programme has seen the construction of 27 new buildings including accommodation, teaching spaces, medical and dental centre, Regimental Headquarters for the Adjutant General’s Corps and The RLC in addition to facilities for catering, retail and leisure including sports pitches and a gym. The construction work was led by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) with Skanska as the principal contractors and AECOM as project managers.

Her Royal Highness was shown around the site by Commandant DCLPA, Brigadier Mike Caldicott CBE. She signed the visitor’s book, met VIPs and revealed a commemorative plaque. The tour included two realistic working environments for the Royal Navy, a replica ship’s galley and an area for logisticians to practise loading supplies from a replica quayside, over a gangway and onto an area representing a flight deck, before bringing it inside the ‘ship’ down ladders.

As Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Logistic Corps and newly announced Royal Patron of The RLC Museum, Her Royal Highness also formally opened the brand-new purpose-built museum. She was met outside the museum by the Master General of Logistics, Lt Gen Sir Mark Poffley KCB OBE, the Colonel RLC, Col Jon West ADC and The RLC Corps Sergeant Major, WO1 Phil Broom. Inside Her Royal Highness met the museum trustees, museum staff and donors and was taken on a tour of a new exhibition and the RCT medal collection.

The Colonel RLC and RLC Museum trustee, Colonel Jon West ADC said: “The Corps is honoured that our Colonel in Chief agreed to be the museum’s Royal Patron and formally open it during her visit to DCLPA. This followed months of hard work by the museum team. The museum opening sees the home of the Corps and our rich heritage firmly established at Worthy Down alongside the centre of professional logistic excellence at DCLPA. The fantastic state of the art facilities here at the new RLC Museum provide a focal point for past, present and future generations of the Corps family to enjoy and present a fascinating opportunity to showcase military logistics to the public”.

HRH The Princess Royal visits Worthy Down to formally open DCLPA and The RLC Museum

7 Regiment RLC has recovered its St Stanislaw stained-glass window, which was originally installed in the church of St Christopher’s, Dempsey Barracks, Sennelager in the mid 1980s.

The window’s features include themes from the 7 Regt’s original WW2 roots when the Mixed Service Organisation (MSO) was formed following the annexation of Poland by German and Russian forces. Many Poles then served within the RASC and RCT tank transporter units. In WW2 these Polish servicemen saw action at Tobruk and Arnhem. In post war years they served in Hamm and Fallingbostel until the end of their service on 31 March 1978.

The window was dedicated on Saturday 15 November 1986, by the then Commander Transport 1 British Corps, Brigadier CEG Carrington CBE, on behalf of the RCT and 7 Tank Transporter Regiment RCT.

The Polish connection remains strong within The RLC and officers and

Historic stained-glass window returned to 7 Regt RLC

soldiers who serve, or have served, in tank transporter units are permitted within Corps Dress Regulations to wear the Imperial Polish Eagle on their Mess Kit in honour of the Polish servicemen that went before them. When 16 Tank Transporter Squadron (7 Tank Transporter Regiment RCT) entered Iraq during the first Gulf War the Officer Commanding flew the Polish national colours.

The window will sit proudly in 7 Regt’s regimental chapel in Cottesmore for future generations of soldiers to understand the Regt’s heritage. The restoration was completed thanks to Melton Glass and support from The RLC Association Trust. It is great to see the window fully restored after years of sitting in an empty church.

CALLING ALL BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS…

the RLC Photographic Competition is back!

Following the huge success of inaugural RLC Photographic Competition in 2020, the competition is back in 2021 with even more opportunities and prizes up for grabs; with the winning images being published in the 2021 RLC Calendar.

Open to regular and reserve RLC soldiers and officers and RLC affiliated army cadets, the competition offers the opportunity for personnel to capture the wide variety of job roles and environments that The RLC currently operates and trains in. It not only encourages and develops budding photographers, but also showcases the very best of what the Corps has done over the last 12 months; all whilst building up an archive of good quality stock images to replace the very outdated one.

With some changes to last year, entries for 2021 can be submitted into the following six categories: The New Normal, RLC Equipment and Trades in action, Soldiering, Interoperability, Sport/AT and Person or People (portraiture and selfies).

The judges, made up of a panel from within the Corps HQ (including a senior member of the RLC Photographer trade), will select two amateur-taken ‘best' images in each subject category. The RLC’s Professional Army Photographers are invited to submit portrait images for any category, with the winning entry being selected for the front cover of the 2022 RLC calendar. The best two images (shot in landscape) from each category will also be selected for publication in the 2022 RLC Calendar and will be published in a future edition of The Sustainer. There will also be cash prizes for each category winner and runner up.

Closing date for entries is 8 October 2021.

For more information and details of where to enter, visit The RLC Defence Connect page: https://jive.defencegateway.mod.uk/ docs/DOC-574123