8 Transport Regiment RLC is to prepare, maintain, and when ordered, deploy transport and fuel capability at graduated readiness in order to contribute to the land component logistic capability.
8 Transport Regiment is responsible for the 3rd Line movement of Combat Supplies and Materiel, heavy and light Armoured vehicles, Engineer stores and equipment and also Engine Main Assemblies. The Regiment is also responsible for storing and accounting for bulk fuel and other petroleum products. The Regiment can also provide Command and Control nodes for receiving troops into theatre, sustainment and recovery tasks.
The Regiment is capable of commanding a large Combat Service Support Group. We can setup and operate 2 bulk or packed fuel sites and has a bulk fuel lift capability of 616,000 litres. Additionally we can uplift 28 Main Battle Tanks and 20 other light Armoured vehicles in one lift, using the Regiments Heavy Equipment Transporters (HET) and Light Equipment Transporters (LET), furthermore we have a lift capability of 1440 standard NATO pallets using DROPS.
8 Transport Column (Advanced Weapons Support), Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), was formed in Nelson Barracks, Münster, West Germany in 1964 and assumed the role of the carriage of 1 (BR) Corps Special Weapons, a task previously carried out by the Royal Artillery. Initially, two RASC Companies (5 & 13) carried weapons and provided transport to 570th US Army Artillery Group, the Weapons custodians. Protection was provided by a dedicated Mechanised Infantry Battalion and the whole organisation was given the title Weapons Support Group (WSG). In 1965 the WSG was joined by 604 Signals Troop, The Royal Corps of Signals which came under Command of the Regiment.
On the formation of The Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) on 15th July 1965 the Unit was re-titled as 8 Transport Regiment RCT. The Regiment at that time consisted of 5 Squadron RCT, 13 Squadron RCT, 604 Signals Troop, The Royal Corps of Signals and 8 Transport Regiment RCT Workshop REME and moved to Portsmouth Barracks, Münster in 1968. In 1970 27 Squadron RCT joined the Regiment, moving to Münster from Bielefeld.
In 1981 the Regiment was expanded to incorporate Ten Defence Platoons, composed of RCT and Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) soldiers in the Infantry Role. In 1986 another reorganisation saw the disbandment of the RCT defence Platoons and the reorg of the remaining RPC manpower into four Close Support Platoons.
The Regiments unique task of Special Weapons movement came to an end on 15th March 1988. It was marked by a Regimental Parade which not only commemorated the re-roling of the Regiment from its Special Weapons task, but also marked the disbandment of 604 Signals Troop and the removal of the RPC Close Support Platoons.
From 1988 the Regiments role became that of providing conventional artillery ammunition transport support. On 1st Feb 1989, 12 Squadron RCT became the fourth Squadron in the Regimental ORBAT, 5 Squadron continued to provide support to 570th US Army Artillery Group until 1992, in the meantime 27 Squadron RCT was disbanded.
On the 5th April 1993 upon the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), the Regiment was re-titled to 8 Artillery Support Regiment RLC. During the summer of 1994 under “Options for Change” 8 Artillery Support Regiment RLC moved from Münster to Marne Barracks (formerly RAF Catterick), Catterick, North Yorkshire. The Regiment provided support to the 3 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) equipped Regiments of the Royal Artillery, which were also in the process of relocating to the UK.
The Regiment when it formed up in Marne Barracks consisted of 5(HQ) Squadron RLC, 12 Artillery Support Squadron RLC, 13 Artillery Support Squadron RLC and 8 Artillery Support Regiment RLC Workshop (WKSP) REME. In time of war the Regiment would be joined by 17 Artillery Support Squadron RLC from 7 Transport Regiment RLC based in Bielefeld, Germany. 12, 13 and 17 Squadron’s provided second line support to 1st Artillery Brigade (5, 32 and 39 Regiments Royal Artillery).
On 1st April 1998 as part of the Commander-in-Chiefs review of the LAND Command Logistic ORBATS, the Regiment was once again re-titled to become 8 Transport Regiment RLC, 12 and 13 Squadron’s were similarly re-titled to become Transport Squadrons.
On 1st September 1998 12 Transport Squadron RLC departed to Gutersloh, Germany to come under command of 1 General Support Regiment RLC. On the same date the Regiment was joined by 3 Tank Transporter Squadron RLC following their re-deployment from Sennelager, Germany to Marne Barracks. With effect from 1st April 1999 the Regiment was placed under Command of 102 Logistics Brigade, thereby shifting the Regiments focus to 3rd Line Combat Service Support Operations.
30th November 2003 saw the Regiment take under Command 64 Fuel Support Squadron RLC based in Germany and 8 Transport Regiment RLC Workshop REME was re-designated from being a Workshops to a Light Aid Detachment (LAD) in 2005. This brought the Regiment to its current ORBAT of 5(HQ) Squadron RLC, 3 Tk Tptr Squadron RLC, 13 Tpt Squadron RLC, 64 Fuel Sp Squadron RLC and 8 Tpt Regt RLC LAD REME.
More changes are in store for the Regiment in the near future, with 3 Tank Transporter Squadron RLC being re-titled as 3 Transport Squadron RLC and being re-roled into an Engineer and Water Support Squadron. The Regiment will also be moving from Marne Barracks sometime in the near future although the date and destination are as yet unknown.
8 Transport Regiment RLC has seen many changes since 1964 but if there is one constant that has remained true through all that time then it’s the Regiments steadfast commitment to maintaining the high values and standards of the British Army.
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