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8 Transport Column (Advanced Weapons Support) RASC 1964-1968 (1)

Closed 28 September 1995

(1) Formed here in 1964, then retitled 8 Transport Regiment in 1965 on the formation of the RCT. Moved to Portsmouth Barracks, Münster in 1968.

These barracks may have been named after the VC winner, Major David Nelson. Closed 28 September 1995.

8 Regiment RCT

8 Transport Column Royal Army Service Corps was formed in Nelson Barracks, Munster in 1964 and assumed the role of the carriage of special weapons assigned to the 1st British Corps, a task previously carried out by the Royal Artillery. In 1965 the unit was retitled 8 Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport.

At the peak of its special weapons role the Regiment, in addition to 5 Squadron, 13 Squadron and 27 Squadron, had 2 companies of the Royal Pioneer Corps – 70 Company and 144 Company – and 604 Signal Troop under command. Ten platoons from the Regiment were organised to operate in the Infantry role.

On Operation Granby, 12 Squadron – which came under command in 1990 – was deployed to provide in-theatre DROPS support. During the same period, 13 Squadron deployed on an Operation Banner tour.

The Regiment in 1991 was presented, by the German Under Secretary of State for Defence, with a Fahnenbänder for distinguished service in Germany.

The special weapons role ended in 1988 and the Regiment then became a conventional artillery support regiment. On 13 March 1992 the Regiment re-roled as the Multi Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) Support Regiment. A number of exercises in 1992, culminating in Exercise Whirlygig, fostered the essential close integration of artillery and transport required, to make the optimal use of both MLRS and the DROPS vehides.

As part of the reorganisation of the Regiment brought about by Options for Change, 27 Squadron disbanded in 1992. At the end of 1993, 12. Squadron deployed on Operation Banner whilst the other task squadrons remain available for support to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. In mid 1994, the Regiment returned to Catterick, sharing a barracks with 5 Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, whose role it was to support. In 2008 the Regiment returned to its birthplace of Münster.