31-459: Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (30 Command Workshop) (1943-90s) Royal Engineers (Postal Section/Postal & Courier Communications/Postal & Courier Services) (1950s-93) Women's Royal Army Corps (1960's-93) Inglis Barracks was a military installation in Mill Hill , London, NW7. It was also referred to as Mill Hill Barracks. The site has been redeveloped and now contains
62-555: A motor racing engineer; whilst attending the Berlin Motor Show in 1939, he was able to test drive one. After visiting the Volkswagen factory, McEvoy had the idea of trying to get Volkswagen back into production to provide light transport for the occupying forces. The British Army, Red Cross and essential German services were chronically short of light vehicles. If the factory could provide them, there would be no cost to
93-552: A time. These include a marching band, big band, fanfare team, and acoustic groups. The Royal Logistic Corps Museum was based at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut near Camberley in Surrey , but was closed prior to a move to Worthy Down near Winchester, where it re-opened in May 2021. There is also a ceremonial head (instituted in 2009), who heads the Corps and its wider family such as
124-417: A variety of modern housing. Mill Hill Barracks, a set of red brick buildings designed by the architect Harry Bell Measures CBE MVO (1862–1940), was built in 1904 on the site of Bittacy farm. The site was roughly triangular in shape bounded by Partingdale Lane to the north, Frith Lane to the east and Bittacy Hill to the west. It was a short walk up the hill from Mill Hill East tube station . The rail service
155-517: Is an amalgamation of the cap badges of the forming corps: The inscription on the garter band " Honi soit qui mal y pense " can be translated as "Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it". It is the motto of the Order of the Garter . The Corps Headquarters is at Worthy Down Camp near Winchester. It is headed by a Colonel (Colonel RLC) as the professional head of the Corps. Col RLC is responsible for
186-719: The British Army . It is the largest Corps in the Army. The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: The RLC comprises both Regular and Army Reserve units. The RLC is the only combat service support corps of the British Army with battle honours , derived from the usage of previous transport elements of the Royal Waggon Train , and their successors as cavalry. The battle honours are: The RLC cap badge
217-772: The Queen's Regiment at Howe Barracks in Canterbury in 1966. 30 Command Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers moved onto the site in 1943 during the Second World War . The Home Postal Depot, Royal Engineers (HPD RE) established their Postal Training School (PTS) in the barracks in the mid-1950s. By 1961 the Home Postal & Courier Communications Depot RE (as it was then called) had moved from its premises on Gorst Road, Acton , to fully occupy Inglis Barracks. The Postal Depot’s main sorting facility
248-734: The 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot during the Battle of Albuera , one of the bloodiest battles of the Peninsular War (1809–14), fought on 16 May 1811. All of the recruits for the Middlesex Regiment were processed through the Regimental Depot at Mill Hill during the First World War . The barracks ceased to be the home of the Middlesex Regiment when that regiment merged with three other regiments to form
279-952: The Associations and Cadets, known as the Master General of Logistics (MGL). Holders of the post include: The Sustainer is the magazine of the RLC Association. The Waggoner remains the Journal of the RASC/RCT Association. The RAOC Gazette that of the RAOC Association and The Pioneer of the RPC Association. The Review is an annual magazine of essays published by the Corps. The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders. All five derive historically from establishments that eventually became
310-456: The British Army, Navy and Air Force is conducted by 8 Training Battalion REME. In line with Army 2020 Refine , there are seven regular, one training and three Army Reserve battalions within REME. Alongside these major units, all battalion sized units within the army have a workshop integrated, made up of REME soldiers, called a Light Aid Detachment (LAD). Separate Units The head of REME
341-584: The British taxpayer and the factory could be saved. To do this, a good manager with technical experience would be needed. Maj. Ivan Hirst was told simply to "take charge of" the Volkswagen plant before arriving in August 1945. He had drains fixed and bomb craters filled in; land in front of the factory was given over to food production. At first, the wartime Kubelwagen was viewed as a suitable vehicle. Once it became clear it could not be put back into production,
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#1732780041997372-474: The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed on 1 October 1942. Such a major re-organisation was too complex to be carried out quickly and completely in the middle of a world war. Therefore, the changeover was undertaken in two phases. In Phase I, which was implemented immediately, REME was formed on the existing framework of the RAOC Engineering Branch, strengthened by
403-653: The Guard Room, on her visit to the barracks in 1982. The statue was moved to RAF Northolt when the barracks were vacated by the British Forces Post Office (the successors of the Home Postal Depot RE) in 2007. The statue depicts a First World War soldier (a 'Tommy') reading a letter and is a replica of the statue by sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger (1885-1934) which stands on Platform 1 at Paddington Station, London . The statue
434-424: The Home Postal Depot RE) left the site and moved to RAF Northolt in 2007. The original barrack installation constituted two accommodation blocks, an officers mess, a small church and various out-buildings. Other buildings were added over the years, particularly in the 1960/70s, to accommodate the growing establishment and changing use. The military presence at the barracks ceased in 2007 and Ministry of Defence sold
465-593: The IRA bombing of B Block. Outside the Officers Mess there stood the Middlesex Regiment's memorial, but that has since been moved to Mill Hill village near to Mill Hill School . The memorial was unveiled at 2.30pm on 4 November 1922, by The Prince of Wales (the late Duke of Windsor ). Sixty years later the Duke of Windsor's niece, The Queen, unveiled a life-size statue entitled Letter from Home , which stood outside
496-656: The Moral Component, regimental infrastructure and support and works to Commander Home Command. Col RLC remains responsible for the Corps of Drums , which often parades with the RLC Band. (AG). The RLC Band was formed in 1993. It provides musical support while also representing the Royal Logistic Corps, and on occasion, the wider British Army. They are able to produce no more than 12 working ensembles at
527-611: The Volkswagen saloon or Kaefer ( Beetle ) was suggested. Hirst had an example delivered to Rhine Army headquarters, where it was demonstrated by Colonel McEvoy. The positive reaction led to the Military Government placing an order for 20,000 Volkswagens in September 1945. The REME Museum is based at MoD Lyneham in Wiltshire. The Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at MoD Lyneham meets most of
558-512: The buttons. It consisted of an oval Royally Crowned laurel wreath; on the wreath were four small shields at the compass points, each shield bearing one of the letters of "REME". Within the wreath was a pair of calipers . Examples of these early badges can be found at the REME Museum . In 1947, the Horse and Lightning was adopted as the cap badge, designed by Stephen Gooden . At the end of
589-467: The early hours of 1 August 1988 killed Lance Corporal MJF Robbins and injured nine other soldiers of the Royal Engineers. The two-storey building containing the single men's quarters was completely destroyed. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher , subsequently met officers to offer her condolences as the barracks bordered her then Parliamentary constituency. In April 1993 the responsibility for
620-472: The equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers". Prior to REME's formation, maintenance was the responsibility of several different corps: During World War II, the increase in quantity and complexity of equipment exposed the flaws in this system. Pursuant to the recommendation of a Committee on Skilled Men in the Services chaired by William Beveridge ,
651-405: The processing of the armed services mails addressed to HM Ships and British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses was transferred from the Royal Engineers to the newly formed Royal Logistics Corps . To mark the occasion a parade was held at the barracks. The Chief Royal Engineer General Sir George Cooper inspected the troops and took the salute. The British Forces Post Office (the successors of
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#1732780041997682-519: The site for residential development as part of Project MoDEL in 2012. The estate is now called ′Millbrook Park′. In the 1970s the road names within the barracks complex reflected the presence of the RE (Postal & Courier Services). On 30 July 2018 one of the roads on the Millbrook Park development was named "Michael Robbins Way" in honour of the death of Corporal MJF Robbins on 1 August 1988 in
713-696: The site to accommodate 12 Company, WRAC. On 16 July 1982 Queen Elizabeth II , visited the Depot (or the Postal & Courier Depot as it was then styled) as part of the RE (Postal & Courier Services) centenary celebrations. To mark the centenary Barnet Borough granted the Depot the Freedom of the Borough . The Provisional Irish Republican Army planted a bomb in one of the barracks blocks (Block B); its explosion in
744-569: The training needs of the corps. With minor exceptions, the Corps is responsible for the examination, modification, repair and recovery of all mechanical, electronic, electrical and optical equipment of the Army beyond the capacity of unit non-technical personnel. REME has its Regimental Headquarters co-located with 8 Training Battalion REME based in MoD Lyneham, Wiltshire. All trade training and Artificer training of electro/mechanical trades of REME and various related training to other units within
775-407: The transfer of certain technical units and tradesmen from the RE and RASC . At the same time, a number of individual tradesmen were transferred into REME from other corps. The new corps was made responsible for repairing the technical equipment of all arms with certain major exceptions. REME did not yet undertake: In 1949, it was decided that "REME Phase II" should be implemented. This decision
806-691: The war, the Allies occupied the major German industrial centres to decide their fate. The Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg became part of the British Zone in June 1945 and No. 30 Workshop Control Unit, REME, assumed control in July. They operated under the overall direction of Colonel Michael McEvoy at Rhine Army Headquarters, Bad Oeynhausen. Uniquely, he had experience of the KdF Wagen in his pre-war career as
837-552: Was established in an old munitions factory off Frith Lane and barrack buildings were given over to accommodate administration offices and sleeping quarters. On 31 October 1962, shortly after the occupation of the barracks by HPCCD RE, the Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood , as the Controller Commandant Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) laid the foundation stone for extra barrack blocks to be built within
868-429: Was officially known as Director of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (Army) or DEME(A). In 2012, a new post of Master General REME was created with Lieutenant General Andrew Figgures as the first incumbent. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has received the freedom of several UK local government areas. Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to
899-779: Was originally built by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR) and had been opened as Mill Hill by the Great Northern Railway (GNR). The barracks became the Regimental Depot for the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) when they moved from the Hounslow Barracks following the opening of the barracks. Twenty-five years later, the barracks were renamed after Lieutenant-General Sir William Inglis , who had commanded
930-501: Was published in Army Council Instruction 110 of 1949, and the necessary reorganisation was carried out in the various arms and services in three stages between July 1951 and January 1952. The main changes were: This organisation was also responsible for arranging and overseeing ship refits. After some interim designs, the badge of the Corps was formalised in June 1943 for use as the cap-badge, collar-badge, and on
961-532: Was simply called Soldier Reading a Letter and was erected as a memorial to the men and women of the Great Western Railway who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ( REME / ˈ r iː m iː / REE -mee ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains