The RASC & RCT Medal Collection

Location: The RLC Museum, Worthy Down, Winchester.

Curator: Lt Col Nathan Smith RLC

The medal collection reflects a proud history, showcasing awards for gallantry, campaign service, and long-standing dedication. Each medal tells a story of resilience and professionalism, highlighting the essential role of logistics in military success. Campaign medals within the collection commemorate service in challenging theatres such as Aden, Northern Ireland, and the Falklands, while decorations for bravery underline the courage of operating under hostile conditions.

Beyond individual honours, the collection illustrates the evolution of military transport and its contribution to British defence. From the Corps’ origins in the Royal Waggon Train of 1794 to its modern incarnation, the medals serve as tangible links to centuries of logistical excellence. Displayed at the Royal Logistic Corps Museum in Worthy Down, the collection is complemented by archival material, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the Corps’ heritage and its motto, Nil sine labore—“Nothing without labour”.

For historians, veterans, and the public, the RASC & RCT Medal Collection is more than a display of metal and ribbon; it is a testament to the unsung heroes of military operations.

Two Centuries of Military Heritage

The Collection began modestly in Aldershot shortly after the First World War, although some medals had been displayed in other UK locations before 1914.  In 1963, it was decided to centralise these resources in the Headquarters RASC Officers’ Mess at Buller Barracks, Aldershot, and to develop the Collection systematically to reflect the achievements and history of the RASC and its predecessors.

In 1965, Army reforms saw the RASC become the RCT.  When Buller Barracks was rebuilt in the late 1960s, a dedicated Medal Room was created, with displays organised thematically according to numismatic and historical principles.  Medals naturally fall into series based on their purpose.  Although classification is somewhat arbitrary, military collections typically follow the order of precedence in wear:

• Orders and decorations
• Campaign medals
• Commemorative medals
• Service medals
• Commonwealth and foreign awards

The Collection display include breast-mounted groups and single campaign medals, arranged thematically to show a visual spectrum of history from 1794 onwards.  These honours and awards represent members of the RCT, its accepted predecessors in British service, and those who served in the Supply and Transport organisations of India and certain colonial forces before their countries gained independence.

The Collection is considered the finest of its kind in Britain and is of National importance.

Please visit the RLC Museum website and the Museum itself for more information on the history of RASC and RCT, and its predecessors.

The Royal Logistic Corps Museum

The historical records of the ASC, RASC & RCT, its medal collection and the collection vehicles, uniforms and artifacts are on display at the Royal Logistic Corps Museum.

Visit the RLC Museum website