604 Signal Troop - Retired

The home of 604 Signal Troop NC BAOR

604 Signal Troop up until it's disbandment in 1988 was a specialist radio troop providing Secure and Insecure HF voice and data communications for 8 Regiment RCT.

           

The regiments primary function was the stock holding and transportation of the Main Motor Assembley [MMA] and Warhead for the American LANCE battlefield nuclear weapon.

      

8 Transport Regiment R.L.C. - Regimental History

 
8 transport column, Royal Army Service Corp was formed in Nelson Barrack, Munster in 1964 and assumed the role of the carriage of 1 BR Corps special weapons, a task previously carried out by the Royal Artillery. Initally, two RASC companies [5 and 13 Companies] carried weapons and provided transport support to 570th US Army Artillery group, the US custodians.

                                     

Protection was provided by a dedicated mechanised infantry battalionand the whole organisation was given the title Weapons Support Group(WSG). In 1965 the WSG was joined by 604 Signals Troop which came under command of the Regiment. On the formation of the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) on 15 July 1965, the unit was re-titled as 8 Transport Regiment RCT and moved to Portsmouth Barracks, Munster, in 1968. The Regiment at that time consisted of 5 Squadron RCT, 13 Squadron RCT, 604 Signals Troop The Royal Signals and 8 Transport Regiment RCT Workshop REME. In 1970, 27 Squadron RCTjoined the Regiment, moving to Munster from Bielefeld. In 1981 the Regiment was expanded to incorporate ten platoons, composing of RCT and Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) soldiers in the infantry role. Six of the platoons were found by the RPC, the remaining four by the RCT. In 1986 a further reorganisation witnessed the disbandment of the RCT close support troops and the reorganisation of the remaining RPC manpower into four defence platoons.

In 'war,' 27 Sqn (WHA) and 13 Sqn (ASP) would be responsible to guard their own stocks. Each Squadron had an Infantry Company to act as guard. (Incidently, WHA = Weapon Handling Area and ASP = Ammunition Supply Point.)

HQ Troop

  • Sqn Comd
  • 2IC (Second in command)
  • Recce Officer
  • SSM (Squadron Sergeant Major)
  • SQMS (Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant)
  • Sqn Radio Sgt
  • Workshop SSgt
  • Recovery Mechanic

SHA  (Stock Holding Area = the Special Weapons)

  • Tp Comd
  • Tp SSgt
  • 4x Lance Sections (each Section 6x vehicles)
  • 1x CALM (1) Section (A crane section of 6 Cranes) . . . mainly used at FFSXPs for transfer duties (Field Storage Site Exchange Point)
  • 1x CE Platoon (Close Escort for the weapons)
  • 1x Inf Section (Outer perimeter protection)
  • Workshop Section
  • 1 x Custodial Officer (CW3 or Above)
  • 18 x Custodial Agent (Other Ranks)
  • (1) Crane Atlas Loading Mounted (An Atlas crane mounted on a Bedford truck)

  1. Each Squadron had 2 SHAs.
  2. Of the four vehicles section in the SHAs 2 sections were designated to carry the Special Weapons and 2 sections carried the MMAs (Main Missile Assemblies) Incidently the Tp Comds once deployed would become the SHA Commander with up to 135 officers and other ranks under his command. His rank was a full lieutenant.
  3. The two Pioneers companies were 70 Coy RPC and 144 Coy RPC:

 

The weapons were so 'sensitive' that it was deemed necessary to provide an infantry battalion to provide protection for them. However, due to the fairly fast turnaround of battalions carrying out 'emergency tours' in Northern Ireland during the troubles there, the Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) took the place of a regular British infantry battalion in the early 1980s to relieve pressure on the infantry and thereby releasing more battalions for Northern Ireland duties. The RPC where perfect for the job as there were trained to guard static installments for example Headquarters, ammo dumps, railway sidings, etc.

 

The Regiment's unique task of special weapons movement came to a conclusion on 15 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 from the Regimental ORBAT of the RPC close support platoons. Since 1988 the Regiment's role has been that of providing conventional artillery ammunition transport support.

 

Video Of Lance Missile Being Fired