So then how did this year s Conductor Celebrations pan out??

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1 The Royal Logistic Corps Conductors Parchment Ceremony And The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association Re-Union Dinner & AGM Celebrations May 01 June By David Southall. (Conductor Branch, Vice Chairman) The Royal Logistic Corps, Conductor Parchment Ceremony 2013 was held this year on The Lawn outside Queen s House, The Governor s Residence, at Tower of London, On the 31 th May 2013, by kind permission of The Governor of The Tower of London, Colonel Richard Harold OBE. So then how did this year s Conductor Celebrations pan out?? This year s celebrations started on Thursday 30 th May 2013, with Serving and Former Conductors, their Wives/Partners and Family s, who had travelled from all parts of the UK, gathering at The Victory Service Club, London. The accommodation there had been arranged by Gordon Webster, Secretary, The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, This was also the venue of the 2013 The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, Reunion Dinner & AGM. The Conductor Parchment Ceremony 31 May 2013 The day started with The New Serving Conductors leaving The Victory Service Club early for The Tower of London, for a briefing prior to their Parchment Presentation. The remaining Serving and Former Conductors, their Wives/Partners and Family s, were requested to assemble between 10:00 & 10:30pm in the Foyer of The Victory Service Club to await transport to The Tower of London. Gordon Webster (Branch Sec) Boarding the 70 Seated Coach However, I must point out, that at the last Committee Meeting I had been given the task of organising the transport to The Tower of London and back. I was told that we would require a 70 Seated Coach. The fact that I live the furthest away, (in East Yorkshire) from London was a bit of a shock. I think it was to do with me being Driver traded in The RCT when I was serving and the remainder of the committee were Ex RAOC personnel and did not understand Transport, well that s my theory and I am sticking with it. Just after 10:00am, and as I had booked the Transport, I went outside The Victory Service Club to check if the 70 Seated Coach had arrived and you will understand my surprise when I saw a: - Red London Double Decker Bus, parked there. The Driver confirmed this was our 70 Seated Coach, to transport us to & from The Tower of London. With everyone on board and prior to departing, The Royal Logistic Corps, Senior Conductor, WO1 (Cdr) Zane Mcloughlin, gave 2 briefings on the Bus, one upstairs & one downstairs, (Well he is a Conductor), on what would happen on our arrival at The Tower of London. On arrival at The Tower we made our way to the East Gate, and then to The Officers Mess, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which is within The Tower of London, for the quickest cup of coffee any of us had ever had, before we were all off again to gather on the Lawn outside Queen s House, to support the New Conductors awaiting their Parchment Presentations. At 11:30am, the formal part of the day started. It began with a fanfare from the Trumpeters of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which announced the arrival of the VIP and Official Guests, who were lead out by the Senior Warden of The Tower of London.

2 The VIP presenting the 2013 Conductor Parchments was The Governor of The Tower of London, Colonel Richard Harold OBE. He was accompanied by Major General MW Poffley OBE, Master General of Logistics. The Honorary Ordnance Officer to the Tower of London and President of Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, Major General (Retd) MD Wood CBE, Colonel, The Royal Logistic Corps, Colonel JS Grinstead, MBE, ADC. Also in attendance was The Royal Logistic Corps, Corps Regimental Sergeant Major, WO1 (CRSM) SJ Johnson RLC.

3 The Ceremony started with The Deputy Governor of The Tower of London, Colonel John Brown, giving a briefing of the history of HM Armed Forces involvement with The Tower of London, and ended by informing all those there, that the last Military unit at The Tower of London was in fact a Royal Logistic Corps unit. Major General (Retd) MD Wood CBE then gave a briefing on the history of The Conductor Appointment, explaining that this is the most Senior Appointment in the Army for a Non Commissioned Soldier. The Royal Logistic Corps, Corps Adjutant, Capt Strydon RLC, then read out a brief history of each of the New Conductors Military Careers, prior to them receiving their Conductors Parchment from The Governor of The Tower of London. The Conductors Parchments were presented to the following Warrant Officers Class One:- WO1 (Cdr) Euan Andrews RLC. Chef. Headquarters Support Command. WO1 (Cdr) John Barker RLC. Chef. - Army Headquarters. WO1 (Cdr) Ian Greenhalgh RLC. - Petroleum Operator. Army Headquarters. WO1 (Cdr) Lynn Hines RLC. Movement Controller. - Headquarters Support Command. WO1 (Cdr) Jason Martin RLC. - Stores Supplier. Theatre Troops. (L-R) WO1 (Cdr) E.Andrews-WO1 (Cdr) J.Barker-WO1 (Cdr) I.Greenhalgh-WO1 (Cdr) L.Hines-WO1 (Cdr) J.Martin. While, The Governor of The Tower of London, Colonel Richard Harold OBE was presenting the Parchments to the New Conductors, Major General MW Poffley presented a bouquet of flowers to their Wives/Partners, who had attended to see their Husbands/Partners, receive their Parchments.

4 (L-R) Mrs. C Martin, Mrs. T Greenhalgh, Mrs. R Barker, & Miss E Krogh Once the parchments had been presented, all that was left of the Formal part of the Conductor Parchment Ceremony was the taking of the official photograph of the VIP s, Official Guests, and the Serving Old & New Conductors, and The Royal Logistic Corps, Conductor Parchment Ceremony 2013 was now over. Rear Row (L to R) Senior Warden- WO1 (Cdr) Barker- WO1 (Cdr) Andrews- WO1 (Cdr) Hines- WO1 (Cdr) Greenhalgh-WO1 (Cdr) Martin-Senior Warden Front Row (L to R) WO1 (CRSM) Johnson-Maj Gen Poffley-WO1 (Cdr) McLoughlin- Col Harold-Maj Gen Wood-Col Grinstead-Col Brown

5 After the photographs had been taken, the VIP s and Official Guests took time to speak those Former Conductors, their Wives/Partner who had come to support the New Conductors and attend these Presentations. While the new Conductors and their family went with officials for lunch, Former Conductors, their Wives/Partners all went on our way within The Tower of London to find somewhere to eat, and we all seem to find the same place. Then it was our own time to tour round The Tower of London, with many taking the opportunity to see the Crown Jewels, until it was time to return to (Our Red London Double Decker Bus) for our return trip to The Victory Service Club, so that everyone had a couple of hours to get ready for the next part of these Celebrations The Conductor Branch - Re-Union Dinner. 31 May The 2013, The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association - Re-Union Dinner was this year held in The Trafalgar Room at The Victory Service Club London. We all gathered in the bar area to await the arrival of the Guests who were this year: - Brig (Retd) RN Lennox CBE, Secretary, The Victory Service Club London. I found Brig Lennox, loitering, (with intent as he stated), in the foyer and escorted him into the Bar Area to meet our President and Chairman. At 8:00pm we all seated in The Trafalgar Room, prior to our meal being served, The Trafalgar Room Manager, Ed Canarjo, became our photographer and took a photo of all those attending During our meal I was asked by Steve Swales, why was I making notes? I informed him that I wrote of all that had happened at these Celebrations for our Web Site, and highlight any mistakes made in my report. (More Later) After our meal, David Patterson, The Chairman of The Conductor Branch, thanked Ed Canarjo, and his staff for a First Class Meal & Service. He then welcomed Brig Lennox and thanked him for allowing The Branch to use The Trafalgar Room, for our Reunion Dinner. David then owned up to making a mistake in the Programme Menu, by stating there would be a Cheese Board, when one had not been ordered or budgeted for. He then thanked Brig Lennox again for coming to his rescue. Brig Lennox had arranged for and donated the Cheese Board for the Dinner. The Chairman then Congratulated The New Conductors on their Appointment and welcomed them and their Wives/Partners to The Conductor Family. David then introduced The Branch Committee, so that the members could see who they were. Bob White, The Branch Treasurer and Mike Coyle, The Branch Web Master & Memorabilia Member, took this opportunity to inform Members they had items for sale!!

6 The Chairman then asked our President, General Wood to present a framed Parchment to Former Conductor, Steve Swales. Ex RAOC. Steve was then asked to say a few words. Remember this: - highlight any mistakes made. Steve started by thanking General Wood for the presentation by calling him Colonel. He then said he had been appointed Conductor in 1998, when in fact it was Steve ended by saying, he had been awarded more Medal s since he left The Regular Army, than he did while serving, with his work taking him to: - Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally he was now retired and was enjoying his social life. The Chairman then informed Members of the Time and Venue of The Conductor Branch, Annual General Meeting, the next day, and ended by thanking everyone for coming. Conductor Branch Annual General Meeting June 2013 The 2013, Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association - Annual General Meeting was held at The Victory Service Club, London on the 1 st June 2013, commencing at 10:00am. The Chairman, David Patterson, started by welcoming the President of The Conductor Branch and those members attending to this year s AGM. The Conductor Branch Secretary, Gordon Webster, then give a list of apologies of those members who were unable to attend. The Conductor Branch Treasurer, Bob White, give a up to date statement of the branch funds, Mike Coyle, The Conductor Branch, Web Master & Memorabilia Member, give a briefing on how the Web Site was doing The Chairman, David Patterson, then closed this year s AGM, by firstly thanking The New Senior Conductor, WO1 (Cdr) Zane Mcloughlin for his involvement in the organising of the Parchment Ceremony, and on becoming the RLC Member on The Branch Committee. He then thanked those members present for attending and then said that he hoped to see them all again next years. The meeting ended at 11:00hrs. May I at this point, on behalf of all the Members of The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, thank the Branch Committee for a First Class Re-Union Dinner and to the New Senior Conductor, WO1 (Cdr) Zane Mcloughlin for his part in organising this year s Parchment Ceremony. To you all: - THANK YOU Well! I hope you all enjoyed reading about the 2013 Conductors Parchment Ceremony and Re-Union Celebration. If you were unable to attend this year s Celebrations, or have never been this special event please try to make the 2014 Conductors Parchment Ceremony and Re-Union Celebration. The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, Membership Membership to The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association, is open to all those Warrant Officers Class One, who were awarded The Honourable and Ancient Appointment of Conductor while serving in either The Royal Army Ordnance Corps or The Royal Logistic Corps who have gone on to be Commissioned or left HM Forces. From 1983 to 1993, in The Royal Army Ordnance Corps, there was over 60 Warrant Officers Class One appointed Conductor. Since 1993 over 200 Warrant Officers Class One appointed Conductor.in The Royal Logistic Corps. If you were one of these Warrant Officers Class One, Question? - Are you a Member of The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association. If not why not!! For further information on joining The Conductor Branch, The Royal Logistic Corps Association. Please contact by , either, Gordon Webster, The Branch Secretary: - Gordon.Webster@btinternet.com Or Bob White, The Branch Treasurer: - rjwhite@talktalk.net

7 PRESS OFFICERS NOTICE. (Yes that s me as well). If anyone has any photograph s of this year s Conductor Parchment Ceremony or The Conductor Branch, Reunion Dinner Night and would like them on the Conductors Web Site, may I ask you to forward them directly to our Web Master:- Mike Coyle. By - Mike.Coyle@btinternet.com