I've just been watching the beginning of the movie "Ice cold in Alex".

In the opening titles Harry Andrews is cast as a "MSM" and he wears the RSM's coat of arms.

Can any of you RASC/RCT blokes tell me what "MSM" stands for ?

Mechanic Sargeant Major. Found mainly in RASC/RCASC/RCT transport companies. They were always WO 1s, at least in the Canadian Army, and ran the Workshop Platoons or LADs.

Wow, you dug up a blast from the past with that movie. Haven't seen it in 20 years at least.

Cheers

we had an RCM in Bielefeld, Regimental Corporal Major. some cav regt i think

Hope I'm not coming across as the family know-it-all here (as usual). He was probably in the Life Guards or Blues and Royals where the name sergeant is never used. As I had it explained to me once, the name "sergeant" is synonymous with "servant" and in the Household Cavalry a senior NCO or WO is nobody's servant. Thus they name their senior NCOs and WOs as Corporal of Horse, Staff Corporal/ Squadron Quartermaster Corporal, Squadron Corporal Major and Regimental Corporal Major.

Now I have a question: I know that a RAOC Conductor with the red border on his WO 1 badge is the highest appointment in the army. My question is: why and what are his duties in the RAOC. Also do they still have that appointment now that it's the RLC?

Blowing my own trumpet here, I think that I mentioned once before that my Son finished up as a WO2 in the Life Guards. His final appointment was that of Farrier Major, his title was Farrier Quartermaster Corporal. Recce83, there are 12 Conductors in the RLC at the moment, their chosen specialised subjects are Pet Op, Ammo Tech, Chef, Mov Con, Navigator and Log Spec. I don't think they actually do a lot!!

You are correct Recce but it was Queen Victoria who would not allow her personal soldiers to be known as servants, hence corporals of horse etc.

She also said there was no such things as lesbians as well and and wouldn't sign the white paper or whatever it was at the time. That is why it was never a criminal offence as with gay men.

Nosey cow wasn't she?

Yes Recce, the RLC have taken the Cdr appointment on. A Cdr has the same job roles as a WOI SSM. I was an SSM and would have still worked in the Systems Analyst role had I been appointed Cdr.

I knew an RCM in the Life Guards in Detmold, and a CPL of Horse

Well one thing's certain, Teabag will have company when the pair of you are locked up in The Tower !

Ha Ha!

I had the honour of being, for a short time (about 2 minutes) the only trooper in the R.A.P.C. It happened like this. I had been thrown into a cell at Imphal Barracks, Osnabrück, for imbibing a little too much the previous evening. As a result, I was up in front of the C.O. of the 16/5th Lancers next morning to have my horoscope read.
After hearing the evidence, he sentenced me to be reduced to the rank of trooper. Fortunately, the RSM, Rocky Knight, realised the mistake, and whispered in the C.O.'s ear. The error was then corrected, and I was sentenced once more, this time reduced to the rank of private.

Was it this kind of beer?

PS the most sienior appointment in the british army for WO1 is in fact the accademy sgt maj at sandhurst.