The Royal Naval Supply and Transport Service, or RNSTS, was the civilian manned logistics service that supported the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

(RFA); being part of the MOD (Navy). It was formed in 1965 and was abolished in 1994, its role (excluding the

) being taken over by the

Naval Bases and Supply Agency The Naval Bases and Supply Agency and originally known as the Directorate-General Naval Bases and Supply was a defence agency within the Naval Support Command part of the UK Ministry of Defence. Its headquarters were at Ensleigh, Bath, England f ...

.National Maritime Museum
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Responsibilities

The RNSTS was responsible for the maintenance, distribution and clerical oversight of all forms of stores between depot and ship. This included: * General Naval Stores *Electronic Stores (including

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...

electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

and communications equipment) *

Armament A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

s *

Victuals Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingest ...

Fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

*Motor Transport Some RNSTS personnel served at sea on RFA replenishment ships. During the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

the RNSTS was responsible for supplying the task force, as well as pressing over 50 commercial ships such as the

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic ...

into military service (known as

STUFT A STUFT (acronym for ship taken up from trade) is a UK civilian ship requisitioned for government use. The Falklands War of 1982 saw a diversity of ships taken up from trade, including tankers with potable water (see British logistics in the F ...

, or Ships Taken Up From Trade). The head of the RNSTS was the Director General Supply and Transport (Navy), or DGST(N). On 21 October 1982, following the conclusion of the Falklands operation, Sir Frank Cooper, PUS, sent a message to DGST(N) including

"...I would like you to convey to all members of the RNSTS, including the RFA,...my sincere appreciation of their considerable efforts. I know my appreciation is shared wholeheartedly by other members of the Defence Council. Without the sterling work of the RNSTS,the successful outcome of the Falklands campaign might well have been jeopardised. The tasks that fell to them were undertaken with a vigour, dedication and willingness which deserves the highest praise. I should like formally to commend the whole of the RNSTS, including the RFA, and to send congratulations and thanks to everyone involved."

After some 30 years in being (it was formed from the separate Directorates of Stores, Victualling, Armament Supply and Movements in 1965) the RNSTS ceased to be on absorption into the

(part of the Naval Support Command) on 1 April 1994.

References

*British Warships & Auxiliaries (see section on Royal Fleet Auxiliary, p. 61) - Mike Critchley,
RNSTS flag at FOTW Flags Of The World website at http://flagspot.net/flags/
Royal Navy Royal Fleet Auxiliary Military logistics of the United Kingdom Defence agencies of the United Kingdom {{UK-mil-stub

Responsibilities

See also

References