Our History
On 17 December 1990, the Adjutant General, General Sir Robert Pascoe, announced that Her Majesty The Queen had approved the Army Board’s recommendation to form a Corps on a federal basis to provide a more rational and efficient organisation. Formation date of that new Corps was set for 6th April 1992.
The Adjutant General’s Corps (AGC) brought together several existing Corps, including the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC), the Corps of Royal Military Police (RMP), the Military Provost Staff Corps (MPSC), the Royal Army Educational Corps (RAEC), the Army Legal Corps (ALC), and the Staff Clerks from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). At the same time, the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) was disbanded, and its members were transferred to other Corps, including the AGC.
The new Corps was divided into four branches:
- Staff and Personnel Support (SPS)
- Provost (RMP and Military Provost Staff (MPS))
- Educational and Training Services (ETS)
- Army Legal Services (ALS)
Over the following years, the AGC expanded further. In 1993, clerks from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Corps of Transport, Royal Pioneer Corps, and Army Catering Corps joined the SPS Branch. By July 1993, regimental clerks from other Arms and Services were also integrated into the SPS Branch. In 1997, the Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS) became part of the Provost Branch, and in 2011, clerks of the Royal Gurkha Rifles formed the Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support (GSPS) Company, resulting in 7 cap badges under one Corps.
The Staff Band of the AGC was also formed on 6th April 1992, reforming from the Staff Band of the WRAC which had existed since 1st July 1949.
Regimental Marches of the Corps:
AGC Quick March – Pride of Lions
AGC Slow March – Greensleeves
SPS – Imperial Echoes
RMP - Watch Tower and The New Colonial
ETS – Gaudeamus Igitur and The Good Comrade
ALS – Scales of Justice
Worthy Down became the home of the Corps, having previously been the home of the RAPC (and the Royal Navy and the RAF before that). Formation Day took part on 6th April 1992 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dan Graham, who had commanded the very last RAPC Freedom of Winchester Parade only days previously. Major General Robin Grist, newly appointed as Director General AGC, took the salute at the Formation Day parade.
It was not until 1995 that the Band of the Corps moved from their home in Aldershot to Worthy Down.
For a further dive into the historical record of the AGC, follow this link to the Corps Journals.
