Conductor ( Army ) Conductor ( Cdr ) is an appointment held by a few selected warrant officers class 1 in the Royal Logistic Corps and is the most senior appointment that can be held by a warrant officer in the British Army . The appointment was also reintroduced into the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps for selected warrant officers class 1 in 2005 . History . The first known mention of conductors is in the 1327 Statute of Westminster , when they are mentioned as the men whose job it was to conduct soldiers to places of assembly . The " Conductor of Ordnance " is mentioned in the records of the siege of Boulogne in 1544 and conductors are mentioned several times in surviving records from the 17th century . In 1776 they are described in Thomas Simes ' s book " The Military Guide for Young Officers " as assistants to the Commissary of Stores . The Land Transport Corps and the Military Stores Department of the 19th century both included conductors in their strength . On 11 January 1879 , a Royal Warrant established conductors of supplies ( in the Army Service Corps ) and conductors of stores ( in the Ordnance Store Branch ) as warrant officers , ranking above all non - commissioned officers . In 1892 , conductors of supplies were renamed staff sergeant majors 1st class , but conductors of stores remained in what in 1896 became the Army Ordnance Corps . Staff sergeant majors in the new corps were renamed sub - conductors . In February 1915 , with the general introduction of warrant officers throughout the army , conductors and sub - conductors became warrant officers class I . Sub - conductors reverted to the appointment of staff sergeant major in 1967 , but the appointment of conductor passed to the new Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 . The appointment lapsed in the Australian Army in the late 1940s , but was reintroduced in July 2005 . The first six conductors were appointed in April 2006 . Modern day . The appointment may now be held by WO1s in any RLC trade , including transport , catering , pioneer , ammunition technician and postal warrant officers , as well as the original suppliers . It is a great honour to be appointed and prospective conductors must have held the rank of WO1 for at least one year ( reduced from three years in 2006 ) . They may not be currently serving as regimental sergeant major s ( i . e . they must be staff sergeant majors ) . Since 2009 , no more than 8 serving WO1s of The RLC at any one time ( excluding RSMs ) may hold the appointment of conductor . Since 2001 , conductors have received their warrant of appointment on a parchment scroll , reviving an ancient tradition . Insignia . From 11 July 1900 , conductors were authorised to wear a crown within a laurel wreath on their lower sleeve and sub - conductors a crown , although they did not start actually wearing these until 1901 and 1904 respectively . In 1915 , conductors were authorised a crown in a laurel wreath and sub - conductors the royal coat of arms . In 1918 , conductors began wearing the royal arms in a laurel wreath , still their badge of rank , and sub - conductors ( renamed ' staff sergeant major ' in 1968 ) the royal arms alone . Like RSMs and all other WO1s , conductors wear Sam Browne belt s . Victoria Crosses and George Cross . Two conductors of the Bengal Ordnance Department won the Victoria Cross during the Indian Mutiny . John Buckley won it at Delhi on 11 May 1857 and James Miller at Futtepore on 28 October 1857 . A former conductor of the Royal Logistic Corps , Captain Peter Norton , won the George Cross near Baghdad on 24 July 2005 .