This article carries on from the post, NZAOC June 1946 to May 1947 and covers the activities of the NZAOC/RNZAOC from June 1947 to May 1948.

Key Appointments

Director of Ordnance Services

The appointment of Director of Ordnance Services (DOS) had been in abeyance since 6 Jan 1940. The senior Ordnance appointment from 6 Jan 1940 to 1 Sept 1946 was the Chief Ordnance Officer (COO). From 1 Sept 1946 the Director of Army Equipment (DAE) became the Senior NZAOC appointment and remained occupied by the incumbent Lieutenant Colonel (temp.) C. S. J. Duff,  D.S.O., RNZA, until his retirement on 3 July 1947.  With the appointment of DAE renamed to  DOS, Lieutenant Colonel A.H Andrews assumed the appointment on 1 October 1947.

Ordnance Locations

The NZAOC was  located at the following locations;

Trentham

• Main Ordnance Depot, including
  • Bulk Stores Sub Depots, at
    • Gracefield, Lower Hutt
• Inspecting Ordnance Officers Group
• Ammunition Repair Depot, Kuku Valley
• Ammunition Proof and Experimentation Center, Kuku Valley
• Central Districts Vehicle Depot at Trentham

Auckland

• Northern Districts Vehicle Depot, Sylvia Park
• Small Arms Ammunition Proof Office, Mount Eden

Ngaruawahia

• Northern Districts Ordnance Depot
• Northern Districts Ammunition Depot, Magazines at Ngaruawahia, Kelms Road and Ardmore

Linton and Waiouru Camps 

• Central Districts Ordnance Depot at Linton Camp, with
  • Sub Depot at Waiouru.
• Central Districts Ammunition Depot, with sections at
  • Belmont
  • Moko Moko
  • Kuku Valley
  • Waiouru.

Burnham

• Southern Districts Ordnance Depot
• Southern Districts Vehicle Depot
• Southern Districts  Ammunition Depot, Ammunition magazines at
  • Alexandra,
  • Fairlie,
  • Glen Tunnel,
  • Mount Somers.

Ordnance Activities

During the year all NZAOC/RNZAOC establishments were fully occupied consolidating and maintaining stocks and in the disposal of substantial surplus holdings through the War Assets Realization Board. The total value of such disposals amounted to £595,000 (2017 NZD 44,116,722.10).  During the year all possible surplus motor transport spare parts were declared to the War Assets Realization Board.

Also, 1,511 surplus carriers and vehicles were sold, of which 827 carriers and 444 motor-cycles went to private individuals, while all the 230 cars and vehicles went to Government Departments.

Details of stores received and requisitions placed overseas during the year were:

• Value of receipts;
  • From United Kingdom  £41,500 (2017 NZD$3,077,048.68)
  • From Australia   £44,700 (2017 NZD$3,314,315.09)
• The estimated value of requisitions;
  • On United Kingdom   £86,200(2017 NZD$6,391,363.77)
  • On Australia- £87,300(2017 NZD$6,472,924.10)

At all depots, acute shortages of staff have prevented preservation work being carried out on much valuable equipment, but every endeavour was made with the available staff, materials, and facilities available to maintain equipment in good condition.

Inspecting Ordnance Officers Group

The Inspecting Ordnance Officers Group was fully occupied in the inspection and repair of large stocks of all types of ammunition and explosives, and, also, carried out a considerable programme involving the destruction of unserviceable ammunition and explosives and the preparation of further unserviceable ammunition for dumping.

J Force

Since 1945 to support the J Force, the New Zealand contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) in Japan,  the NZAOC had contributed the following;

• 4 Forward Ordnance Depot (4FOD) which in November 1946 was renamed 4 New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot (4NZAOD) based at Chofu, Japan, and
• One Officer and 20 other ranks were also detached from 4FOD/4AOD to become the New Zealand Ordnance commitment of the BCOF, Base Ordnance Depot (BOD) based at Kure. The BCOF BOD was British Commonwealth organisation with contributions from the;
  • Royal Army Ordnance Corps
  • Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps
  • Royal Indian Army Ordnance Corps

• 

• 

The second draft of Jay Force in place by June 1947. NZ Ordnance Personnel identified by the following red and blue unit identifier worn on the right sleeve:

 

• 

Granting of the Royal Prefix

On the 12 of July 1947,  King George IV approved the addition of the prefix ” Royal” to the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, Creating the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps.

Dress Embellishments

The Design for the new Badge was approved on 27 October 1947 and orders placed on 14 January 1948 from;

• United Kingdom;
  • 175 Gilt, Silver and Enamel cap badges,
  • 158 Pairs Gilt, Silver and Enamel cap collar badges.

• New Zealand;
  • 1600 Brass cap badges,
  • 850 Pairs Brass collar badges

N.Z.A.O 36/1947 authorised the wearing of coloured patches on caps GS or Berets, for all ranks below the rank of Colonel. The patch authorised for the RNZAOC was a 2inch Red and Blue (vertical) diamond to be worn behind the Corps badge.

Personnel Movements -June 1947 to May 1948

Appointments confirmed

• Major F Reid
• Captain S.S Knight
• Captain and Quartermaster Robert Price Kennedy, E.D
• Captain and Quartermaster (Temporary Major and Quartermaster) L.S Miller, E.D
• Captain and Quartermaster Alfred Abel Barwick
• Captain and Quartermaster G.A Perry E.D
• Captain and Quartermaster (Temporary Major and Quartermaster) Lionel Herbert Stroud
• Captain (Temporary Major) Herbert John Mockridge
• Captain and Quartermaster R.T.J Adams
• Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Kevin Graham Keith Cropp
• Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Owen Haitlie Burn
• Lieutenant and Quartermaster (Temporary Captain and Quartermaster) Ronald Stroud
• Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Gordon Renwicke Morley
• Lieutenant M.R.J Keeler
• Lieutenant S.M King
• Lieutenant R.G.P O.Connor
• Lieutenant A.B West
• Lieutenant Allan Garth Haselden

Transfers from the Indian Army

• Percy Hardie Murray Galbraith (late Lieutenant Colonel Indian Army) appointed Temporary Major (on probation) 3 March 1948.
• Derek Evelyn Albert Roderick (late Major Indian Army) appointed Lieutenant (on probation) with seniority 27 May 1942, 20 February 1948
• Alfred Wesseldine was attested on 4 March 1948 and joined the Regular Force in the rank of Substantive Warrant Officer Class Two Temporary Warrant Officer Class One and posted to the Main Ordnance Depot Trentham.

Transfers from the New Zealand Temporary Staff

• Captain E.C Green M.B.E
• Lieutenant (on probation) E.W Whiteacre
• Lieutenant (on probation) C.A Penny
• Lieutenant (on Probation) A Whitehead
• Lieutenant (on Probation) J.F Finn
• Lieutenant (on Probation) H.P White
• Lieutenant (on Probation) G.N Weston
• Lieutenant and Quartermaster K.A Bailey M.M.
• Lieutenant and Quartermaster N.C Fisher
• Warrant Officer Class One S.H.T O’Leary (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Warrant Officer Class One J.P Thomson (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Warrant Officer Class Two H.C Denovan (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant W.H Kerr (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant E.C.L McKay (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant C.R Crichton (IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant H Combs (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant W.P Hanrahan (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant J Reid (Clerk IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant L Smith (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant A.N.J Swain (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant R.A Clarke (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant D.L Dowman (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant H.J Hale (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant R Handy (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant G.H Bailey (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant A.A Baker (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant K.W Kibblewhite (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant J Leslie (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant J.G McConnell (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant J.B Murphy (Clerk IOO Branch)
• Sergeant E.C Sherman (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant J.D Smith (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant F.E.W West (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Corporal H.W Douche (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Corporal R.C Fisher (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Corporal F.F Hutton (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Corporal D.R Lupton (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Corporal F.W Wood (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Lance Corporal R.C Knight (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)

Promotions

• Lieutenant and Quartermaster E.R Hancock to be Captain and Quartermaster as at 13 December 1947.
• Lieutenant and Quartermaster F.J Mitchell to be Captain and Quartermaster as at 13 December 1947.
• Captain H.J Mockridge to be Temporary Major as at 4 February 1948
• Lieutenant and Quartermaster R Stroud to be Temporary Captain and Quartermaster as at 15 April 1948
• Lieutenant (on probation) C.A Penny, to Captain 30 May 1948
• Lieutenant (on Probation) J.F Finn, to Captain  30 June 1948
• Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) K.C.K Cropp, to Captain  26 May 1948

Relinquishments

• Lieutenant and Quartermaster (Temporary Captain and Quartermaster) S.H.E Bryant relinquished temporary rank of as 1 May 1948.

Discharged 31 March 1948

• Warrant Officer Class One S.H.T O’Leary (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant H Combs (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant W.P Hanrahan (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Staff Sergeant A.N.J Swain (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)
• Sergeant H.J Hale (Ammunition Examiner IOO Branch)

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017