Personnel
The strength of the NZAOC on the 31st of May 1926 was 118, consisting of:
- 7 Officers
- 104 Permanent Other Ranks
- 7 Temporary Other Ranks
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
- Captain (Temporary Major) Thomas Joseph King
Ordnance Accounting Officer
- Lieutenant T.W Page
Northern Command Ordnance Officer
- Lieutenant A. W. Baldwin
Central Command Ordnance Officer
- Captain H. H. Whyte, M.C.
Southern Command Ordnance Depot
- Captain A.R.C White
Featherston Camp Ordnance Officer
- Captain F. E. Ford
Inspecting Ordnance Officer and Acting Inspector of Ordnance Machinery
Acting Inspecting Ordnance Officer
- Lieutenant A de T Nevill, RNZA.[3]
Proof Officer, Small Arms Ammunition
- Captain E.H Sawle.
NZAOC appropriations year ending 31 March 1926
Ordnance Depots
Northern Command
At Ngaruawahia work commenced on the large Ordnance Store building, which when completed would absorb the stores located at Mount Eden and at Featherston Camp and enable the temporary buildings in those camps to be dismantled. Five magazines for gun-ammunition and high explosives and the earthwork for five others were also completed at Ngaruawahia Camp. Five additional magazines for gun-ammunition and one for small-arms ammunition were planned to be constructed in 1927. Additional building planned for the next year included;[4]
- Four additional married quarters,
- Ordnance Office, and
- workshops.
Central and Southern Commands
These camps continued to be maintained, with no further development and improvement postponed till funds are available with the priority being the development of Ngaruawahia Camp. The small-arms ammunition magazines at Trentham and Burnham Camps were completed and taken into use.[5]
Ordnance Workshops
The Ordnance workshops were being gradually extended and improved by the introduction of modern machinery, enabling the repair and necessary alterations to equipment and armament.
During this period Staff Sergeant T.J Smith, RAOC an Instrument Artificer began an secondment to the New Zealand Army for a three year period.[6]
Vacancies
Vacancies for qualified Tent repairers and Store-men and were advertised for employment in Burnham Camp were advertised. Rates of pay were to commence at the rate of;[7]
- Single £5 3s l0d per week;
- Married £5 15s 6d per week.
Vacancies were also advertised for an experienced Sail-maker and Storeman for the Ordnance Depot at Mount Eden, Auckland. The requirements for the applicant were to be aged under 25 and able to pass a medical exam. The position was for a period of five years with contributions to the Superannuation fund. Daily rate of pay was to commence at the rate of ;[8]
- Single 12s (seven-day week)
- Married 13a 8d.
Vacancies were also advertised for experienced a Wheeler for appointment as Wheeler in the Ordnance Workshops, Wellington District. Commencing pay was at the rate of:[9]
- Single, £5 3s 10d per week,
- married, £5 15s 6d per week.
Accounting System
The Cost Accounting system of accounting for stores remained satisfactory, and losses had been reduced to a minimum. Periodical inspections by officials of the Audit Department have shown in every instance that the accounts were being well kept and the stores are properly safeguarded.[10]
Disposals
The sale of surplus stores by the Disposal Depot continued. The retention of the Disposal Depot enabled uniform clothing which each year becomes unsuitable for the issue to the Forces to be dry-cleaned, renovated, dyed, and sold at reasonable prices to the general public. Although the receipts were less than in previous years, the business carried out was still considerable, and, as stated in previous years, the prices realized were much higher than those obtainable by other methods of sale that the retention of the present method was warranted in the public interest. The further exhaustion of war-time stocks of clothing necessitates an increasing annual expenditure to provide requirements for the Territorial Force and Cadets, and the clothing item on the estimates shows a corresponding increase.[11]
Personnel Movements – June 1925 to May 1926
Transfers
Captain W. Ivory relinquished the appointment of Inspecting Ordnance Officer and acting Inspector of Ordnance Machinery and was appointed Officer in Charge Harbour Defence, and Officer Commanding Royal N.Z. Artillery Detachment Northern Command on 17 June 1925. Lieutenant A. de T. Nevill was appointed Acting Inspector Ordnance Officer on 18 June 1925.[12] [13]
Enlistments into the Permanent Section of the NZAOC
- 1001 Private Gordon Cumming Bremner
- 1004 Private James Johnston Bolt
- 1009 Private John Campbell Myers
Copyright © Robert McKie 2018
Notes:
[1] To be OC Harbour Defences and OC RNZA Detachment Northern Command 17 June 1925 “Appointments, Promotions, Resignations and Transfer of Officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps, Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery and Territorial Force,” New Zealand Gazette 51, 9 June 1925.
[2] “New Zealand Naval Forces,” Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16781, 14 July 1925.
[3] Acting IOO from 18 June 1925″Appointments, Promotions, Resignations and Transfer of Officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps, Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery and Territorial Force.”
[4] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces from 1 June 1925 to 31 May 1926,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1926): 6.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid., 1.
[7] “Tent Repairer Advert,” Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18495, 24 September 1925.
[8] “Sailmaker Advert,” New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19103, 22 August 1925.
[9] “Wheeler Advert,” Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 25, 29 July 1925.
[10] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces from 1 June 1925 to 31 May 1926,” 6.
[11] Ibid.
[12] “Appointments, Promotions, Resignations and Transfer of Officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps, Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery and Territorial Force.”
[13] “New Zealand Naval Forces.”
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