New Zealand Army Shoulder Titles C1979. Robert McKie Collection
Brass Shoulder Titles
Authorised in Army Dress Regulations for 1912 [1], shoulder titles were to be affixed to the shoulder strap (Epaulette) of the Service jacket. Shoulder titles were to be metal denoting the Corps or Regiment of the wearer. With the establishment of the NZEF, New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) in 1916 and the Home Service NZAOC and New Zealand Army Ordnance Department in 1917, the introduction of brass NZAOC and NZAOD shoulder titles soon followed.
The Dress Regulations of 1923 further clarified their use “The shoulder titles of the unit or corps, in brass letters will be worn by Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and men on the shoulder straps of jackets (service and blue) and great coats. They will not be worn on mess jackets”. The approved Ordnance shoulder titles were, [2]
New Zealand Army Ordnance Department – NZAOD
New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps – NZAOC.
NZAOC Shoulder Titles. Robert McKie Collection
With the disestablishment of the NZAOD on the 27th of June 1924 [3], and official use of the NZAOD shoulder title was discontinued, and the NZAOC shoulder title remained in use for all ranks, its use confirmed in the 1927 Dress regulations. [4]
Early in World War Two saw the establishment of the NZEF and Territorial Army ‘New Zealand Ordnance Corps’, again as in the case of the NZAOC 24 years earlier, shoulder titles were soon provided.[5]
Worn early in the war, the adoption of new uniforms and universal “New Zealand” flashes saw that existing stocks of brass shoulder titles, including the NZAOC and NZOC shoulder titles, were wasted out until stocks were exhausted. [6]
Cloth Titles
The adoption of cloth shoulder titles was first proposed in 1948. Screen printed samples like the current British pattern were proposed in 1949.
RAOC 1940’s screen printed shoulder titles. Robert McKie Collection
Desiring something more durable and presentable, it was decided that embroidered shoulder titles were the way ahead. After much deliberation, the Army Board approved the introduction of shoulder titles in 1954. After much bureaucratic discussion over costings and developing requirements, it was not until 1961 that the first samples were approved. The shoulder titles for the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps were to have a Post Office red background with purple navy lettering in “Serif” Font. Over time there were variations in colour and size of lettering due to manufacture variations, with the final versions featuring lettering in a “Sans Serif” font and an overlocked edge. [2]
As part of a significant overhaul of New Zealand’s Army Service Dress, corps shoulder patches, including the RNZAOC pattern, were replaced with a universal “NEW ZEALAND” shoulder title from 1 January 1996.
Notes
Dress Regulations 1912, GHQ Circular No 5, Wellington: General Headquarters, 1912.
M. Thomas and C. Lord, NZ Army Distinguishing Patches 1911-1991, Wellington: Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, 1995.
“NZAOD and NZAOC,” New Zealand Gazette, p. 1605, 3 July 1924.
“Shoulder Titles,” New Zealand Gazette, p. 1599, 19 May 1927.
G. Oldham, Badges and Insignia of the New Zealand Army, 2 ed., Auckland: Milimen Books, 2011.
B. O’Sullivan and M. O’Sullivan, New Zealand Army Uniforms and Clothing 1910-1945, Christchurch: Wilson Scott, 2009.
Established at Waiouru in October 1941, the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade was formed with the clear objective of undergoing six months of training in New Zealand before its deployment to the Middle East. This brigade was earmarked to furnish armored support for the 2nd NZ Division, and its structure encompassed three Tank Battalions along with various auxiliary units. Among these supporting units were those from the Medical Corps, ASC (Army Service Corps), Signals, and Ordnance. The Ordnance contingent included:
A Second Line Workshop.
A Third Line Workshop.
Two Ordnance Field Parks, each aligned with a workshop.
Three Light Aid Detachments, one assigned to each Tank Battalion.
These Ordnance units played a vital role in maintaining and servicing the brigade’s equipment and vehicles, ensuring they remained operational and battle-ready.
Ordnance within the 1st NZ Tank Brigade
The leadership of the Ordnance units within the Brigade was selected from the ranks of the 2nd NZ Division and returned to New Zealand in late 1941. Given that the New Zealand Ordnance Corps was a newly established unit, the majority of new recruits had to be sourced from civilian garages, workshops, and industries. Some specialists were also drawn from NZAOC workshops and individuals who had returned from the Middle East. Most of these specialist personnel underwent training at the Main Ordnance Workshop in Trentham, while the remaining few were prepared at the new AFV (Armored Fighting Vehicle) school in Waiouru.1
However, as of December 1941, when Japan entered the war and swiftly advanced, capturing a significant portion of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the priority shifted to home defense. Consequently, plans to deploy the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade to the Middle East were postponed, and the unit’s role was adapted to meet the immediate defense needs of New Zealand.2
Following a period of reorganisation, the Brigade received orders for deployment in April 1942. Its elements were dispersed as follows:
Brigade HQ was renamed Independent Squadron and deployed to the South Island.
1 Tank Battalion was deployed to Northland.
2 Tank Battalion was deployed to Manawatu.
3 Tank Battalion was deployed to Pukekohe.
This dispersion presented significant challenges for the Ordnance organisation, which had initially been designed to support the Brigade as a cohesive unit within a 70-mile radius in the flat North African desert. Now, Ordnance struggled to provide support to the dispersed Brigade units scattered across rural New Zealand, where suitable roads were scarce, and limited railway capacity could handle ancillary equipment like specialist workshop bins and machinery trucks.
To ensure optimal support for the Brigade units, the Ordnance organisation underwent a reorganization by July 1942. This restructuring led to the establishment of what could be described as “Super-LADs,” encompassing the Army Tank Ordnance Workshop and 32, 33, and 34 Light Aid Detachments (LADs). These Super-LADs provided both 1st and 2nd line support for A and B vehicles, armaments, and specialist spares.
Third-line support was furnished by the Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshop at Trentham and the Railway Workshops at Otahuhu. Subsequent changes unfolded in November 1942 with the gradual disestablishment of the 1st NZ Tank Brigade:3
No. 1 Tank Battalion and 32 LAD remained in the home defense role in the Auckland/Northland area.
No. 2 Tank Battalion, the Army Tank Ordnance Workshop, and the Ordnance Field Park were dissolved and became part of the 3 NZ Division Independent Tank Battalion Group for service in the Pacific.
No. 3 Tank Battalion and 33 LAD were deployed to the Middle East for service with the 2nd NZ Division, where they were dissolved and formed the nucleus of the 4th NZ Armored Brigade.
34 LAD was stationed with the Independent Tank Squadron at Harewood on the South Island.
The Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshop and Ordnance Field Park remained at Trentham, eventually being fully integrated into the Base Ordnance Workshops.
By June 1943, the remaining units of the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade had been disbanded. The 1 Tank Battalion Group and 32 LAD, based at Pukekohe, and the Independent Tank Squadron and 34 LAD, based at Harewood, were all demobilised. Ordnance personnel from these disbanded units were faced with two options: they were either deployed to the 2nd or 3rd Divisions in Italy and the Pacific to serve as reinforcements, or they were assimilated into other ordnance units within New Zealand for the duration of the war.
It’s worth noting that the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade held a unique distinction during this time. While it was the only unit authorised to wear the 2NZEF ‘Onward’ badge, its members also sported a distinctive insignia on both arms. This insignia consisted of a one-inch square patch in the arm of service colors, which were purple for the Navy and Post Office Blue for Ordnance. Superimposed onto this patch was a miniature RTR (Royal Tank Regiment) ‘Tank’ symbol.3,4
Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshops and OFP identifying patch. Malcolm Thomas CollectionArmy Tank Ordnance Workshops, OFP and LAD identifying patch. Malcolm Thomas Collection
Cooke, Warrior Craftsmen, Wellington: Defence of NZ Study Group, 2016.
Henley, “The Tanks an Unofficial History of the Activities of the Third New Zealand Division Tank Squadron In the Pacific,” in TANKS, MMGS & ORDNANCE, Wellington, Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd, 1947.
Plowman and M. Thomas, New Zealand Armour in the Pacific 1939-45, Christchurch: Jeffrey Plowman, 2001.
Documents Relating to New Zealand’s Participation in the Second World War, Wellington, New Zealand: R. E. Owen, Government Printer, 1951.
Oldham, Badges and insignia of the New Zealand Army, Auckland: Milimen Books, 2011.
M. Thomas and C. Lord, NZ Army Distinguishing Patches 1911-1991, Wellington: Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, 1995.
J. Bolton, A History Of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps., Wellington: RNZAOC, 1992.
From 1939 to 1946, the New Zealand Army Ordnance underwent a series of significant transformations, each crucially bolstering New Zealand’s military efforts during World War II.
The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the war. Despite a significant downsizing in 1930, the corps embarked on a substantial rebuilding process, expanding its personnel and facilities. This led to establishing a robust network of depots and workshops across New Zealand, including key locations such as Trentham, Burnham, and Hopuhopu, ensuring unwavering ordnance support across the nation’s military districts.
In contrast, the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC) – Expeditionary Forces played a pivotal role as the ordnance component for the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF) deployed abroad. From the Middle East to Italy and the Pacific, the NZOC provided indispensable support through various units, including base and field workshops, ordnance depots, and salvage units. This structure was instrumental in enabling the NZEF to maintain operational readiness and effectiveness across diverse theatres of war.
The New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC) – Territorial Army was the ordnance branch within the Territorial Army from 1940 to 1946. Initially established to support the mobilisation of reserve forces, the NZOC Territorial units provided vital maintenance and repair services. Although the need for mobilisation waned by 1943, leading to the deactivation of most units, the NZOC remained an integral part of New Zealand’s military framework until it was eventually integrated into the NZAOC in 1946.
NZAOC
At the outset of World War II, the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) was a component of the New Zealand Permanent Army, still recovering from a significant downsizing on 14 July 1930. This downsizing saw nearly all uniformed staff, except for Officers, Armaments Artificers, and Armourers, transferred to the civil service as a cost-saving measure. [1]
With its reduced uniformed workforce, the NZAOC began gradually rebuilding by enlisting new personnel and employing temporary staff. Most of the Corps’ personnel were civilians stationed across the country at critical locations, including:
The Main Ordnance Depot and Workshops at Trentham,
An Ordnance Depot and Workshop at Burnham,
An Ordnance Depot at Hopuhopu,
Ordnance Workshops at Devonport.
As the war progressed and eventually drew to a close, the NZAOC established a well-distributed presence across New Zealand, ensuring adequate ordnance support through various units stationed at key locations:
Trentham
Warehousing
Main Ordnance Depot with rented and requisitioned storage facilities throughout the Wellington and Central region. With Sub Depots at:
Linton
Lower Hutt
Māngere
Wanganui
Workshops
Main Ordnance Workshop
Northern Military District
Warehousing
No1 Ordnance Sub Depot, Hopuhopu
Workshops
11 Ordnance Workshop, Whangarei
12 Ordnance Workshop, Devonport
Ammunition Depot
Ardmore
Kelms Road
Hopuhopu
Rented and requisitioned storage facilities throughout the Northern region.
Central Military District
Warehousing
Ordnance stores detachments at Waiouru
No2 Ordnance Sub Depot, Palmerston North
Ammunition Depot
Waiouru
Makomako
Belmont
Kuku Valley
Rented and requisitioned storage facilities throughout the Central region.
Southern Military District
Warehousing
No3 Ordnance Sub Depot, Burnham
Workshops
13 Ordnance Workshop, Blenheim
14 Ordnance Workshop, Burnham
15 Ordnance Workshop, Dunedin
Ammunition Depot
Alexandra
Burnham
Glen Tunnel
Fairlie
Mt Sommers
Rented and requisitioned storage facilities throughout the South Island.
This comprehensive distribution of NZAOC units and resources ensured the effective functioning of ordnance support services throughout New Zealand during the war.
2NZEF (the Middle East/Italy)
Established as a component of the newly formed 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) in 1939, the NZOC was initially described by the Evening Post as comprising “11 Light Aid Detachments of the New Zealand Ordnance Corps, numbered 9 to 19.” Their primary role was assisting and conducting repairs on mechanical transport and anti-tank units. [3]
Starting with these 11 units, the NZOC’s contribution to the New Zealand Division quickly expanded to include various critical functions, such as:
Base and Field Workshops,
Base and Advanced Ordnance Depots,
Divisional Ordnance Field Parks,
Laundry and Bath Units,
Salvage units.
Initially, there was some confusion regarding the use of the designations NZAOC and NZOC within the context of the NZEF. This was resolved in March 1941 by NZEF Order 221, officially establishing NZOC as the title for Ordnance within the NZEF.
A significant development occurred in 1942 with the separation of maintenance and repair functions from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) in the British Army, leading to the creation of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME).[4] Following this model, the New Zealand Division established the New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (NZEME) on 1 December 1942. This reorganisation distinctly separated the repair, maintenance, and ordnance store functions previously handled by the NZOC.
With the conclusion of World War II, the NZEF NZOC was disbanded along with the 2NZEF.
2NZEF (Pacific)
Similarly to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) deployed in the Middle East, units of the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC) were also established to serve with the NZEF in the Pacific (NZEFIP). Initially, their role included providing a Base Ordnance Depot, two Workshop Sections, and a Light Aid Detachment (LAD) to support the 8th Infantry Brigade Group in Fiji, starting in November 1940. The NZOC expanded into a divisional-sized organisation comprising 23 units and detachments as the war progressed. These units provided comprehensive ordnance services to support the NZEFIP’s operations across Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga. [5]
It is worth noting that New Zealand did not follow suit in the Pacific, unlike the British Army’s establishment of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1942. Consequently, repair and maintenance functions remained integral to the Ordnance Corps throughout the war.
Following the successful conclusion of campaigns in the Solomon Islands, the 3rd NZ Division and its equipment were returned to New Zealand and disbanded. Upon their return, many NZOC members were found to be physically unfit due to the demanding conditions of the tropical campaign. As a result, they resumed their civilian occupations, while some were redeployed as reinforcements to the 2NZEF in Italy. Others remained stationed at the division’s Mangere base near Auckland or Wellington, where their duties involved checking, sorting, and reconditioning various stores and vehicles. This work continued until September 1945, at which point they handed over the entire inventory of equipment and clothing to the Main Ordnance Depot. [5]
Territorial Army Ordnance
Both the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) and the New Zealand Permanent Army Service Corps (NZPASC) coexisted within the Permanent Army. However, only the NZPASC had a Territorial Army component known as the New Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC). Since the 1930s, Light Aid Detachments (LADs) and workshop sections had been included in the establishments of ASC units for activation during mobilisation. When war broke out in 1939 and the Territorial Army was mobilised in 1940, Colonel H.E. Avery, the Quartermaster General, decided that LADs should fall under the responsibility of Ordnance. Consequently, the NZOC was established as the Ordnance component of the Territorial Army in December 1940. [6]
Territorial Force Ordnance Units, Northern Military District June 1942Territorial Force Ordnance Units, Central Military District June 1942Territorial Force Ordnance Units, Southern Military District June 1942
By late 1943, the mobilisation of the Territorial Forces was no longer required, and most units were deactivated and placed on care and maintenance status, maintained by a small Regular Force cadre. As of 1 April 1944, all home defence units established during wartime had been disbanded. [6]
Although the NZOC was not originally part of the pre-war Territorial Army, it remained in active service on official records. In 1946, the distinction between Regular and non-regular soldiers was eliminated during a reorganisation of New Zealand Military Forces. Consequently, the NZOC ceased to exist as a separate Corps and was integrated into the NZAOC. [7]
Dress Distinctions
As with all units within the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), the traditional unit and corps badges were no longer worn. Instead, the NZEF “Onward” badge became the standard insignia.
In the Pacific and New Zealand, the NZOC adopted the WW1 NZEF Ordnance badge. This emblem is prominently featured on the cover of the unofficial history of the NZEFIP NZOC and Territorial Army Unit pennants.
J. Bolton, A History of the RNZAOC, Wellington: Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, 1992.
[2]
P. Cooke, Warrior Craftsmen, Wellington: Defence of NZ Study Group, 2016.
[3]
“2nd NZ Division,” EVENING POST, vol. CXXVIII, no. 102, 27 OCTOBER 1939.
[4]
A. Fernyhough, A short history of the RAOC, London: C B Printers Ltd, 1965.
[5]
P. Henley, “ORDNANCE, The Unofficial History of the New Zealand Ordnance Corps in the Pacific from 1940 until 3rd Division was disbanded in 1944,” in Tanks, MMGs & Ordnance, Wellington, Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd, 1947, pp. 137-227.
[6]
P. Cooke and J. Crawford, The Territorials, Wellington: Random House New Zealand Ltd, 2011, p. 258.
[7]
“MILITARY FORCES OF NEW ZEALAND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF,” Journals of the House of Representatives, vol. H19, no. 1947 Session, 1 January 1947.
[8]
G. Oldham, Badges and insignia of the New Zealand Army, Auckland: Milimem Books, 2011.
[9]
R. KAY, “FROM CASSINO TO TRIESTE,” in Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45, WELLINGTON, HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS BRANCH DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, 1967.
