The 2^nd NZEF Base Ordnance Depot (BOD) was the primary Ordnance organisation supporting the 2^nd NZEF in its operations from Egypt to Italy from 1940 to 1946. Unlike the Infantry, Artillery, Engineers and even the Army Service Corps, New Zealand did not have an Ordnance component in the Territorial Army to draw upon when establishing the Ordnance services of the 2^nd NZEF. This led to the NZ BOD having to be built from scratch. The two senior ordnance officers, King and Andrews were from the regular Army. Some of the personnel were drawn from the civilian staff of the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC), with others having a clerical or warehousing background. With this diversity of experience, the men of the NZ BOD, with the assistance of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) Depots in Egypt, underwent a crash course in the intricacies of British military stores accounting, warehousing and distribution operations. Initially based at Maadi Camp on the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt, the NZ BOD eventually grew into two Depots, one in Egypt and one in Italy. Not entirely a Base organisation, the NZ BOD also deployed an Advanced Ordnance Depot and conducted stores convoy operations. This article introduces the NZ BOD, a forgotten New Zealand Ordnance unit of the Second World War.

When given command of the NZDF, General Freyberg as the General Officer Commanding had been given a mandate and authority to “establish such administrative headquarters and base and line of communication units as are necessary for the functions of command, organisation, including training, and administration with which he has been invested”, with “the authority to procure equipment (shown on equipment tables) that cannot be supplied through official channels. Such equipment to be bought through Ordnance channels where possible”,[1]  This included the establishment of a Base Ordnance Depot to support the growing New Zealand Force

As the New Zealand Forces arrived in Egypt, the logistical situation was dire. The Middle East Command was in a period of transition from a peacetime to a wartime footing. The German victories in the low countries and France, which saw the loss of much of the British Armies equipment in the subsequent evacuation resulted in the Middle East placed on a low priority for personnel and resources as the United Kingdom rearmed and prepared for invasion. The RAOC resources which the NZEF could draw upon were limited and consisted of;[2] [3]

• A combined Ordnance Depot and Workshop at Abbassia
• A Clothing and mobilisation sub-depot at Kasr-el-Nil
• A sub-depot at Alexandra
• Forward dumps of tentage, accommodation stores and ammunition at El Daba and Mersa Matruh.

The first Director of Ordnance Services (DOS) for the Middle East was not appointed until late 1940, when Colonel W.W Richards was transferred from France to Egypt as a Brigadier.[4] Cognisant of the supply situation and also the international composition of the Middle East Command, Brigadier Richards oversaw the rapid upgrade of infrastructure, personnel and capability of the combined Ordnance services of the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa ,India and New Zealand, creating effective Ordnance Field Force units supported by robust base facilities, shaped to meet the national requirements of each contributing nation.

Known as the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC), The embryotic New Zealand Ordnance organisation that arrived in Egypt with the 1^st Echelon included[5]

• Lieutenant Colonel T.J. King NZAOC, DADOS
• Captain A.H Andrews NZAOC, Ordnance Mechanical Engineer,
• Lieutenant D.E Harper NZOC. OO Base Depot
• Lieutenant G Langslow NZOC, 9 LAD, 4 Field Regiment NZA
• Lieutenant G.D Pollock NZOC, 10 LAD, 5 Field Park Company, NZE
• Captain J.H Mander NZOC, 11 LAD, HQ 4 Infantry Brigade,
• Captain N.P Manning NZOC, 12 LAD, 27 Machine Gun Battalion,
• Lieutenant J.O Kelsey NZOC, 13 LAD, Divisional Cavalry Regiment,
• J.H England NZOC, 14 LAD, Divisional Signal Units
• NZOC tradesmen, Clerks, Storemen and Drivers held under the Base Depot organisation.

The initial Base Depot found in the embarkation rolls was not the Base Ordnance Depot but a convenient use of the War Establishment to place personnel who were not allocated to existing units on the establishment. On mobilisation, Army headquarters anticipated that a base function was required, and the Base Depot was the only suitable unit that could be found in British War Establishments that could be used for the personnel filling many of the anticipated base roles in the NZEF. Under General Freyberg’s mandate to “establish such administrative headquarters and base and line of communication units” The Base Depot was disestablished in April 1940 and Headquarters NZEF Base formally established as a unit of the NZEF with personnel distributed to functional subunits, including NZOC Stores and clerical staff to the NZ BOD.[6] At this stage, NZ BOD also managed some of the Base Workshop functions in conjunction with 31 LAD (Base)

View of the working area of the Ordnance Depot at Maadi Camp in 1941. Photo H.J Gilbertson

View of the working area of the Ordnance Depot at Maadi Camp in 1941. Photo H.J Gilbertson

The 2^nd NZEF had arrived in Egypt with the bare minimum of equipment, but by August 1940 the NZ BOD was in the routine of receiving and issuing new equipment to the force; and in fact, the equipping of New Zealand Forces was proceeding far better than with comparable United Kingdom units in the area. As the accounting system was still a peacetime system, the British authorities were most generous in providing what equipment was available to the Commonwealth. At this time issues of equipment had to be checked and signed for, with the arrangement with the United Kingdom that the initial issues to the New Zealand Forces were to be paid for at the actual value.

The 2^nd NZEF had arrived in Egypt with the same uniforms and web equipment as the NZEF of 1918. As stocks became available the NZ BOD began to issue the new 1937 pattern ‘Battledress’ and ’37 pattern webbing’ to all New Zealand Troops. Additionally, as each draft arrived issues of theatre specific clothing and equipment had to be issued to each soldier.

• Helmets steel – 1,
• Respirators Anti Gas – 1,
• Armbands (white) – 1,
• Shorts Khaki Drill –  2,
• Shirts tropical – 2,
• Drawers cellular short – 2,[7]
• Hosetops (long socks) (prs) – 1

This was a considerable amount of clothing and equipment to bring into stock for issues and stockholding, not forgetting that the old uniforms and equipment that had been exchanged had to be sorted, stored and disposed of. Infrastructure and additional personnel were required to manage the workload. Civilian labour was utilised to supplement the NZOC military personnel. Under the control of a supervisor known as a Rais (Arabic: رئیس‎; also spelt Raees), teams of workers known as Fellaheen (Arabic: فلاحين‎, fallāḥīn) came into the BOD each day,[8] Over time locally employed civilians not only carried out labouring work but also more complex warehousing and clerical functions providing a level of continuity that soldiers because of the demands of soldiering are often unable; to maintain.

Liaison with the RAOC depots was the key to the success of the NZ BOD. Held on the establishment of the NZ BOD, NZOC Liaison staff were attached to RAOC depots for the duration of the war. NZOC liaison staff served in both clerical and store positions. First, the NZOC had no combined corporate history of ordnance procedures. Hence, the attachment enabled NZOC members to become familiar with current RAOC procedures, and secondly, it allowed NZOC staff in RAOC depots to manage and process New Zealand demands directly.[9]

In June 1940, Lieutenant Colonel King left for England to oversee Ordnance support for the 2nd Echelon of the 2NZEF, which had been redirected to England instead of Egypt. This left Major Andrews responsible for managing all NZOC maintenance and supply functions in Egypt. With the arrival of the 3rd Echelon in Egypt in September 1940, plans were made for the future of the NZ BOD and the overall NZOC commitment to the NZEF, including the drafting of new establishments. Correspondence between Andrews and King documents the expansion of the NZ BOD into a significant depot.[10]

Base Ordnance Depot Staff, Maadi, October 1940. Back Row clerks: Geoffrey Gilbert-Smith, LCpl Walter William Thomas, G Duane, O McKibbon. Front Row Storemen: Mark Edwin Ivey, R Watson, W Mooney. Photo W.W Thomas

By March 1941, the 2^nd Echelon had arrived in Egypt from the United Kingdom, and the New Zealand Division was complete for the first time. Although some units had been involved in operations against the Italians, the Division’s first real taste of battle was the disastrous Greek and Crete campaigns. Although ad hoc NZOC workshops were sent to Greece to support the LADs, the NZ BOD only played a supporting role in these campaigns. In the months after the Greek and Crete campaigns, the NZ Division retrained and reorganised.

From April 1942, the DOS for the Middle East was weighing up the option of pooling all British and Dominion Base Ordnance units into one organisation under the DOS GHQ Middle East. Whilst retaining their national identities, they serviced all units regardless of nationality on a geographic basis. Stocks of common items were demanded from the main British BOD, provisioned for, and demanded by the DADOS (P) from the United Kingdom or the Eastern Supply Group. Items peculiar to each nation were demanded independently by each national BOD. The NZEF replied that the NZ BOD at Maadi Camp had materially reduced the work of the RAOC Depots, that excellent liaison between the RAOC and NZOC existed, and the proposed system was, in effect, the system in place and working quite satisfactorily.[11]

Due to the reorganisation of the NZ Division, Divisional NZOC units were to be established. Personnel from the NZ BOD, NZOC reinforcements, and transfers from within the 2nd NZEF were to be transferred to the following NZOC Field Force units before their formation: [12]

• The New Zealand Divisional Ordnance Field Park (NZ OFP) was formed on 28 July 1941,
• The NZ Divisional Salvage unit was formed on 16 August 1941.
• The New Zealand Divisional Mobile Bath Unit was formed on 6 September 1941,
• The New Zealand Divisional Mobile Laundry and Forward Decontamination unit was formed on 22 September 1941.

Concurrent with the reorganisation of the 2nd NZEF after the Greek Campaign, the NZOC maintenance services began formalising into a fully functional workshop system comprising Base, Divisional, and field workshops. This initiative closely mirrored developments in the British forces, which restructured their maintenance and repair organisations in response to the increased mechanisation of the battlefield. They consolidated these entities into a single Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME) on 1 October 1942, assuming responsibility for all RAOC, ASC, and Royal Engineer Workshops, Recovery Sections, and LADs. New Zealand and Australia adopted a similar approach on 1 December 1942, followed by India on 1 May 1943, and Canada on 22 February 1944.[13]

An Italian trailer was used in the NZ BOD at Maadi in 1941. The soldier is Jack Thompsom. Photo: H.L Gilbertson

Alongside the Divisional NZOC units, a New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot (NZAOD) was established as a sub-unit of the NZ BOD to facilitate stock storage nearer to the forward areas. Despite no additional personnel being authorised for the NZAOD, its personnel and equipment were sourced from existing NZ BOD resources upon its formation.[14]

Initially, the NZ AOD operated alongside an RAOC AOD at El Daba during Operation Crusader. However, when the NZ Division was withdrawn back to Egypt in December 1941, the NZAOD had just completed unloading its stock at the Tura caves when it was ordered to move with the Division to Syria, where it established operations near Baalbek.

In March 1942, the NZ BOD was expanded to include five Officers and ninety-five other ranks.

Upon returning to Egypt with the NZ Division in June 1942, the NZAOD transformed into a mobile depot. It accompanied the NZ Division in pursuit of Axis forces into Tunisia. It established depots at Bardia, Tripoli, and Enfidaville on three occasions. Given its mobile nature, the NZAOD relied heavily on the NZ BOD’s limited vehicle holdings.

Replenishment for the NZAOD was sourced directly from the NZ BOD for NZ-specific supply items. For generic items, replenishment came from the nearest supporting RAOC AOD, Forward Depot, or Dump. If these units could not fulfil the requisition, it was forwarded to the supporting RAOC BOD. New Zealand liaison staff stationed in the RAOC depots managed NZ indents and arranged for the next available transport for delivery.

An example of the efficiency of this replenishment system occurred when the NZAOD, stationed at Enfidaville, transmitted a signal to RAOC 557 AOD in Tripoli, over 600km away. Within five days, the requested stores were issued to units of the Division.

Kaye, George Frederick, 1914-2004. 11 July 1943, A NZ Ordnance Unit at Maadi, Egypt, World War II – Photograph taken by G Kaye. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch: Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-04228-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22621647

In October 1943, the NZEF commenced operations in Italy as part of the 8th Army, with the NZAOD remaining forward-deployed in support of the NZ Division. Major Donald Harper, the DADOS of the NZ BOD, also deployed to Italy to assess the future NZ Ordnance Support requirements.

At the time of Major Harper’s assessment, only one RAOC depot was operating in support of the 8th Army—an ad hoc organisation known as Eight Army Field Stores, which relied on stocks from the initial Ordnance Beach Detachments. The RAOC 500 AOD was in the process of establishing itself at Bari on the Adriatic coast. With its limited stocks gradually being replenished, few demands could be satisfactorily met at that time.[17]

To address the challenges faced by the NZ Division and the NZEF, Harper proposed a restructuring of the NZ BOD into two separate depots:

• One part would be tasked with servicing the NZEF in Egypt and maintaining clothing reserves for the entire NZEF.
• The other part would be stationed in Italy to support the NZ Division and other regional NZEF units, including hospitals and advance bases.

Harper anticipated only a modest increase in personnel and suggested that the liaison staff with RAOC Departments remain integrated into the new establishment.

Recognising that the NZ Division had historically benefited from having its own BOD, albeit now situated far away in Egypt, and desiring to maintain the NZ Division’s equipment standards in Italy, Harper’s proposal to split the BOD into two sections was endorsed by the GOC 2 NZEF on 4th November 1942. Major Harper was tasked with arranging the acquisition of necessary buildings and storage facilities in Bari before returning to Egypt to assist in implementing the split of the NZ BOD for the relocation to Italy.[18]

Starting from 10th November 1943, the NZ BOD underwent a significant reorganisation, dividing into three distinct sections:

• Ordnance Depot at Base (Egypt)
• Ordnance Depot at Advance Base (Italy)
• NZAOD

Notably, the NZAOD was now established as a standalone section, whereas its personnel and equipment had previously been part of the NZ BOD establishment. This restructuring acknowledged the NZAOD as a separate entity with its own dedicated personnel and equipment.

Additionally, a change in the boot repair contract in Maadi prompted an increase in the establishment of shoemakers and bootmakers within the NZ BOD. This adjustment aimed to make the NZ BOD self-sufficient in boot repair.

Furthermore, the NZ BOD assumed the role of the reinforcement depot for the NZOC. This meant reinforcements from NZ or individuals injured in units and withdrawn to the rear for convalescence would be held in the reinforcement depot until suitable vacancies became available in forward units.

Lastly, NZOC personnel assigned to liaison duties with ROAC depots were no longer included in the establishment of the NZ BOD.

Main Office Staff, 1 Base Ordnance Depot, Maadi, Egypt, December 1943. Standing: Ike Dabscheck, Stone, Lieutenant Stroud, Major Cordery, Lieutenant Barwick, Unidentified. In front: Jack Picot, Geff Rees, Falloon. Photo: J.D Picot

In early 1944, it was determined that due to the significant distance between Egypt and Italy, the NZ BOD Ordnance Depot at Advance Base in Bari should be elevated to full Base Depot status. Effective from 16th February, the following changes to establishments were implemented:

• NZ BOD was renamed 1 NZ Base Ordnance Depot (1 NZ BOD)
• 2 NZ Base Ordnance Depot was established as a unit of the NZEF (2 NZ BOD)
• The NZAOD was disbanded.

Transitioning from NZ BOD to 1 NZ BOD, this unit’s establishment was downsized to two Officers and 37 Other Ranks. It retained its role as the primary holding depot for items specific to NZ and the remaining base units in Egypt. Additionally, 1 NZ BOD served as the NZOC Reinforcement Depot and included an Officer’s Shop detail.

Moreover, an Officer’s Shop detail was incorporated into the responsibilities of 1 NZ OFP. Officer’s Shops, initially developed by the British in North Africa, were centrally provisioned by the Central Provision Office. They allowed officers to purchase authorized items of kit, such as clothing, camp equipment, travel bags, leather jerkins, and shoes, at reasonable rates.[19]

The NZAOD was disbanded, and its functions were integrated into the mobile AOD section of the NZ OFP.[20]

From the established NZ BOD Ordnance Depot at Advance Base in Bari, 2 NZ BOD was established as a unit of the NZEF. Fulfilling the same role as the NZ BOD in North Africa, 2 NZ BOD also served as a Reinforcement Depot for the NZOC in Italy and included a Stores Convoy Unit.

The concept of Stores Convoy Units stemmed from the early lessons of the desert war. While utilized by both the NZ OFP and NZAOD during 1942/43, this system wasn’t formally organized as a unit within the NZEF until 1944. Supplying and transporting Ordnance Stores posed greater complexities than handling Rations, Fuel, and Ammunition. Unlike these commodities, Ordnance stores comprised a vast range of items, the actual need for which users couldn’t reliably predict. Maintaining stocks near forward units proved impractical due to logistical challenges, necessitating a dependable and swift service to meet urgent demands from the nearest stock holding unit, often the BOD.

Rail transport had limitations, and regular runs by the Army Service Corps (ASC) failed to meet delivery requirements. Consequently, a dedicated road convoy service for Ordnance Stores became essential. Initially, this service utilized reserve vehicles from the RAOC 1 OFP and 1st Cavalry Division OFP, operating between Cairo and Mersa Matruh, to supplement the existing rail system. The success of this system led to its expansion, with convoys delivering vehicles and other critical combat stores directly to divisional OFPs across the Middle East theatre, from Persia to Tunisia. [21] 

The New Zealand Stores Convoy Unit operated from 1944 to 1945 along the entire axis of New Zealand’s Divisional advance through Italy, spanning from Bari to Trieste.

As the NZ Division progressed up the Italian peninsula, HQ 2 NZEF aimed to reduce the lines of communication and stay close to the Division. Consequently, on 11th September, HQ 2 NZEF relocated to Senigallia. This move prompted many administrative units, including 2NZ BOD, to follow suit. The unit established an Advanced Section of Depot consisting of one Officer and 20 Other Ranks.

Although Officer’s shop details had been active since February 1944, formal approval for the establishment of Officer’s shops was not granted until April 1945. The following Officer’s shops were subsequently added to establishments:

• 1 NZ BOD: One Officer Shop Detail
• 2 NZ BOD: Two Officer Shop Details (in Bari and Senigallia)
• NZ OFP, AOD Section: One Officer Shop Detail.

The surrender of Germany on 7th May 1945 marked the end of hostilities in Europe, but the war against Japan continued in the Pacific and South East Asia. Discussions regarding the future of the NZEF and its involvement in the ongoing war were underway. By June 1945, it was decided to maintain NZOC units in the NZEF at full strength to facilitate the return of vehicles and equipment by Divisional units as they were demobilized or reorganized for service against Japan. In June 1945, 103 personnel from Divisional NZOC units were assigned to the establishment of 2 NZ BOD but attached to RAOC units, with the majority being stationed at the RAOC 557 BOD in Naples. Their role was to assist in the return of equipment and the distribution of new equipment for the forces being raised for operations against Japan.

The atomic bombings of Japan in August 1945, followed by their surrender in September of the same year, abruptly halted what was anticipated to be a protracted conflict. With Japan slated for occupation by Allied forces, New Zealand committed a Brigade group known as J Force, which was based on the 9th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd NZEF.[22]

By November, the Advanced Section of Depot of 2 NZ BOD at Senigallia had been dissolved, and the establishment of 2 NZ BOD was downsized to five Officers and 42 Other Ranks. The disbanded Advanced Section of Depot personnel were relocated to Florence, where they joined forces with the NZ OFP to establish a final NZAOD. This unit was tasked with supporting the demobilization efforts of the 2nd NZEF. Additionally, the number of liaison staff to the RAOC depots was reduced from the original 103 to five Officers and thirty-eight Other Ranks.[23]

Both 1 and 2 NZ BOD spent the latter months of 1945 packing and repatriating equipment to New Zealand, clearing Depots, and returning stocks to the RAOC. On 1 February 1946, after nearly six years of delivering Ordnance support to the 2nd NZEF, the Base Ordnance Depots and the NZAOD of the NZOC were officially disbanded. The final NZOC troops either returned home or were deployed to Japan for service with J Force.

The contributions of the NZ BOD to supporting the 2nd NZEF have often been overlooked in many contemporary histories of the 2nd NZEF. Yet, as a unit that was built from the ground up and had to learn its operations in real-time under wartime conditions, it deserves recognition. Supplying the 76,000 New Zealand Troops who passed through Maadi Camp and sustaining the NZ Division across extensive distances with various war materials was a monumental achievement, unparalleled in the history of the New Zealand Army.

Copyright © Robert McKie 2024

Notes

[1] W. G. Stevens, Problems of 2 Nzef, Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45 (Wellington, N.Z: War History Branch, Dept of Internal Affairs, 1958, 1958), Non-fiction, 93.

[2] Brigadier A.H Fernyhough C.B.E. M.C, History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945 (London: Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1965), 110-11.

[3] 1939-1948 New Zealand Army WWII Nominal Rolls, “Roll 1: 1939 – 31 Mar 1940,”  https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1832/31839_224118__0001-00003?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d1832%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=31839_224118__0001-00042.

[4] Frank Steer, To the Warrior His Arms: The Story of the Raoc 1918–1993 (London: RAOC, 2005), 73.

[5] Peter Cooke, Warrior Craftsmen, Rnzeme 1942-1996 (Wellington: Defense of New Zealand Study Group, 2017), 72.

[6] Stevens, Problems of 2 Nzef, 21-22.

[7] Short cellular drawers or underwear were issued to British and Commonwealth troops for wear in summer and for general wear in tropical areas. They were white open-weave ‘cellular’ fabric, featuring a two-button fastening to the front opening and a pair of horizontal cloth loops to either side of the front waistband.

[8] Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992), 106.

[9] Ibid., 102-03.

[10] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Base, Item Idr20107591 Record No  Da 1/9/Sd81/22 (Wellington: New Zealand Archives, 1941).

[11] Ibid.

[12] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Field Item Idr20107590 Record No  Da 1/9/Sd81/21 (Wellington: New Zealand Archives, 1941).

[13] Cooke, Warrior Craftsmen, Rnzeme 1942-1996, 72-122.

[14] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Base.

[15] Listed in some records as the RAOC 508 AOD it might actually be 500 AOD as no record exists of an RAOC 508 AOD.

[16] It is assumed that the NZAOD was co-located with the NZ OFP when in the mobile role.

[17] Brigadier A.H Fernyhough C.B.E. M.C, History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945, 243.

[18] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Base.

[19] History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945, 205.

[20] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Field

[21] History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945, 120.

[22] Matthew Wright, Italian Odyssey: New Zealanders in the Battle for Italy 1943-45 (Auckland, N.Z: Reed, 2003, 2003), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 166.

[23] 2nzef – Organisation and War Establishments – Ordnance – Base.