Personnel

The strength of the NZAOC between June 1933 and May 1934 was;[1]

• 5 Officers
• 21 Permanent Other Ranks

Key Appointments

Director of Ordnance Services

• Major Thomas Joseph King, NZAOC

Assistant Chief Ordnance Officer Trentham Camp

• Captain W. R. Burge, M.C., NZSC

Main Ordnance Depot

• Captain E.L.G Bown, NZSC.
• Lieutenant D.L Lewis, NZAOC. [2]

Northern Command Ordnance Officer

• Lieutenant J. W. Barry, N.Z. Staff Corps.[3]
• Lieutenant L. Lewis, NZAOC.[4] [5] [6]

Central Command Ordnance Officer

• Lieutenant H. E. Erridge NZAOC

Southern Command Ordnance Depot

• Lieutenant H. E. Erridge NZAOC.[7]
• Lieutenant D.L Lewis, NZAOC.[8]
• Lieutenant D. Nicol, NZAOC.[9] [10] [11]

Inspecting Ordnance Officer and Ordnance Mechanical Engineer

• Lieutenant I. R. Withell, RNZA.[12] [13]

Assistant Inspecting Ordnance Officer Ordnance and Ordnance Mechanical Engineer

• Lieutenant S. B. Wallace, NZAOC.[14] [15] [16]

Proof Officer, Small Arms Ammunition, Auckland

• Honorary Lieutenant J.W Fletcher, NZPS.

Warrant Officer Armourers

Two armourers who had completed their time with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps had been engaged for service with the NZAOC, they were;[17]

• Armourer Staff Sergeant-Major E. J. Hay, and
• Armourer Quarter-master-Sergeant E. J. Trappitt

Annual Inspection of Small Arms

During this period NZAOC artificers conducted annual inspections rifles, machine guns, and other arms of the Defence Department. All parts of the weapons were examined to find any faults that may have developed since the last inspection. The inspection took about two months with some 9OOO weapons inspected.[18] [19]

Copyright © Robert McKie 2018

Notes:

[1] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces June 1933 to May 1934,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  (1934).

[2] Relinquishes appointment of Ordnance Officer (Temp) Southern Military Command for duty at the Main Ordnance Depot, Trentham 16 April 1934. “Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 38, 24 May 1934.

[3] “Personal Barry,” Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 282, 28 November 1932.

[4] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces June 1933 to May 1934,”  1.

[5] Lewis had formally been a NZAOC Soldier who was transferred to the Civil Services in 1931 and employed in the Main Ordnance Depot, appointed to a commission in the NZAOC with the rank of Lieutenant, on 1 February 1934    “Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 83, 15 Nov 1934.

[6] “Personal Lewis,” Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21175, 28 May 1934.

[7] John J. Storey and J. Halket Millar, March Past : A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp (Christchurch, N.Z. : Pegasus Press, 1973, 1974 printing, 1973), Non-fiction, 118.

[8]  David Llewellyn Lewis to be Lieutenant and appointed Ordnance Officer (Temp) Southern Command 1 February 1934. “Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces, New Zealand Gazette No 6, 8 Feb 1934, 201.

[9] David Nicol to be Lieutenant and appointed Assistant Ordnance Officer, Southern Command 19 May 1934.”Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 42, 7 June 1934, 1715.

[10] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces June 1933 to May 1934,”  1.

[11]  Employed in a civil capacity at the Main Ordnance Depot, Trentham, was appointed to a commission NZAOC with the rank of Lieutenant on 9 May 1934

[12] After completion of a course in England, appointed Inspection Ordnance Officer and Ordnance Mechanical Engineer, 18 December 1933.”Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 3, 25 January 1934, 83.

[13] . From January 1934 “Personal Items Whitell,” Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21075, 29 January 1934.

[14] To be Lieutenant and appointed Assistant IOO and Assistant OME 12 December 1933.”Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,”  83.

[15] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces June 1933 to May 1934,”  1.

[16]Appointed and granted the rank of Lieutenant in the NZAOC dated 12th December 1933  “South Canterbury Wallace,” Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21171, 23 May 1934.

[17] “Defence Armourers,” New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21788, 1 May 1934.

[18] “Annual Inspetions,” Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21097, 23 February 1934.

[19] “Inspection of Arms,” Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21097, 23 February 1934.