This period would see the RNZAOC undertake a range of routine activities whilst continuing to support Regular, Territorial and Compulsory Military Training. [1]
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
- Lieutenant Colonel F Reid, OBE
Compulsory Military Training
During this period three CMT intakes marched in;[2]
- 17th intake of 2800av recruits on 23 June 1955
- 18th intake of 2475av recruits on 15 September 1955
- 19th intake of 2475av recruits on 5 January 1955
Territorial Force Annual Camps
Technical Stores Sectionsd of the Divisional Ordnance Park would exerces on the following dates;
- 11 – 30 January 1956
- 25 January – 13 February 1956
Reorganisation of Territorial Force Units
With effect, the ORBAT Amendment of 28 June 1955, the RNZAOC Ordnance Field Park Platoons were reorganised into the 1(NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park, Organised as;[3]
- Headquarters (Not Raised in Peace)
- MT Stores Platoon, Lower Hutt, plus MT Stores Platoon of Independent Brigade OFP
- Tech Stores Platoon, Christchurch, Plus Tech Stores Platoon of Independent Brigade OFP.
- General Stores Platoon, Hopuhopu, Plus General Stores Platoon of Independent Brigade OFP.
Emergency Force (Kayforce)
The RNZAOC continued to support Kayforce with the dispatch of regular consignments of Maintenance stores and with all requests for stores by Kayforce met.
Out of Kayforce
- Corporal Abraham Barbara, 2 May 1955
- Gunner John Neil Campbell, 21 June 1955
- Sergeant Joseph James Enright Cates, 9 December 1955
- Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two Philip Hayhurst Kirkman, 2 June 1955
- Warrant Officer Class Two Barry Stewart, 13 May 1955
- Corporal Edward Tanguru, 21 June 1955
Small Arms Ammunition
The Manufacture of Small-Arms Ammunition by the Colonial Ammunitions Company at their Mount Eden Factory continued with delivered of first-class ammunitions being well maintained. [4]
Introduction of New Equipment
As new equipment was introduced, the RNZAOC would play an essential role in the acceptance processes. Upon delivery from the supplier, the equipment, accessories, and spares would be received into an RNZAOC Depot. The equipment would be inspected and kitted out with all its accessories before distribution to units. Several examples may have been retained in RNZAOC Depots as War Reserve/Repair and Maintenance Stock depending on the equipment. Maintenance stocks of accessories and spares were maintained as operating stock in RNZAOC depots. If the new equipment contained a weapon system, ammunition specific to the equipment was managed by RNZAOC Ammunition Depots.
During this period, the following equipment was introduced into service;[5]
- Six 5.5in Guns
- Three Scout Cars
- Fifty-five Field Wireless sets
- Fourteen cars
- Thirty-seven commercial type trucks
Equipment Disposal
The following items were disposed of through the Government Stores Board.
- 534 Trucks
- 268 Motorcycles
Ammunition Disposal
With large stocks of ammunition left over for the Second World War, disposal of Unserviceable and surplus stock was authorised in 1955. Small quantities would be routinely disposed of at individual depots with a significant effort put into place to dispose of 3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft ammunition and Various types of Anti-Tank Rounds.
3.7-inch Anti-Aircraft Ammunition
Since the end of the war 17000 rounds of 3.7-inch anti-aircraft ammunition had been stored in unsuitable conditions at Kuku Valley becoming unstable and dangerous with the decision made in 1955 to destroy these stocks.
After many years of poor storage, many storage containers had deteriorated to a stage that increased the risk of explosion during transport. To facilitate the transportation of the unstable ammunition from Kuku Valley to the Demolition Range, a modified armoured truck and trailer was constructed the EME Workshops at Trentham to move the condemned shells for destruction.
Twenty shells would be transported unloaded at the demolition range and in batches of four destroyed by explosion. Destruction of the stockpile began in June 1955 and completed in December 1957.[6]
Anti-Tank Ammunition
In addition to Ammunition disposal at Trentham, The Army still held more than One and a Half Million rounds of various Anti-Tank Ammunition types. As this ammunition was surplus to requirement and belonging to obsolete weapon types, a profit-sharing contract was arranged with the Colonial Ammunition Company (CAC) to dispose of these rounds. Under the terms of the agreement, the CAC would break down and salvage recyclable materials form the wartime stocks of Anti-Tank ammunition, with the army receiving a share of the funds raised by the sale of the salvageable material.
Ammunition Examiners
During this period the following Ammunition Examiners were authorised to carry out routine inspections of ammunition and allocated Ammunition Examiner Serial Numbers.
- Central Military District,
- Lance Corporal G.C Gilbert, Ammunition Examiner Serial No 92.
Honours and Awards
Meritorious Service Medal
- 31004 Warrant Officer Class One William Galloway, 10 November 1955
Long Service and Good Conduct
- 31234 Warrant Officer Class One Athol Gilroy McCurdy, 12 April 1956
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
- Captain and Quartermaster K. A. Bailey, MM, to be Major and Quartermaster. Dated 2 May 1955.[7]
- Captain (temp. Major) K. G. K. Cropp, E.D., to be Major. Dated 26 May 1955.[8]
- Lieutenant G. W. Peters is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, The Royal N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps, with the rank of Lieutenant. Dated 18 June 1955.[9]
- Captain (temp. Major) D. E. A. Roderick to be Major. Dated 27 May 1955. [10]
- Captain E. W. Whitacre to be Major. Dated 30 May 1955. [11]
- Captain 0, H. Burn to be Major. Dated 1 June 1955. [12]
- Captain (temp. Major) C. A. Penny to be Major. Dated 30 May 1955.[13]
- Captain H. S. Sandford to be Major. Dated 17 June 1955.[14]
- Captain (temp. Major) H. J. Mockridge is posted to the Retired List with the rank of Major. Dated 22 September 1955.[15]
- Lieutenant H. G. Rees is posted to the Retired· List with the ·rank of Captain. Dated 9 October 1955.[16]
- Captain and Quartermaster G. G. W. Blandford is posted to the Retired List. ·Dated 1 November 1955.[17]
- 31617 W.O. I Ray Henry Colwill to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Dated 9 January 1956.[18]
- 31253 WO II William John McCluggage to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Dated 9 January 1956.[19]
- 32171 Staff Sergeant George Witherman McCullough to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Dated 9 January 1956.[20]
- 31244 WO I William John Stanley Tavendale to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Dated 9 January 1956.[21]
Regular Force (Supernumerary List)
- Captain (Temp. Major) · S. A. Knight is posted ‘to the· Retired List, with Lieutenant Colonel’s rank. Dated 16 February 1956.[22] [23]
- Captain and Quartermaster N. C. Fisher is posted to the Retired List, with Major and Quartermaster’s rank, dated 14 March 1956.[24]
Territorial Force
- Captain T.H. Beauchamp, from the Reserve of Officers, General List, The Royal N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps, to be Captain with seniority from 23 August 1954, and is appointed Officer Commanding, 1st Armoured Regiment, Light Aid Detachment, RNZEME Dated 1 July 1955.[25]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the RNZAOC
- 31383 Sergeant Hector Searle McLachlan, promoted to Staff Sergeant, 1 April 1955.
Notes
[1] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1954 to 31 March 1955 “, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1955).
[2] Peter Cooke, Fit to Fight. Compulsory Military Training and National Service in New Zealand 1949-72 (Auckland: David Ling Publishing, 2013), 539.
[3] “Organisation and Administration: Units – Territorial: Formation and Organisation – 1 Divisional Officer[?] Rnzaoc [Royal New Zealand Army Ordinance Corps] M/T {Motor Transport] Stores Platoon (Lower Hutt),” Archives New Zealand Item No R22496443 (1950-55).
[4] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1955 to 31 March 1956,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1956).
[5] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1954 to 31 March 1955 “.
[6] Howard Weddell, Trentham Camp and Upper Hutt’s Untold Military History (Howard Weddell, 2018), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 187-88.
[7] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 41, 23 June 1955.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 43, 7 July 1955.
[14] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 45, 14 July 1955.
[15] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 60, 22 September 1955.
[16] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 69, 10 November 1955.
[17] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 3, 19 January 1955.
[18] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 10, 23 February 1956.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 13, 8 March 1956.
[23] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 34, 14 June 1956.
[24] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 23, 12 April 1956; “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 29, 17 May 1956.
[25] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 48, 28 July 1955.
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