Established at Trentham in 1958 and formalised by charter on 5 September 1960, the RNZAOC school’s initial function was to”Conduct courses as directed by Army HQ, to recommend personnel for re-employment within the Corps, to assess and test personnel for star classification (later called Band courses) and to recommend improvements in methods and procedures affecting the Corps.” [1]

Over the years, the school developed into one of the most important units of the Corps, with responsibility for

• RNZAOC Supply Training,
• RNZAOC Ammunition Training,
• Tri-Service IED/EOD Training,
• Hosting of major Corps Conferences,
• The development and maintenance of the Corps technical publications,
• The development and conduct of training in all aspects of Corps activities,
• The maintenance of the Corp’s history and heritage.

It is known that two armlets were worn by RNZAOC School Instructors during the school’s existence.

With Instructors of the Royal New Zealand Artillery and Royal New Zealand Engineers approved to wear distinguishing armlets, the Army Dress Committee recommended to the New Zealand Chief of General Staff (CGS), Major General Robin Guy Williams, that permission be granted to allow all instructors of the Army Schools to wear distinguishing armlets. This permission was granted on 9 July 1984, subject to the armlet being a standard size and composition.

On 2 October 1985, the Director of Ordnance Services (DOS), Lieutenant Colonel Terence David McBeth submitted a proposal to the Army Dress Committee that dress regulations be amended to permit the wearing of armlets by RNZAOC School Instructors.

The justification by DOS was that with an instructional staff of fourteen, who as well as working within the environs of the school, were also required to conduct instruction:

• At other military units
• At civilian institutions
• To the personnel of other services

required a distinction such as an armlet to readily distinguish RNZAOC School Instructional staff from not instructional staff.

If approved, the RNZAOC Instructors Armlet was to be

• A 100mm red band (later adjusted to a 90mm band) with a 32mm blue stripe sewn centrally around the band, with
• An RNZAOC Badge sewn centrally over the blue strip and worn facing outwards.

The manufacturing costs were minimal as the material and tailoring could be provided by RNZAOC Tailors, and the badge provided by the RNZAOC Directorate.[2]

At the meeting of the Army Dress Committee on 6 November 1985, as authority for Army School instructors to wear armlets had already been granted by the CGS in 1984, the committee endorsed the RNZAOC submission and it allowed DOS to arrange production of the armlet.[3]

Introduced into use by RNZAOC school Instructors, the armlet was worn until 1994, when the RNZAOC School became the Supply and Ammunition wings of the Army Logistic Centre.

With the reorganisation of the RNZAOC School into the Army Logistic Centre in 1994, a new armlet was introduced. Worn by instructors of the Supply and Ammunition wings of the Army Logistic Center, this armlet was the exact dimensions as the original armlet but with the Crest of the Earl of Liverpool in place of the Ordnance Shield. This armet remained in use until RNZAOC was disestablished and the Trade Training School was established as part of the RNZALR.

Notes

[1] “Charter for the RNZAOC School,”  in Organisation – Policy and General – RNZAOC (Archives New Zealand No R173115371960).

[2] RNZAOC Directorate 18400/12/ord/1 Instructor armlet – RNZAOC School, dated 2 October 1985. “Conferences – Policy and General – NZ Army Dress Committee 1985-86,” Archives New Zealand No R17311895  (1985 – 1986).

[3] Army General Staff, Army 220/5/103 Minutes of a meeting of the Army Dress Committee 6 November 1985.Ibid.