Starting in 1909, New Zealand’s Military Forces transformed remarkably from the outdated volunteer system towards a well-trained and equipped citizen army underpinned by universal military service for specific age groups. Logistically this evolution was enabled by the leadership of Quartermaster General Colonel Alfred Robin and his logistics team of around 150 Permanent Officers, Soldiers, and Civilian staff of the New Zealand Military Forces. The acid test of the transformation was the 4 August 1914 declaration of war, when under Robin’s guidance, the logistics team demonstrated remarkable efficiency, swiftly deploying the Samoa Expeditionary Force within ten days. Within two months, they accomplished another extraordinary feat, dispatching the 8,500-strong NZEF main body, the largest and best-trained military force to leave New Zealand’s shores in the 20th Century.

Beyond these significant deployments, Robin’s logistical efforts played a crucial role in supporting the training of the Territorial Army and establishing and maintaining NZEF reinforcement training camps. As we fast forward to the present day, the New Zealand Military Forces have undergone a significant evolution. Today, the New Zealand Army operates as a volunteer force, boasting a strength of 6,584 personnel and equipped with a comprehensive suite of modern equipment. The Logistics Commander (Land) and the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR) support the modern New Zealand Army.

Despite its smaller size, the modern New Zealand Army possesses a far more comprehensive range of capabilities and combat power compared to the Army of 1914. This stark contrast highlights the transformative journey of New Zealand’s military logistics, showcasing the nation’s significant advancements in military preparedness and effectiveness over the years.

In the lead-up to the First World War, under the command of Lieutenant General Godley, the New Zealand Military Forces of 1914 had a notable strength of 54,843 personnel, comprised of the:

• Regular Cadre:
  • 98 Officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps (NZSC).
  • 211 Warrant Officers (WOs) and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO) of the New Zealand Permanent Staff (NZPS).
  • 315 Officers and Men of the Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA).
  • 4 Officers and 83 Civilians of the Adjutant-Generals Branch.
  • 14 Armourers and cadets of the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC).
  • 36 Civilians of the Defence Stores Department.
• Territorial Force, sustained through Compulsory Military Training and comprised of:
  • 25,684 Territorial Force Officers and Soldiers.
  • 25,332 Senior Cadets.
  • 3,066 men affiliated with Rifle clubs. [1]

These combined forces represented the military structure in 1914, reflecting the comprehensive system to support New Zealand’s defence outputs to raise, train and sustain a local defence force with the capacity “to provide without great disruption an expeditionary force of about 10,000 men”.[2]

Providing the Logistical framework to support this force was New Zealand’s Quartermaster-General, Colonel Alfred Robin and his team of around 150 Regular Cadre Officers, Soldiers and Civilians directly employed in logistics roles as:

• Logistic Staff at Headquarters, New Zealand Military Forces.
• Logistic Staff at Military District Headquarters.
• Logistic Staff in Units.

Logistic Staff of New Zealand’s Military Forces as of April 1914

Logistic Staff at Headquarters, New Zealand Military Forces

Quartermaster Generals Branch

• QMG
  • Colonel A.W Robin, CB, CMG, NZSC
• Assistant QMG
  • Major H.H Browne, NZSC
• Director of Supplies and Transport
  • Vacant
• Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport
  • Major Annesley Craven Robinson, ASC
• Director of Equipment and Stores
  • Honorary Major James O’Sullivan, NZSC
• Assistant Director of Equipment and Stores
  • Honorary Lieutenant E.P Coady, NZSC

Director of Ordnance and Artillery

In 1914, the Director of Ordnance and Artillery, which had held significant responsibilities related to armaments and artillery within the military, was split into the two separate roles of Inspector of Artillery and Inspector of Engineers. The logistic focus of these roles included overseeing armaments, including lights and accessories, managing Defence Department vessels, artillery and engineer vehicles and technical stores and establishing scales for arms and ammunition reserves. The Inspector of Artillery had general control and distribution authority over the RNZA

• Director of Artillery
  • Major (Temp Lt Col) G.N Johnston, Royal Artillery
• Assistant Director and Instructor in Artillery Duties
  • Major J.S Maidlow, Royal Artillery
    • Artillery Stores Accountant
      • Honorary Lieutenant Robert George Vinning Parker, RNZA
• Assistant Director and Instructor in Engineer Duties
  • Lieutenant (Temp Capt) H.M Edwards, Royal Engineers
    • Engineer Stores Accountant
      • Honorary Lieutenant George John Parrell, RNZA

Logistic Staff at Military District Headquarters

Auckland MilitaryDistrict

• District Assistan Quartermaster General (AQMG)
  • Captain R.S Matthews, NZSC
• New Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC)
  • Lieutenant Hubert Harvard Wright, ASC
  • Instructor NZASC, Quartermaster Sergeant John Wass, ASC
• Defence Stores
  • District Storekeeper, Honorary Lieutenant William Thomas Beck, NZSC
  • Clerk, Mr Charles Loomes
  • Armourer Quartermaster Sergeant John Hunter, AOC
  • Armourer Staff Sergeant Rupert Linnemann
  • Arms Cleaner and labourer, Mr J Maher
  • Arms Cleaner and labourer, Mr F Jewiss
  • Arms Cleaner and labourer, Mr Eugene Key
  • Drill Shed Caretaker, Mr J.H Parslow
• Small Arms Ammunition (SAA) Testing officer
  • Honorary Lieutenant Arthur Duvall, NZSC
  • SAA Assistants
    • Mr R.J Fenton
    • Mr B.E Lambert

Wellington Military District

• District AQMG
  • Captain J.Y Bosworth, NZSC
• NZASC
  • ADST, Captain Norman Chivas Hamilton, ASC
  • Instructor NZASC, Staff Sergeant Frank Ostler, ASC
• Defence Stores
  • Director of Equipment and Stores, Honorary Major, James O’Sullivan, NZSC
• • Assistant Director of Equipment and Stores, Honorary Lieutenant E.P Coady, NZSC
• • Clerk, Mr D Hannan
• • Clerk, Mr F Jennings
• • Clerk, Mr T Bland
• • Clerk, Mr J McKitttrick
• • Clerk, Mr T Bland
• • Clerk, Mr J Hopkinson
• • Shorthand writer and typist, Mr A.P Williams
• • Foreman, Mr D Mcintyre
• • Storeman, Mr W.W Dalby
• • Assistant Storeman, Mr J Webb
• • Saddler, Mr H McComish
• • Carpenter, Mt J Hunter
• • Sailmaker and Tentmaker, Mr H.A Stephens
• • Arms Cleaner and Labourer, Mr D Fitzgerald
• • Arms Cleaners and Labourer, Mr J Monahan
• • Magazine Keeper, Mr R.A.C Fredrick
• • Assistant Magazine Keeper, Mr J.A Sloane
• • Armourer Sergeant Major William Edward Luckman, AOC
• • Armourer Quartermaster Sergeant Andrew Archibald Young
• • Armourer Cadet Eric John Hunter
• • Armourer Cadet Reginald Albert Percival Johns
• • Armourer Cadet William Eric O’Sullivan
• • Armourer Cadet J Webb
  • Drill Hall Caretaker, Mr William Day

Canterbury Military District

• District AQMG
  • Captain W.H Meddings, NZSC
• NZASC
  • ADST, Captain Annesley Craven Robinson, ASC
  • Instructor NZASC, Staff Quartermaster Sergeant Philip Petty, ASC
• Defence Stores
  • District Storekeeper, Honorary Lieutenant Arthur Rumbold Carter White, NZSC
  • Storekeepers Assistant, Mr H.F McKay
  • Storekeepers Assistant, Mr Frank Edwin Ford
  • Clerk,
  • Magazine keeper, Mr T Riordan
  • Armourer Quartermaster Sergeant John Alexander Adamson
  • Saddler, Mr H.T Rogers
  • Drill Hall caretaker, Mr William Kett

Otago Military District

• District AQMG
  • Captain W.L Robinson, NZSC
• NZASC
  • ADST, Captain Hector Craven Reid, ASC
  • Instructor NZASC, Staff Sergeant Major John Walter Frederick Cahill, ASC
• Defence Stores
  • District Storekeeper, Honorary Lieutenant Owen Paul McGuigan, NZSC
  • Storekeepers Assistant, Mr J Wood
  • Storekeepers Assistant, Mr J Sanderson
  • Magazine keeper, Mr T Riordan
  • Armourer Quartermaster Sergeant Harold Victor Coyte Reynolds
  • Armourer Staff Sergeant Reginald Samuel Henry Lyons

Logistic Staff in Units

New Zealand Permanent Staff – Regiment Quartermaster Sergeants

In 1914 thirty-one Warrant Officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officers of the RNZA or NZPS held appointments as Regimental Quartermaster Sergeants (RQMS) in all the Mounted Rifle Regiments, Infantry Regiments, and Railway Battalions. All other quartermaster staff, such as Squadron/Company QM Sergeants, were members of the Territorial Force.

• 1st Mounted Rifles (Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry)
• Queen Alexandra’s 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Colin Davis
• 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Charles Greenhead
• 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles
• 5th Mounted Rifles (Otago Hussars)
• 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Edward James Butler
• 7th (Southland) Mounted Rifles
• 8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Hubert Guy Verral Mackenzie
• 9th (Wellington East Coast) Mounted Rifles
• 10th (Nelson) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Thomas James Denton
• 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles
• 12 (Otago) Mounted Rifles
  • Quartermaster Sergeant John Francis Meade

Infantry Regiments

• 1st (Canterbury) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Albert Austin
• 2nd (South Canterbury) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Ernest Matthew Finlayson
• 3rd (Auckland) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Frederick Thomas Bould
• 4th (Otago) Regiment
• 5th (Wellington) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Frederick Thomas Sharpe
• 6th (Hauraki) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant George Dean
• 7th (Wellington West Coast) Regiment
• 8th (Southland) Regiment
• 9th (Hawkes Bay) Regiment
  • Staff Quartermaster Sergeant Livingston Forsyth McNair
• 10th (North Otago) Regiment
  • Staff Quartermaster Sergeant Frederick William Kibblewhite
• 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles)
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Alfred Collins
• 12th (Nelson) Regiment
• 13th (North Canterbury and Westland) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant William Bates
• 14th (South Otago) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant Daniel Patrick Pryde
• 15th (North Auckland) Regiment
• 16th (Waikato) Regiment
• 17th (Ruahine) Regiment
  • Quartermaster Sergeant M.J Coffey

Railway Battalions

• North Island Railway Battalion
  • 824 Quartermaster Sergeant Charles Slattery (Wellington)
• South Island Railway Battalion
  • Quartermaster Sergeant R.J Crichton (Dunedin)

Royal New Zealand Artillery

The permanent Logistic Staff of the RNZA consisted of Ninety six Quartermaster Sergeants, Artificers, Fitter, Farriers, Saddlers and Drivers allocated to the Garrison and Field artillery disturbed across the four Military districts.

RNZA Depot, Wellington

• 576 Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant James Fairley

Garrison Artillery

Auckland Garrison Artillery Division

• Armament Artificers
  • 218 Armament Sergeant Major Thomas Edward Bryce
• Carpenter Artificers
  • 441 Armament Sergeant Major Henry Archibald Campbell
  • 759 Corporal Artificer Hugh Barnhill
• Painter Artificers
  • 719 Quartermaster Sergeant Artificer Sydney Evelyn Wright
• Machinery Artificers
  • 371 Sergeant Major Artificer William Fredrick Rankin
• Instrument Repairing Artificers
  • 642 Quartermaster Sergeant Artificer Walter Frederick Warren

Wellington Garrison Artillery Division

• Armament Artificers
  • 272 Armament Sergeant Major George James Buck
  • 249 Armament Sergeant Major William Edward Moore
  • Sergeant Artificer John Surtees White
  • 1035 Sergeant Artificer Thomas Reid Inch
• Carpenter Artificers
  • 390 Sergeant Major Artificer James Edward Nesbitt
  • 768 Quartermaster Sergeant Artificer Joseph Oliver Pringle Southgate
  • 795 Corporal Artificer Joseph Smith
• Painter Artificers
  • 584 Quartermaster Sergeant Artificer Martin Albert

Garrison Artillery No 3 Company, Port Chalmers

• Armament Artificers
  • 202 Armament Sergeant Major William Carroll
• Carpenter Artificers
  • 125 Corporal Artificer James Martin

Garrison Artillery No 4 Company, Lyttelton

• Carpenter Artificers
  • 376 Armament Sergeant Major Andrew Johnston

Field Artillery

Auckland Field Artillery Brigade

• Farriers
  • 1049 Bombardier Farrier Charles Theodore Gillespie

• Fitters
  • 1361 Fitter Arthur Sydney Richardson
• Saddlers
  • 1027 Bombardier Saddler George Alexander Carter

Wellington Field Artillery Brigade

• Farriers
  • 688 Staff Sergeant Farrier Robert Irvine
  • 1830 Fitter Robert Kerr
• Fitters
  • 1260 Bombardier Fitter Samuel Thompson
  • Fitter Hansen
  • 1362 Fitter William Elswood Ford
• Saddlers
  • 895 Staff Sargent Saddler David Alexander Taylor

Otago Field Artillery Brigade

• Drivers
  • 1010 Corporal Thomas Joseph Mahoney
• Saddlers
  • 1132 Bombardier Saddler William Pollard

In April 1914, New Zealand’s Military Forces underwent a momentous transformation, abandoning the outdated volunteer system in favour of universal military service for specific age groups. This shift led to a well-trained and equipped citizen army, with logistical support provided mainly by Quartermaster General Colonel Alfred Robin and his dedicated logistical team, comprising around 200 Permanent Officers, Soldiers, and Civilian staff.

This article sheds light on the foundational stages of the RNZALR. It honours the dedicated individuals who paved the way for the nation’s preparedness and capability in the lead-up to the First World War. As we fast forward to the present day, the composition of the New Zealand Military Forces has evolved significantly, with the contrast between then and now illustrating the transformative journey of the New Zealand Armys logistics organisation.

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Notes

[1] “H-19 Report on the Defence Forces of New Zealand for the period 20 June 1913 to 25 June 1914,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  (1 January 1914), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1914-I.2.3.2.29.

[2] Ian McGibbon, The path to Gallipoli: Defending New Zealand, 1840-1915 (GP Books, 1991), , 185-86.