The New Zealand military presence in Singapore is an established chapter of New Zealand’s military historiography. Material related to the background and history of the ANZUK Force, the New Zealand Force South East Asia, and 1 RNZIR is readily available. However, information on many of the New Zealand sub-units is more challenging to locate. One unit that was an integral component of the NZ Force of the 1970s and 80s and continues to serve as part of the residual force maintained by New Zealand in Singapore is the Installation Auxiliary Police Force (IAPF).
Upon the 1989 closure of New Zealand Force South East Asia (NZFORSEA), the New Zealand Defence Support Unit (NZDSU) was created to maintain New Zealand’s military presence in Singapore. Located at the Sembawang Naval Installation (SNI), the NZDSU provides Singapore-based deployable support to NZ Forces throughout Southeast Asia. The NZDSU also contributes to the security of allied (US, UK and Australian) forces in Singapore through the provision of the IAPF. The NZDSU commands the IAPF, whose principal responsibility is the provision of Physical security to the SNI, including checks of all personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the Installation.
The IAPF is a small force 56 Singapore Auxiliary Police Officers (APO) and operates under the authority of Section 92(1) or (2) of the Police Force Act 2000. Under the provision of this Act the IAPF is vested with all the power, protection and immunity of a Singapore police officer of corresponding rank. As Singapore APO’s, members of the IAPF are licensed to carry firearms when carrying out their duties.
The NZ IAPF originally wore colonial-era Khaki uniforms with the iconic “Kiwi” patch. From around 2000, the uniforms of the IAPF were modernised and standard Singapore police uniforms adopted. The uniform is worn with a IAPF and Kiwi patch worn on each sleeve.
In 1987 RNZAOC Warrant Officer Class Two Wayne Le Gros, wrote the following article on the history of the IAPF for the Journal of the New Zealand Military Society, who have granted permission for it to be reprinted here .
HISTORY OF THE INSTALLATION AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE
Provided by W.Le Gros
The Installations Auxiliary Police Force was formed on I December 1971 as a result of withdrawal of UK Forces from Singapore. The creation of the lAPF was legalised vide Singapore Government Gazette Notification No. 171 dated 21 January 1972.
Prior to the creation of the IAPF, the MOD (UK) maintained huge military bases for its navy, army and air force. Each had its own police force to maintain security of the installations. Although the exact size of its own police forces is not known, it is estimated that there were about 2,000 people employed as policemen. These 2,000 policemen were not all Singapore citizens. Many were Malaysians, Indians and Pakistanis. Some possessed UK Citizenship. This was permissible because Singapore was then a British colony.
With the disbandment of MOD(UK) police forces following the withdrawal of UK Forces from Singapore, all the foreign nationals were retrenched and they either returned to UK or to their own countries. The few hundred policemen that remained were Singapore citizens and in the final stage of the military withdrawal, these Singapore citizens did not escape the retrenchment exercise which ended on 30 November 1971. Singapore citizens who were under 45 years at that time were absorbed into the newly created IAPF.
It is interesting to note here that although the Navy, Army and Air Force had its own police forces, not all police personnel received the same training. The Navy sent its police recruits to the Singapore Police Training School for 9 months of basic police training. The Army and Air Force had their own training schools, but they concentrated more on physical security. Hence when the IAPF started in 1971, IAPF personnel had different police training background. This was however streamlined when the IAPF organised refresher courses for all its personnel.
All IAPF personnel carry warrant cards issued by the Commissioner of Police Singapore. They have the same powers, protection and immunities of a Singapore police officer of corresponding rank within the area under the jurisdiction of NZ Force S.E. Asia providing also that they have the same powers etc outside the area when in fresh pursuit of or in charge of any person who has committed or is suspected of having committed an offence within the limits of such an area or within view outside such an area.
All IAPF personnel are subject to discipline under the Auxiliary Police Regulations and have a right of appeal to the Commissioner of Police, Singapore on disciplinary matters. The promotion of any IAPFpersonnel is subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Police. Before any personnel can be promoted, he must present himself before a 3-member Joint Promotion Board convened by the Commissioner of Police. The Chairman of the Joint Promotion Board will be a senior Singapore Police Officer while the other two members are OC IAPF and NZ CEPO, the employing authority.
The IAPF when first established in 1971 under the ANZUK Command had 400 personnel and was commanded by Supt. SK. Sundram, (equivalent to Lt. Col. Rank) a retired Singapore Police Officer. It had 1 Asst. Supt, 9 Inspectors and the rest was made up of constables, corporals and sergeants. In 1975, when Australia and UK withdrew from the ANZUK Command, 62 personnel made up of 2 officers and 60 rank and tile were transferred 10 NZ Force S.E Asia and formed the NZ IAPF. Today, the strength is reduced to 50 personnel as a result of an overall review carried out in 1984.
The NZ IAPF is responsible with the:-
Protection of life and property within the NZ/UK Forces installations
Control of entry of all persons to NZ/UK Forces installations
Cash/ammunition escorts
Although the IAPF is a small auxiliary police force, it performs a variety of duties. As most of its personnel have given many years of faithful service, the loyalty and devotion of these personnel have always remained steadfast to this date.
The RNZAOC experienced a momentous period marked by key developments. Establishing the RNZAOC School was a notable milestone, alongside identifying challenges related to officer recruitment. This era also witnessed the realisation of plans to modernize and equip the Army with state-of-the-art resources. The initial deliveries of new equipment arrived, replacing a significant portion of the outdated wartime equipment and contributing to the transformation of the Army into a modern and well-equipped force.
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
Temporary Lieutenant Colonel H. McK. Reid
Chief Inspecting Ordnance Officer
Major JW Marriot
Officer Commanding Main Ordnance Depot
Major Harry White, from 1 May 1959
RNZAOC School
Chief Instructor – Major Harry White
Regimental Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer Class One Alfred Wesseldine
2nd Battalion, the New Zealand Regiment
In July 1959, the 2nd Battalion of the New Zealand Regiment was reestablished at Waiouru. The battalion embarked on a rigorous workup and training phase, preparing them for their deployment to Malaya in November 1959, where they would relieve the 1st Battalion. To support the training and preparations of the 2nd Battalion, the RNZAOC furnished the battalion with the essential equipment it required by drawing from existing stocks. This ensured that the battalion was fully equipped from the ground up to fulfil its operational requirements.
Establishment of RNZOAC School
Upper Hutt City Library (29th Jan 2020). Trentham Camp; Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps School sign.. In Website Upper Hutt City Library. Retrieved 14th Jul 2020 11:51, from https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1335
Under discussion by the Army Board since 1956, the RNZAOC School was established in September 1959. Established within the Peacetime Establishment of the Main Ordnance Depot, the RNZAOC School would be under HQ Ordnance Services’ direct control and independent of the Army Schools.[1]
The initial school organisation would be.
A Headquarters,
Chief Instructor – Major Harry White
School Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer Class One Wesseldine
Ammunition Wing
Stores and Vehicle Wing
The function of the RNZAOC School would be to run courses and training for RF and TF personnel of the RNZAOC, including
Star Classification Courses – particularly for Storeman/Clerks RNZAOC and Ammunition Examiners.
Promotion courses for both officers and ORs.
Recruit training RNZAOC Personnel, including Recruit training for Group 2 personnel.
Advanced training for both officers and ORs, in all types of Ordnance activities.
Technical training in ordnance subjects, e.g. Inspecting Ordnance Officer courses.
Preservations and packing etc.
Refresher training for qualified personnel.
Other courses notified in the annual Forecast of Courses.
Additionally, as directed by DOS, the RNZAOC School was required to.
Plan and hold conferences and training exercises.
Draft procedure instructions.
Test, or comment on new procedures, materials, or equipment.
Research various aspects of Ordnance activities.
The first course conducted by the RNZAOC School would be an instructor’s Course conducted in late 1959.
First Instructors Course, 1959.
Chief Instructor Major Harry White is seated 3rd from left.
Officer in the front Centre id Makor K.G Cropp.
Robert Mckie RNZAOC Collection
Officer Shortfall
A projection of planned retirements for RNZAOC Officers up until 1962 indicated that a total of seventeen officers would be leaving the service. Historically, the main method of filling RNZAOC officer positions had been through the commissioning of Other Ranks with Quartermaster Commissions. However, since November 1956, only three officers had joined the RNZAOC directly as officers.
Upon evaluating the planned officer retirements in relation to the RNZAOC officer establishment, it was discovered that the organization faced a deficiency of six officers. This shortage highlighted two significant issues that needed to be addressed.
The RNZAOC Officer Corps was becoming a Corps of old men, with 83% of Officers in the 39 to 54 age group
The RNZAOC Other Ranks Structure was denuded of the best SNCO’s and Warrant Officers.
To rectify the situation, the following recommendations were made.
The RNZAOC press for an increased intake from Duntroon and Portsea of graduates to the RNZAOC.
Suitable officers no older than 30 years of age, and in the two to four-year Lieutenant bracket, be encouraged to change Corps to the RNZAOC.
Further commissioning of QM officers be strongly resisted unless there was no other alternative.
Conferences
Over the period 1 -3 September 1959, DOS hosted a conference at Army HQ for the District DADOS, Officer Commanding MOD, and the Ordnance Directorate members. The general agenda of the meeting included.[2]
Local purchase of stores by DADOS
Training of group 2 Personnel
RNZAOC School
Provision Problems
Surplus Stores
Personnel – postings and promotions
DADOS and OC MOD were required to provide in duplicate, personnel lists by unit containing.
Regimental No, rank, and name
Marital Status
Establishment statue, either PES, CSS or HSS
Present posting
Purchases for RF Brigade Group
District Problems
Small Arms Ammunition
With the introduction of the 7.62mm rifle, the Colonial Ammunitions Company (CAC) faced the task of transitioning its manufacturing from the existing .303 calibre to the new 7.62mm calibre. Having served as the supplier of Small Arms Ammunition to the Defence Force since 1888, the CAC was committed to maintaining this longstanding relationship. The company invested in the necessary tools and machinery to produce 7.62mm ammunition to fulfil this commitment. During this period, they successfully completed their first production run of the new calibre. While the NZ Army possessed sufficient stocks of .303 ammunition for the foreseeable future, the CAC retained the capability to manufacture .303 ammunition if needed.
Introduction of New Equipment
The RNZAOC played a vital role in the acceptance processes of newly introduced equipment. Upon arrival from the supplier, the equipment, accessories, and spare parts were received at the Main Ordnance Depot. Thorough inspections were conducted, and the equipment was outfitted with all necessary accessories before being distributed to the respective units. Depending on the equipment, a few examples might have been retained in RNZAOC Depots as War Reserve/Repair and Maintenance Stock.
RNZAOC depots maintained maintenance stocks of accessories and spare parts as operating stock to ensure operational readiness. If the new equipment included a weapon system, the RNZAOC Ammunition Depots managed the specific ammunition required. During this period, the following equipment was introduced into service;[3]
110 Land Rover Series 2a 109.
144 Truck 3-Ton Bedford RL, 48 fitted with a winch
3 Ferret Mark 1/1 Scout Car
270 Wireless Sets. C45 – VHF transceiver,
2000 9mm Sub Machine Gun Sterling Mk4 L2A3.
500 7.62 mm Self Loading Rifle, L1A1 (SLR).
Uniforms
The Clothing and Equipment Committee approved the adoption of a standardized training uniform for New Zealand soldiers across all conditions within New Zealand. This uniform would serve as the foundational attire for training purposes.
Boots (Fory types under trial and development)
Anklets (Australian pattern)
Shirt (light wool)
Trouser ( Green drill material cut to UK pattern)
Hat (Jungle Type)
Disposals
In August 1958, the Army established a new organization dedicated to handling the declaration and disposal of surplus and obsolete equipment. Since August 1959, this disposal organization has declared over 9,000 lines, encompassing thousands of items, to the Government Stores Board for Disposal.
Ammunition Disposal
The disposal process for dangerous or obsolete ammunition continued, dumping over 900 tons of outdated ammunition at sea. Approximately 130,000 rounds of hazardous artillery ammunition were also destroyed through controlled burning or detonation.
Efforts were made to salvage the maximum amount of recyclable metal whenever feasible. These salvage operations yielded around £10,000 (equivalent to NZD $243,276 in 2020) from the sale of scrap metal and containers.[4]
Ration Packs
In 1959, the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps (RNZASC) assembled a total of 24,000 one-person 24-hour Ration Pack No. 1 following successful user trials. These ration packs, accompanied by newly introduced solid fuel cookers, were extensively utilized by the 2nd Battalion of the NZ Regiment during the build-up training for Malaya and by the Territorial Force during the Annual Camp.
Shooting Competition
Staff Sergeant I.G Campbell, RNZAOC was selected by the National Rifle Association as a team member representing New Zealand at 91st Annual Prize Meeting at Bisley in the United Kingdom, 4- 20 July 1960.
Award of Army Sports Colours
Major D.E. Roderick from Auckland was awarded the 1960 Army Sports Colours in appreciation of his notable contribution to Army Sport. Major Roderick excelled as a representative of the Army in cricket, hockey, and badminton and played a pivotal role in developing sports facilities at Trentham Camp. Additionally, within the RNZAOC, Major Roderick held a longstanding membership with the Upper Hutt Cricket Club and served as both a player and administrator for the MOD Cricket team. [5]
Honours and Awards
British Empire Medal
Sergeant (Temporary Staff Sergeant) Maurice William Loveday, Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Regular Force), of Trentham.[6]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Major Ronald Geoffrey Patrick O’Connor is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, Royal NZ Army Ordnance, in Major’s rank, 4 May 1959.[7]
Major and Quartermaster K. A. Bailey, M.M., having reached retiring age for rank, is transferred to the Supernumerary list, and granted an extension of his engagement until 12 January 1960, 11 August 1959.[8]
Captain Frederick George Cross is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, Royal NZAOC, in the rank of Captain, 1 September 1959. [9]
Captain L. C. King is re-engaged for a period of one year, as from 4 October 1959.[10]
Captain (temp. Major) J. Harvey relinquishes the temporary rank of Major, 6 March 1960.[11]
Regular Force (Supernumerary List)
Major and Quartermaster K. A. Bailey, MM., is granted an extension of his engagement for one year from 13 January 1960.[12]
Captain and Quartermaster S. H. E. Bryant is re-engaged for one year as from 28 October 1959.[13]
Captain and Quartermaster R. P. Kennedy, E.D., is re-engaged for a period of one year as from 13 April 1960.[14]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster George Witherman McCullough is posted to the Retired List, 12 February 1960.[15]
2nd Lieutenant J. T. Skedden to be Lieutenant, 12 December 1959.[16]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster R. H. Colwill to be temporary Captain and Quartermaster, 9 February 1960.[17]
Territorial Force
Captain Keith Stothard Brown relinquishes the appointment of OC, Technical Stores Platoon, 1st Divisional Ordnance Field Park, RNZAOC and is posted to the Retired List, 4 August 1959.[18]
Reserve of Officers
Captain Hugo Sarginsone posted to the Retired List, 10 July 1959.[19]
Captain Noel Lester Wallburton posted to the Retired List, 10 August 1959.[20]
Captain Sidney Paxton Stewart posted to the Retired List, I September 1959. [21]
Major Percival Nowell Erridge, MBE posted to the Retired List, 25 December 1959.[22]
Major Alexander Basil Owen Herd, from the British Regular Army Reserve· of Officers, to be Major, 3 October I 959.[23]
Major Frank Owen L’Estrange, from the British Regular Army Reserve of Officers, to be Major, 11 November 1959.[24]
Captain Cyril Peter Derbyshire, from the British Regular Army Reserve of Officers, to be Captain, 1 January 1960.[25]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, and men of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
H594833 Private David Orr NZ Regiment Transferred into the RNZAOC, November 1959.
B31685 Staff Sergeant Ian McDonald Russell promoted to Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two, 23 June 1959.
Notes
[1] “Charter for the Rnzaoc School,” in Organisation – Policy and General – RNZAOC (Archives New Zealand No R173115371960); Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992), 176-77, 252.
[2]Conferences – Ordnance Officers, Item Id R17188101 (Wellington: Archives New Zealand, 1950).
[3] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1959 to 31 March 1960,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1960).
This period would see a significant shift in the focus of the Army’s effort. The Government had decided to retain the force structure to meet the requirements of a global war and transform the regular Army into a force capable of meeting the needs of limited War. This would see Compulsory Military Training end, and Territorial Training becoming Voluntary and the Regular Force’s operational framework modified, with recruiting initiated to build up the force and new equipment purchased within the limits of available finances.[1]
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
Lieutenant Colonel H. McK. Reid.
Commanding Officer Main Ordnance Depot
Major O.H Burn to 21 July 1958
Major G.J.H Atkinson from 21 July 1958
United Nations Posting
In July 1958, Major O.H Burn was assigned as a United Nations military observer in the Middle East, assuming the role of a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. However, due to a typographical error, Major Burn was erroneously listed as promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the New Zealand gazette. This promotion would have made him New Zealand’s sole Lieutenant General during peacetime.
A correction stating his correct rank of temporary lieutenant colonel was scheduled to be published in the Gazette to rectify this mistake. However, before the correction could be made, numerous facetious friends sent messages of congratulations to Lt Col Burn. Unfortunately, these messages likely perplexed him as he had already departed from New Zealand before the notice appeared in the Gazette.
Compulsory Military Training
During this period one CMT intakes marched in with the RNZAOC recruits posted to 1 (NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park on completion of initial training;[2]
27th intake of 1542 recruits on 1 May 1958
28th intake planned for August 1958 but not held
After 63,033 men were trained under the CMT Scheme, the Labour Government halted the CMT scheme and replaced the 1949 Military Training Act with the National Service Registration Act 1958 in early 1958.
Conferences
DOS Conference 27-29 May 1958
Hosted by the DOS at Army HQ, the agenda for this meeting included.[3]
Survey of Stores – Army 246/37/1/Q(Org) of 6 October 57.
Accounting
Clothing
Demands
Identification of items
Bright Steel nuts and bolts
Trade names and trade equivalents
Finance
Vapour proof packaging of stores
Use of export cases
General
District problems
Further Army HQ problems if necessary
Uniforms
During this period, RNZAOC ordnance Depots and clothing stores would introduce the following new uniform types.[4]
Males Other Rank Service Dress – this uniform was issued to all-male soldiers of the Regular Force.
Jungle Green Drill – the issue of Jungle Green uniforms to replace uniforms previously produced in Khaki Drill also commenced.
NZWRAC Uniform – The issue of new summer dress consisting of a green short-sleeved frock commenced. Production of a new pattern green went into production.
Disposals
Vehicles
One hundred ninety-five vehicles from 5-ton trucks to motorcycles were declared surplus to the Government Stores Board.
Ammunition
By the end of December 1958, the Makomako, Waiouru and Belmont Ammunition areas had concluded the destruction of 317,440 items of ammunition ranging from detonators to 9.2in Cartridges; this included the detonation of 108 tons of Explosives with an additional 1217 tons of ammunition dumped at sea. Makomako was cleared of dangerous ammunition.
Move of Central Districts Vehicle Depot to Linton
As part of the Central Districts Vehicle Depot (CDVD) move to Linton during 1958, consideration was given to retaining some of the functions of the CDVD within the Main Ordnance Deport. To this end, the MOD Vehicle group was established. The MOD Vehicle group took over the existing CDVD compound at Trentham and had the following responsibilities:[5]
Receipt, processing, and issue of all new vehicles.
Custody of vehicles that were considered as part of the Army Reserve Stocks.
Custody and disposal of vehicles held by CDVD Trentham that were considered surplus or had or been declared for disposal.
This ensured that when the CDVD completed its move to Linton, only the vehicles and equipment needed to operate were transferred to Linton.
Army truck (CDVD Pool Vehicle) crossing the river at Otaki Forks 10 February 1959. Ref: EP/1959/0444-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23262911
Linton Camp Ordnance Depot Issues
Since its establishment in 1946, the Central Districts Ordnance Depots had occupied accommodation buildings in the North West corner of Linton Camp in what had initially been the wartime RNZAF Base Linton. Two additional warehouses had been assembled in 1949; however, storage space remained at a premium. Some example of the issues faced by the Ordnance Depot was; [6]
Block 1 Clothing Store – unable to be heated and uncomfortable for staff due to the risk of fire caused by the large quantity of clothing packaged with Naphthalene. This created a potential fire risk due to the Salamander heaters used for heating buildings.
S&T Block Tent Store – a multi-purpose building, used as a tent Store, repair shop and Traffic Centre. This building required repairs and was in such a state that it could not be secured against illegal entry. As the MOW estimated repairs to this building to cost at least £2000 (2020 NZ$49,882.32), the authority to repair would require approval from the DCRE. However, the DCRE had advised that this building was not worth repairing, with no alternative accommodation the Ordnance Depot was in a difficult position.
It was advised in December 1958 that because of the preliminary site investigation for a new Ordnance Depot conducted the previous year, a new building covering 125,000 sq. ft be constructed for the Ordnance Depot over the next three years.
Pending decision on the new Ordnance Depot building, the decision was made that the number of prefabricated buildings then been erected for the CDVD be increased from three to Four with the additional structure allocated to the Ordnance Depot as storage accommodation.
Central Districts Ordnance Depot, Linton Camp 1958
Ration Packs
During the 1959 annual camp, the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps (RNZASC) conducted trials of a specially designed four-person, 24-hour rations pack to streamline the Armoured units’ food supply. The pack was assembled using readily available commercial items, and feedback from both the 1 and 4 Armoured Regiments was positive.
Drawing on the experiences of the NZ SAS and NZ Regiments in Malaya, where soldiers had to carry and prepare their own rations during jungle operations, the RNZASC recognized the need for a lightweight 24-hour ration pack. To meet this emerging requirement, they were in the process of developing such a pack.[7]
Cricket Tour
In February 1959, the RNZAOC hosted a cricket tour to New Zealand by the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC). Major Derrick Roderick, a leading player for the RNZAOC tour to Australia in 1955, would act as the RNZAOC Liaison Officer for the RAAOC tour.[8]
Over a period of three weeks, the RAAOC Cricket team would tour New Zealand, playing matches at;
Devonport Oval vs Ordnance Northern Military District, NZ Lost by 20 Runs
Linton Camp vs Ordnance Central Military District, Draw
Trentham camp vs RNZAOC XI, NZ lost by 11 Runs
Burnham Camp vs Ordnance Southern Military District, NZ Lost
Trentham Camp vs Main Ordnance Depot, NZ lost
The tour was finalised on 19 February with a farewell Ball at the Trentham Camp Badminton Hall. The New Zealand Director of Ordnance Services, Lt-Col H. McK. Reid made presentations to all Australian tour members on behalf of the RNZAOC. The Australian team manager, Colonel C. V. Anderson, OBE, on behalf of the RAAOC team, thanked the RNZAOC for the hospitality and entertainment provided throughout the tour, presenting magnificent silver salvers to the Trentham Officers and Sergeants messes. The visitors were farewelled the following day, returning to Australia on the MS Wanganella.[9]
Honours and Awards
Long Service and Good Conduct
31259 Warrant Officer Class One Maurice Sidney Phillips, 26 March 1959
Secondment to British Army
On 27 March 1958 Major Francis Anness Bishop RNZAOC began a secondment with the British Army. Attached to the 17th Gurkha Division/Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya), Major Bishop would be the Divisions Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General (DAQMG).[10]
Staff College, Camberley
Captain C.L Sanderson, RNZAOD represented the New Zealand Army on the 1959 Staff College Course at Camberley in the United Kingdom.[11]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Lieutenant and Quartermaster A.F James to be Captain and Quartermaster, 1 April 1958.[12]
Captain Ellis Charles Green MBE., is posted to the Retired List in the rank of Major, 12 May 1958.[14]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster J.E Hutchinson to be Captain and Quartermaster, 1 April 1958.[15]
Major 0.H Burn to be Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, 26 July 1958.[16]
Captain G.J.H Atkinson, MBE., to be Temporary Major, 21 July 1958.[17]
Captain and Quartermaster S.H.E Bryant is transferred to the Supernumerary List on reaching retiring age for rank, 27 October 1958.[18]
Major Patrick William Rennison is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, RNZAOC, with the rank of Major, 21 October 1958.[19]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster A. Fraser to be Temporary Captain and Quartermaster, 16 September 1958. [20]
Major (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) H McK Reid to be Lieutenant-Colonel, 30 October 1958.[21]
Lieutenant J.B Glasson to be Temporary Captain, 16 September 1958.[22]
Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) J.B Glasson to be Captain Dated 9 December 1958. [23]
Captain C.C Pipson is transferred to the Supernumerary List on reaching retiring age for rank and is re-engaged for a period of one year, 22 February 1959.[24]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster R.J Crossman to be Captain and Quartermaster, l 5 March 1959.[25]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster G.W Dudman to be Captain and Quartermaster, 15 March 1959.[26]
Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) and Quartermaster A Fraser to be Captain and Quartermaster, I 5 March 1959.[27]
Captain (Temporary Major) G.J.H. Atkinson, MBE., to be Major, 6 March 1959.[28]
Regular Force (Supernumerary List)
Captain and· Quartermaster G.A Perry, E.D., re-engaged for a period of one year, as from 1 April 1958.[29]
Captain and Quartermaster S.H.E Bryant re-engaged for a period of one year, 27 October 1958. [30]
Captain and Quartermaster Alfred Golian posted to the Retired List, 17 January l 959.[31]
RESERVE OF OFFICERS
Lieutenant J.H Mead relinquishes his commission, 1 July 1958.[32]
Major William Patrick Chester-Dixon, from the British Regular Army Reserve of Officers, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, 16 May 1958.[33]
Captain F.H Pike relinquishes his commission, 5 November 1958.[34]
The under-mentioned were posted from the General List to the Retired List:
Alan Ernest Osborne to be 2nd Lieutenant and is posted to the Technical Stores Platoon, 1st Divisional Ordnance Field Park, RNZAOC, 1 August 1958.[47]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, and men of the RNZAOC
A30054 Sergeant Bryan Nelson Jennings promoted to Staff Sergeant, 13 October 1958.[48]
31383 Staff Sergeant Hector Searle McLachlan promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two, 1 April 1958.[49]
31259 Warrant Officer Class Two Maurice Sidney Phillips promoted to Warrant Officer Class One, 14 October 1958.[50]
31246 Warrant Officer Class Two Douglas Keep Wilson promoted to Warrant Officer Class One, 13 October 1958.[51]
Notes
[1] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1958 to 31 March 1959,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1959).
[2] Peter Cooke, Fit to Fight. Compulsory Military Training and National Service in New Zealand 1949-72 (Auckland: David Ling Publishing, 2013), 539.
[3]Conferences – Ordnance Officers, Item Id R17188101 (Wellington: Archives New Zealand, 1950).
[4] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1958 to 31 March 1959.”
[5] “Organisation – Policy and General – Rnzaoc “, Archives New Zealand No R17311537 (1946 – 1984).
[6]Buildings, Linton Camp, Central Ordnance Depot, Item Id R9428308 (Wellington: New Zealand Archives, 1955 – 1968 ).
[7] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1958 to 31 March 1959.”
[8] Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992), 177-78.
[9] “Australian Ordnance Farwelled,” Upper Hutt Leader, Volume XVI, Number 7 26 February 1959 1959.
[10] “Recommendations for Honours or Awards,” The National Archives (UK) Ref WO 373/135/420 1960.
[11] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1958 to 31 March 1959.”
[12] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 28, 8 April 1958.
[13] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 34, 5 june 1958.
[15] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 36, 12 june 1958.
[16] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 52, 21 August 1958.;”Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 56, 11 September 1958.
[17] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.”
[18] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 58, 25 September 1958.
[19] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 68, 6 November 1958.
[45] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.”
[46] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 71, 20 November 1958.
[47] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 7, 12 February 1959.
[48] Howard E. Chamberlain, Service Lives Remembered : The Meritorious Service Medal in New Zealand and Its Recipients, 1895-1994 ([Wellington, N.Z.]: H. Chamberlain, 1995), 242.
The New Zealand Army’s contribution to the UNITAF and UNOSOM Missions consisted of.
NZ Supply Detachment, November 1992 to July 1993
Army personnel attached to 42 Squadron RNZAF, January to May 1993
NZ Supply Platoon July 1993 to January 1994
NZ Supply Platoon January 1994 to June 1994
Staff attached to UN Headquarters 1992 to 1995
Uniforms worn by the NZ troops in Somalia were based around the standard NZ Army Disruptive Pattern material (DPM) temperate uniform that had been introduced in the late 1980s. Shirts were worn with sleeves rolled up and shirts untucked.
Each contingent had variations of what and how items could be worn, but, the combinations worn were not too dissimilar between contingents.
Ceremonial or Parade Dress
On rare ceremonial occasions, the DPM Uniform was worn with the shirt tucked in with.
Blue UN Beret
Blue UN cravat
Stable Belt of the individual’s Corps
Working Dress
Due to the harsh environment, a relaxed and comfortable working dress was adopted, which was worn in several variations, including
T-Shirt/Singlet, Shorts, Boots
T-Shirt/singlet, DPM Trouser, Boots
The Green T-Shirt was the standard issue NZ Army PT Shirt, however on occasion some individuals wore DPM T-Shirts or green civilian T-Shirts.
Although issue of the Green Single had ceased in the early 1980’s, some of the longer serving solders wore these older items.
The Black Shorts worn were either the standard NZ Army issue PT Short, “Singapore” Shorts or civilian items such as Canterbury Rugby Shorts.
Issue Green T-Shirt and Singapore Shorts
Old issue Single and DMP trou
Headdress
Headdress won by NZ Troops in Somalia consisted of.
NZ Army Beret with Corps Badge
UN Blue Beret
UN Blue Baseball cap
PASGT Kevlar Helmet
NZ Army Beret with Corps Badge
Usually only worn in transit from NZ to arrival in Somalia
UN Blue Beret
Issued from UN Stocks in Theatre, apart from Ceremonial occasions, rarely worn
UN Blue Baseball cap
Issued from UN Stocks, worn daily.
PASGT Kevlar Helmet
Worn daily. Use of covers on Kevlar helmets was not standardised, some were worn with covers others without covers.
NZ Manufactured Blue Covers designed for the PASGT helmets were utilised, these were plain blue with no markings.
Blue Covers designed for the M1 Steel helmet were also utilised, as were covers designed for the M1 Helmet in the various types of NZ DPM Pattern.
Blue UN Cover
No Cover
M1 Helmet DPM Cover
Boots
Although the DMP uniform was not designed for the climate, some consideration to climate appropriate footwear was given and Desert Boots were issued. Manufactured by New Zealand boot manufacturer John Bull, the Desert Boots were made of Tan Suede with synthetic rubber soles.
Each soldier was issued with two pairs of Desert boots; however a few individuals also wore the standard Black GP Boot.
Dress embellishments
Rank Insignia
As per the NZ Military conventions of the day, Rank insignia was worn as follows.
NCO Rank worn on a Brassard on the right shoulder,
Warrant Officer Rank on a wristband on the right wrist,
Officer Rank worn on a rank slide on the shoulder epaulettes of the DPM Shirt.
Mission Brassard
The Mission Brassard was worn on the Left shoulder and consisted of the UN patch above an NZ Flag. There is evident of examples of the mission Brassard worn with the badges reversed as well. As Officers and Warrant Officers wore their rank on the shoulder and wrist, there are also example of the Mission Brassard worn on the right shoulder.
National Insignia
In addition to the NZ Flag on the Mission Brassard, a variation of the standard New Zealand shoulder tab that had been worn on overseas mission since the Second World War was worn affixed to the epaulets of each shoulder.
Trade and Appointment Badges
Some trade and appointment badges, such as the Ammunition Technician Badge and Medic Red Cross, were worn on the Mission Brassard.
Protective Vests and Body Amour
The New Zealand Army Body Armour of choice at the time was the Light Fragmentation Vest. A piece of kit unsuitable of the operating environment, which served more as confidence booster than as a practical protective measure.
From 1994 some of the Staff posted to the UN HQ were issued with the much more capable Bristol Type 23 Body Amour.
Load Carrying Equipment
Each NZ Soldier deployed to Somalia with the standard NZ Harness Webbing, being the early 90’s there was no set configurations with a variety of different pouches utilised with a basic set consisting of a minimum of Two Magazine pouches and Two Water Bottles and First Aid Pouch.
Due to the operating environment and the impartibility of wearing harness webbing in vehicles at the workplace, most individuals seldom used their webbing, with most sets spending the entire tour sitting under the individual’s cot, only to be dragged out for the occasional stand to.
Early on when the threat was perceived as low, a single spare magazine was carried in the pocket of the Frag Vest. As the treat level increased and the need to have additional ammunition at hand, many contingent members utilised a simple belt order consisting of pistol belt, Ammunition pouch and water bottle.
With the Infantry sections attached from July 93, some of the infantry lads utilised chest Rigs.
One set of unofficial purchased vest webbing was worn by a member of the Third Supply Contingent from January 1994. This vest was worn over the Frag Vest and allowed the wearer to carry additional ammunition and items with no loss of movement when in vehicle or carrying out physical tasks. This set of vest webbing become a communal set and was also utilised the Infantry Section Commander if his tasks necessitated it.
Example of Belt Order with Ammo Pouch and Water Battle, Magazine in Frag Vest pocket
Example of Vest Webbing
Weapons Systems
The New Zealand Contingents in Somalia utilised the standard range of New Zealand Small Arms, including
Steyr AUG 5.56mm Rifle with 508mm barrel.
Steyr AUG 5.56mm Carbine with 250mm barrel.
C9 Minimi 5.56 mm Light Machine Gun.
Pistol 9 mm Automatic P226, note as this weapon had only been introduced into NZ Army Service in 1992, existing holsters for the retired Browning pistols were utilised.
This period would see the RNZAOC continue to support Regular, Territorial and Compulsory Military Training. This period would also see the formation and deployment to the 1st Battalion, the New Zealand Regiment to Malaya
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
Temporary Lieutenant Colonel H. McK. Reid from 1 April 1957.[1]
Commanding Officer Main Ordnance Depot
Major O.H Burn
Inspecting Ordnance Officer, Northern Military District
Captain J.H Doone, from 19 July 1957.
Inspecting Ordnance Officer, Southern Military District
Captain E.D Gerrard, from 19 July 1957.
Compulsory Military Training
During this period three CMT intakes marched in with the RNZAOC recruits posted to 1 (NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park on completion of initial training;[2]
24th intake of 1775av recruits on 2 May 1957
25th intake of 1300av recruits on 22 August 1957
26th intake of 1300av recruits on 3 January 1958
1st Battalion, the New Zealand Regiment
Reformed at Waiouru in July 1957, the 1st Battalion of the New Zealand Regiment would undertake workup and training that would see the Battalion deploy on operations in Malaya on 28 November 1957.[3]
The RNZAOC would equip the Battalion from the ground up with its necessary entitlement of equipment provided from existing holdings, including Eighty-Nine vehicles and trailers. However £59000 (2020 NZD $ $2,999,351.94) was expended to procure additional theatre specific items not held in the New Zealand inventory from the United Kingdom authorities in Malaya.[4]
In addition to providing the stores and equipment for the Battalion, RNZAOC Officer Major Jack Harvey was seconded to the 1st Battalion NZ Regiment for the duration of its Malaya tour as the Officer Commanding of C Company. [5]
Major Jack Harvey, RNZAOC Officer Commanding C Company, 1st Battalion, New Zealand Regiment, 1957-59
Members of the 1st Battalion who would later serve with the RNZAOC included;
Brian Crafts
David Orr
Fiji Military Forces
Warrant Officer Class One Murray Alexander Burt was posted on 15 July 1957, on an accompanied posting with his family to the New Zealand Cadre at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva. WO1 Burt and Family would depart Auckland on the Union Steam Ship Company vessel the MV Tofus on 31 August 1957. WO1 Burt would return to New Zealand on 15 December 1959 and be posted to Hopuhopu camp.[6]
Uniforms
A new Service Dress uniform similar to the Officer pattern Service Dress was approved for Other Ranks by the Army Board in 1954 had is design finalised and placed into production during this period. This uniform’s approval satisfied a long-standing requirement for a ceremonial and walking out order of dress to replace the existing Battle Dress.[7]
Manufacture of the new uniforms was well advanced by closing this period with the District Ordnance Depots in a position to issue the new uniforms by the end of 1958.
With this new Service Dress uniform, Battle Dress would become winter working dress with Khaki Drill the summer working dress.
Other Ranks Service Dress
Ammunition
The demolition of the 17000 rounds of unsafe 3.7inch Anti Aircraft Ammunition that had been initiated in June 1955 was concluded in December 1957. The destruction had proceeded without incident with the local residences thanked for their considerable forbearance in putting up with the noise of explosions nearly every day.
During this period, demolitions were also successfully conducted at the Makomako Ammunition area to dispose of a large quantity obsolete and unsafe ammunition and explosives.[8]
Move of Central Districts Vehicle Depot to Linton
The move of the Central Districts Vehicle Depot (CDVD) was planned to occur during 1958. Before the move could happen, adequate storage had to be constructed at Linton Camp, and this was to be achieved by re-locating war surplus buildings from other locations. By June 1957 the second “W” Type prefabricated building for the CDVD was re-located from Fort Dorset to Linton Camp.[9]
Construction Of New Ordnance Depot for Linton Camp
Since its establishment in 1946, the Central Districts Ordnance Depots had occupied accommodation buildings in the North West corner of Linton Camp in what had initially been the wartime RNZAF Base Linton. Two additional warehouses had been assembled in 1949; however, storage space remained at a premium. In June 1957 Army HQ authorised the expenditure of £100 (2020 NZ$5,059.84) to conduct a preliminary site investigation for a new Ordnance Depot for Linton Camp. Given the deficiencies of adequate Storage accommodation and the erection of buildings for the CDVD, the Linton Camp Command issued instructions that the CDOD were not to utilise the new buildings, even temporarily as this would become permanent and prejudice the business case for constructing a new Ordnance Depot.[10]
Honours and Awards
Meritorious Service Medal
Warrant Officer Class One Bernard Percy Banks, 13 June 1957. [11]
Warrant Officer Class One Athol Gilroy McCurdy, 10 October 1957. [12]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Regular Force Major H. McK. Reid to be temp. Lieutenant-Colonel, and is appointed Director of Ordnance Services, dated 1 April 1957.[13]
Captain E.C Green, MBE, is re-engaged for one year, as from 1 April 1957.[14]
Lieutenant-Colonel F. Reid, OBE, relinquished Director of Ordnance Services’ appointment, pending retirement, 31 March 1957.[15]
Captain P.N Erridge, MBE., transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, The Royal N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps, in the rank of Major, 2 May 1957.[16]
Captain and Quartermaster R.P Kennedy, E.D, re-engaged in the Regular Force for one year from 13 April 1957.[26]
Captain and Quartermaster E.R. Hancock posted to the Retired List, 30 March 1957.[27]
Major and Quartermaster I.S. Miller, E.D., is posted to the Retired List, 20 April 1957.[28]
Captain and Quartermaster G.A Perry, E.D., re-engaged for one year from 1 April 1957.[29]
Captain and Quartermaster A.A Barwick posted to the Retired List, 3 August 1957.[30]
Captain and Quartermaster A Gollan granted an extension of his engagement for one year, as from 19 December 1957.[31]
Reserve of Officers
Lieutenant-Colonel Maurice Salam Myers. posted to the Retired List, 1 January 1958.[32]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
31266 Warrant Officer Class One, Cyril Austin Baigent to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster, 15 July 1957.[33]
33297 Warrant Officer Class Two, Henry Williamson to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster, 15 July 1957.[34]
33635 Warrant Officer Class Two, William Edwin Smith to be Lieutenant and Quartermaster, 15 July 1957.[35]
31261 Staff Sergeant Ernest Maurice Alexander Bull, Promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two, 30 October 1957.[36]
31257 Warrant Officer Class Two Murray Alexander Burt, Promoted to Warrant Officer Class One, 15 July 1957.[37]
B31695 Sergeant Ian McDonald Russell promoted to Staff Sergeant, 23 April 1957.[38]
Notes
[1] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette, No 35, 2 May 1957.
[2] Peter Cooke, Fit to Fight. Compulsory Military Training and National Service in New Zealand 1949-72 (Auckland: David Ling Publishing, 2013), 539.
[3] Brian Clamp and Doreen Clamp, 1st Battalion the New Zealand Regiment (1957-59) Association 50th Anniversary. The First of the First (B. Clamp, 2007), Non-fiction.
[4] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1957 to 31 March 1958,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1958).
[5] Clamp and Clamp, 1st Battalion the New Zealand Regiment (1957-59) Association 50th Anniversary. The First of the First.
[6] Howard E. Chamberlain, Service Lives Remembered : The Meritorious Service Medal in New Zealand and Its Recipients, 1895-1994 ([Wellington, N.Z.]: H. Chamberlain, 1995), 69-70.
[7] “H-19 Military Forces of New Zealand Annual Report of the General Officer Commanding, for Period 1 April 1957 to 31 March 1958.”
This period would see the RNZAOC. Continue to support Regular, Territorial and Compulsory Military Training. This period would see the winding down and cessation of direct RNZAOC support to Kay Force.[1]
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
Lieutenant Colonel F Reid, OBE, relinquished the appointment on 31 march 1957.
Commanding Officer Main Ordnance Depot
Major O.H Burn.
Compulsory Military Training
During this period four CMT intakes marched in with the RNZAOC recruits posted to 1 (NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park on completion of initial training;[2]
20th intake of 2475av recruits on 5 April 1956
21st intake of 2475av recruits on 28 June 1956
22nd intake of 1775av recruits on 20 September 1956
23rd intake of 1775av recruits on 3 January 1957
4th New Zealand Division ordnance Field park on parade Trentham, Camp 17 October 1956.
WO In charge Gavin Lake
Right-hand rank from the from Peter Barret, Bill Smith, mauri Philips, Jim Bremner, Brian Jennings, Peter Rennie, Murray Burt, Dave Laidlaw, Jim Brown.
Middle-Rank Leading is Kevin Anderson.
Left-Rank Leading; Bert Roil followed by Tex Rickard.
Robert Mckie RNZAOC Collection
Emergency Force (Kayforce)
The RNZAOC concluded its commitment to Kayforce with the final Ordnance men’s return in the latter half of 1956.
Out of Kayforce
204459 Temporary Sergeant Gordon Winstone East, 31 August 1956
204702 Temporary Sergeant Ernest Radnell, 31 August 1956
30419 Captain John Barrie Glasson, 3-Sep-56
206870 Staff Sergeant James Russell Don, 29 December 1956
Depot Commanders to visit MOPD for local discussions,
Corps Matters,
District Problems.
DOS Conference March 1957
The Director of Ordnance Services hosted a conference of the Officer Commanding of the District Ammunition and Ordnance Depots and the District DADOS at Trentham Camp over 26 to 28 March 1957.
Ammunition Examiners Course
From April to September 1956, Warrant Officer Class Two David Gwynne Thomas attended and passed with excellent results the Ammunition Examiners Course at the RAAOC Corps School at Broadmeadows in Victoria, Australia.[4]
Metal from Condemned Ammunition
Valuable metal was to be recovered from condemned non-high explosive ammunition drawn from Army ordnance depots in the North and South Islands over the next two or three years. The Colonial Ammunition Company was awarded a contract with the Government for the breaking down of the ammunition, which was to be done in New Plymouth. Work will start in the next three months, and the brass and copper extracted will be sent to a large brass extrusion mill to be prepared for further use in industry. Any steel that is recovered and not wanted in New Zealand will be sent overseas.
Corps History
During 1956 the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the United Kingdom established the RAOC Museum at the RAOC Training centre at Blackdown. The museum’s concept was to establish a Commonwealth Section to illustrate the links between the various commonwealth Ordnance Corps and the RAOC. In August 1956 the Director of Ordnance (UK) put out a call to the DOS’s or Australia, Canada, Ceylon, India, Pakistan and New Zealand to contribute material for the planned exhibit.
New Zealand replied on 24 January 1957 that as the RNZAOC had only been in existence for a short period, items of historical interest were not available and the RNZAOC would be unable to contribute to this project.[5]
Honours and Awards
Long Service and Good Conduct
31234 Warrant Officer Class One Athol Gilroy McCurdy, 12 April 1956.[6]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Captain F.A Bishop to be temp. Major. Dated 16 April 1956.[7]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster FG Cross is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, The RNZAOC, with Lieutenant and Quartermaster’s rank. Dated 27 April 1956.[8]
Captain W.G Dixon is transferred From the Royal New Zealand Artillery to the RNZAOC· in his present rank and seniority. Dated 14 May 1956.[9]
Captain W.G Dixon, M.B.E., to be Major. Dated 15 May 1956.[11]
The under-mentioned are appointed to regular commissions in the rank of Lieutenant and Quartermaster (on probation):[12]
31002 Warrant Officer Class One, Louis Eric Autridge, from The Royal NZ Artillery.
36643 Staff Sergeant Oliver Cedric Prouse, from the New Zealand Regiment.
33842 Staff Sergeant David Halsel Rollo, M.B.E., from The Royal NZ Artillery.
31028 Warrant Officer Class Two, William Neil Stephenson, from The Royal NZ Artillery.
Captain D Sharpe is posted to the retired list with the Rank of Major. Dated 25 July 1956.[13][14]
Captain R.T Marriott to be Major. Dated 29 August 1956.[15]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster Frederick George Cross, Reserve of Officers, General List, RNZAOC is appointed to a short-service Regular commission for a term of three years, in the rank of Lieutenant, with seniority from 13 August 1951. Dated 13 August 1956.[16]
The appointment of Lieutenant and Quartermaster (on probation) W. N. Stephenson lapsed Dated 21 September 1956.[17]
Captain N.L Wallburton is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, General List, RNZAOC, in the rank of Captain. Dated 7 September 1956.[18]
Captain E.F.L Russell is re-engaged for a period of five years as from 26 November 1956.[19]
Lieutenant L.C King is re-engaged in the NZ Regular Force for the period 16 November 1956 to 3 October 1958 and promoted to Captain from 16 November 1956.[20]
Major K.G Scott, from the Reserve of Officers, Supplementary List, to be Major. Dated 1 November 1956.[21]
Temp. Captain D.R. Alexander, from the Reserve of Officers, Supplementary List, to be Captain. Dated 1 November 1956.
Captain Donald MacKenzie Robson, M.B.E., from the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, to be Captain. Dated 7 December 1956.[22]
Temp. Lieutenant A.A Burrows, from the Reserve of Officers, Supplementary List, to be Lieutenant. Dated 1 November 1956.[23]
Temp. Lieutenant M.J Goodson, from the Reserve of Officers, Supplementary List, to be Lieutenant. Dated 1 November 1956.[24]
Regular Force (Supernumerary List)
Captain and Quartermaster R.P Kennedy, E.D, is granted a further extension of his engagement for one year from 13 April 1956.[25]
Captain and Quartermaster G.A Perry, E.D., is given an extension of his engagement for a further period of one year from 1 April 1956.[26]
Territorial Force
Captain A.W Wilkin, RNZAOC, relinquished the appointment of Brigade Ordnance Officer, Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Brigade and was posted to the Retired List on 4 November 1954.[27]
Graduates, Royal Military College, Duntroon
Lieutenant Malcolm John Ross, 12 December 1956.[28]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Corporal J.T Skeddan from SMD was selected to attend the year long course at Portsea Officer Training establishment in Australia starting in January 1957.
31257 Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two Murray Alexander Burt promoted to substantive Warrant Officer Class Two, 10 October 1956.[29]
W920917 Corporal George Thomas Dimmock promoted to Sergeant, 1 June 1956.[30]
31004 Warrant Officer Class One William Galloway, retired 1 January 1957[31]
1185 Staff Sergeant Albert Edward “Abbie” Shadbolt retired on 25 October 1956. SSgt Shadbolt retired at the age of 69 after 49 years and ten months of service to the military in uniformed and civilian roles.
Enlisted into RNZA 26 November 1907.
Transferred to NZAOC in 1922
Transferred to civilian Staff 1931, remaining employed at the Main Ordnance Depot as a Clerk.
8 January 1942 commissioned as a Lieutenant into the NZ Temporary Staff as Ordnance Officer Main Ordnance Depot, Placed on to the retired list on 21 October 1948
Re-engaged as a Warrant Officer Class Two in 1948, Shadbolt would latter attain Warrant Officer Class One rank as the 2 I/C of the Central Districts Vehicle Depot at Trentham.
Due to his age was reverted to the Rank of Staff Sergeant on 1 April 1956 and placed on less onerous duties for his last year of service, retiring 0n 10 October 1956.
Besides his military responsibilities, Shadbolt was an outstanding Rugby Union and Rugby league player with the following credentials.
He represented Canterbury XV in 1909 and 1910
Switched to Rugby League in 1912 and would play for the St Albans and Federal Clubs
Played for the Canterbury Rugby League side from 1912 to 1920
Represented New Zealand in the Rugby League tours to Australia in 1913 and 1921
NZ Rugby League Team, 1913 Australia Tour. Abbie Shadbolt is third from right in the third row. Photo Credit: Canterbury Rugby League
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]Conferences – Ordnance Officers, Item Id R17188101 (Wellington: Archives New Zealand, 1950).
[4] Howard E. Chamberlain, Service Lives Remembered : The Meritorious Service Medal in New Zealand and Its Recipients, 1895-1994 ([Wellington, NZ.]: H. Chamberlain, 1995), 466.
[5] “Organisation – Policy and General – Rnzaoc “, Archives New Zealand No R17311537 (1946 – 1984).
[6] Chamberlain, Service Lives Remembered : The Meritorious Service Medal in New Zealand and Its Recipients, 1895-1994.
[7] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 29, 17 May 1956.
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]
Examination of deteriorated shell at Trentham, Upper Hutt. National Library of New Zealand Ref: EP/1955/1792-F
Army vehicles at Trentham, Upper Hutt. Ref: EP/1955/1793-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23078184
Valentine Tank at Trentham, stacks of Ammunition can be seen in the background. NZ National Library Ref EP/1955/1794-F
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.
[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.
This period would see the RNZAOC. Continue to support Regular, Territorial and Compulsory Military Training. Ongoing support to Kayforce would continue.[1]
Key Appointments
Director of Ordnance Services
Lieutenant Colonel F Reid, OB
Chief Inspecting Ordnance Officer
Major I.S Miller
Southern Military District DADOS
Major H McK Reid
Southern Military District IOO
Captain J.H Doone
Southern District Ordnance Depot
Captain and Quartermaster A.A Barwick
Compulsory Military Training
During this period three CMT intakes marched in;[2]
13th intake of 2200av recruits on 22 April 1954
14th intake of 2200av recruits on 16 September 1954
15th intake of 2200av recruits on 6 January 1955
16th intake of 2966 recruits on 31 March 1955
On completion of CMT recruit training, recruits were posted to Territorial units close to their home location to complete their CMT commitment, with RNZAOC CMT recruits posted to either
1st Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Hopuhopu
2nd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Mangaroa.
3rd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Burnham
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
Lance Corporal Alexander George Dobbins, 28 September 1954
Private James Adam (Snowy) Donaldson, 5 November 1954
Captain Patrick William Rennison, 10 May 1954
Private Richard John Smart, 5 November 1954
Into Kay force
Joseph James Enright Cates, 2 June 1954
Lieutenant John Barrie Glasson, 20 April 1954
As part of his tour of K Force units, Brigadier Weir, Quartermaster General of the NZ Army met and spoke to the men of the NZ Base Ordnance Section of the British Commonwealth Base Ordnance Depot at Kure, Japan.[3]
Seconded to Fiji Military Forces
Lieutenant and Quartermaster R. D. Wederell ceased to be seconded to the Fiji Military Forces as of 14 June 1954.[4]
The Director of Ordnance Services hosted a conference of the District DADOS’s and the Officer Commanding Main Ordnance Depot (MOD) at Trentham Camp over the period 10 – 12 August 1954.[6]
Items discussed at the conference included;
Corps Policy
Corps Establishments
Estimation of expenditure
District Vehicle Depots
Functions
Staff/Establishments
Audit Reports
Ammunition
New Cap Badge
1954 would see approval granted to update the RNZOAC Cap Badge by replacing the “Tudor” Crown with the “St Edwards Crown. The NZ Army Liaison Staff in London had provided a sample of the new badges from J.R Gaunt of London, and on the approval of this sample in May 1954 the liaison Staff was instructed to obtain examples of Collar badges in the new design.
1947-54 RNZAOC Badge. Robert McKie Collection1955-96 RNZAOC Badge. Robert McKie Collection
Routine Ordnance Activities
Over this period, the RNZAOC continued with its regular duties of provision, holding and issue of multitudinous stores required by the Army including the additional issue of training equipment to the territorial Force allowing all unit’s sufficient equipment for routine training.
Establishment of MT Stores Group at the Central Districts Ordnance Depot
Based on a series of ongoing discussions between the DOS and CDOD since 1951, in July 1953, the recommendation was made to transfer responsibility for the provision of MT Stores to CMD units (except those located at Trentham Camp) from the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham to the CDOD at Linton Camp. Approval for establishing an MT Group at CDOD was granted in September 1953 with the transfer of stocks to begin once suitable storage in Linton Camp had been prepared to receive stocks.
To facilitate the initial in-scaling of MT Group, 1500 Square feet of the W type Building 81 was fitted with six wooden shelves to provides storage capacity for up to 18000 lines of Stock-based on VAOS Catalogue LV6 Groups 1 to 10. LV6 Groups 1 to 10 items were small and fast-moving repair parts for Motor Transport’s current range. It was planned that once the MT Group had been established for several months’ responsibility for LV7, Larger repair parts and principle end items would also be transferred from MOD to the CDOD.
A Staff of five soldiers for the CDOD MT Group was already authorised in the CDOD Peacetime Establishment issued in 1952. However, at the time of the MT Groups establishment, The Staff of the Group consisted of one NCO assisted by the Tyre Group Storeman.
By 15 September 1954 the transfer of stock form the MOD has been sufficiently completed to allow CMD units to begin demanding MT Spares from the CDOD.[7]
Army Ammunition Stores Depot
Up to 1954, the RNZAOC maintained the Army Ammunition Stores Depot (AASD) at the Kuku Valley Ammunition Area at Trentham. The role of the AASD was to be the main bulk holding and distribution unit for Non-Explosive and Explosive stores for the regional Ammunition Repair Depots (ARD).
A review of the role and functions of AASD was conducted during a DADOS conference in 1954 with the decision made to disband the AASD and hand over its operations to the MOD and regional Ordnance and Ammunition Depots.
As part of the disbanding instructions, the regional ARDs were instructed to maintain six months working stock of non-explosive items, and sufficient explosive items to complete the current repair programme. All excess items were to be returned to the nearest Ordnance or Ammunition Depot, with all future demand for items to be forwarded to those Depots.[8]
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. [9]
Ammunition Examiners
During this period the following Ammunition Examiners were authorised to carry out routine inspections of ammunition and allocated Ammunition Examiner Serial Numbers.
Northern Military District,
Corporal Radford, Ammunition Examiner Serial No 72, 29 July 1954.
Lance Corporal T Sweet, Ammunition Examiner Serial No 83, 13 August 1954.
Private Thomasson, Ammunition Examiner Serial No 82, 13 August 1954.
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;[10]
One L2 BAT (Battalion, Anti-Tank) was a 120 mm calibre recoilless anti-tank rifle, with Eighteen more on order
Twenty-Two FN FAL Rifles for troop trials
An extra-wide Bailey Bridge
Fifty Field Wireless sets
The following items were disposed of through the Government Stores Board.
193 Bren Carriers
25 Motor vehicles of various types
Battledress Cap
During 1954 the Cap Battledress (Cap BD) but commonly referred to as the Ski Cap was introduced into service. This type of hat was extremely unpopular, especially with the troops, especially those serving in the tropics, but would endure until 1964 when it was withdrawn from service.
NZ Army Cap Battledress (Cap BD), introduced 1954, withdrawn from service 1964. Robert Mckie Collection
Vehicle Shelters for Burnham
The Royal New Zealand Engineers commenced the erection at Burnham Military Camp of two steel prefabricated vehicle shelters in May 1954. Three such shelters were erected at the Southern District Vehicle Depot at Burnham, another three in the transport park at Burnham, and two others in two other areas. Each of the shelters was 200 feet long by 50 feet wide, and helped to overcome the serious shortage of shelters for Army vehicles at the camp. With concrete foundations and floors, the framework of the buildings consisted of steel pipes of various lengths bolted together. The exterior and roof of the shelters were of corrugated asbestos-type material.[11]
Cricket Tour to Australia
In the first tour of its kind the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham, representing the RNZAOC undertook a Cricket tour of Australia. Departing Wellington on 1 February 1955 returning on 7 March the MOD played matched in Sydney and Melbourne against teams drawn from the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps.[12]
With the NZ Ordnance team winning the series successfully, reciprocal tours took place in
The officials and players who participated in the 1955 tour were;[14]
Lieutenant Colonel L.F Reid, 0BE (Manager),
Major Derrick Roderick,
Warrant Officer Class One A Wesseldine,
Warrant Officer Class Two M.A Burt (Treasure and Player),
Warrant Officer Class Two Harry Le Comte,
Warrant Officer Class Two RS Perks (Assistant Manager and Player),
Warrant Officer Class Two Douglas Wilson,
Sergeant Douglas Bucknell (Official. Umpire and Player),
Sergeant G. McCullough,
Sergeant E.J Prout,
Corporal G Cormack,
Corporal J Morgan, (Official Scorer and Player),
Private W Bacon,
Private Brian Clarke,
Private Keith Danby,
Private A.N McAinch,
Private L Norton.
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Officers of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
Lieutenant C. L. Sanderson promoted to Temporary Captain. Dated 9 December 1953. [15]
Captain E. C. Green granted a further extension of his short-service commission for one year from 1 April 1954.[16]
Lieutenant T. B. Glasson promoted to Temporary Captain whilst employed as Officer Commanding, NZ Base Ordnance Depot. Dated 8 August 1954.[17]
Captain N. L. Wallburton re-engaged for a period of two years as from 23 August 1954.[18]
Lieutenant (temp Captain) J. B. Glasson to be Captain. Dated 8 November 1954.[19]
Lieutenant (Temp Captain) C. L. Sanderson to be Captain. Dated 9 December 1953.[20]
31264 Warrant Officer Class One Leslie Smith promoted to Lieutenant and Quartermaster. Dated 15 December 1954.[21]
Lieutenant L. C. King transferred from the New Zealand Regiment to the RNZAOC with his present rank and seniority. Dated 14 February 1955.[22]
Captain E. C. Green granted a further extension of his short-service commission to 31 March 1956.[23]
Lieutenant J. H. Doone to be Captain Dated 25 October 1954.[24]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster R. D. Wederell to be Captain and Quartermaster. Dated 31 March 1955.[25]
Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations, and Retirements of Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the RNZAOC
Regular Force
W920917 Lance Corporal George Thomas Dimmock Promoted to Corporal, 1 April 1954. [26]
31884Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two Alick Claude Doyle granted substantive Rank on 1 April 1954. [27]
B31695 Corporal Ian McDonald Russell promoted to Sergeant, 21 April 1954. [28]
31259 Staff Sergeant Maurice Sidney Philips promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two, 12 July 1954. [29]
31167 Staff Sergeant John Bernard Crawford promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two, 15 July 1954. [30]
31261 Sergeant Earnest Maurice Alexander Bull promoted to Staff Sergeant, 22 October 1954.[31]
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] “Brigadier in Korea,” Press, Volume XC, Issue 27460, , 21 September 1954.
[4] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 41, 1 July 1954.
[5]Conferences – Ordnance Officers, Item Id R17188101 (Wellington: Archives New Zealand, 1950).
[22] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 20, 17 March 1955.
[23] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 6, 3 February 1955.
[24] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 15, 3 March 1955.
[25] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 37, 2 June 1955.
[26] Howard E. Chamberlain, Service Lives Remembered : The Meritorious Service Medal in New Zealand and Its Recipients, 1895-1994 ([Wellington, N.Z.]: H. Chamberlain, 1995), 128-29.
Nestled just north of the small Waikato town of Ngāruawāhia, Hopuhopu Military Camp served as the Upper North Island base for the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) for sixty-two years. Set along the banks of the Waikato River and adjacent to the Main Trunk Railway, Hopuhopu’s rural location south of Auckland might seem an unlikely choice for an Ordnance Depot. Yet, this site holds a special place in the RNZAOC’s history.
Hopuhopu was New Zealand’s first purpose-built Ordnance Depot for the Corps, equipped with state-of-the-art warehousing and ammunition storage facilities that were among the most advanced used by the New Zealand military. This establishment served as a key logistical hub and marked a significant evolution in the nation’s military infrastructure.
Purpose-built Military storage infrastructure had been constructed early in the 20th Century at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin; however, this infrastructure had been built on a small scale to service the pre-war military districts. The Post-Bellum New Zealand Army was in an advantageous position; it had an experienced cadre of men to draw upon to train the building blocks of any future force. Additionally, the Army was flush with enough new and modern equipment to form and sustain an Expeditionary Force of at least one Infantry Division, a mounted Rifle Brigade, an Artillery Regiment and a Line of Communications troops.[1]
The bulk of the equipment was held by Ordnance at Trentham and Featherston Camps, utilising wartime infrastructure designed to accommodate soldiers and not large quantities of military material. Smaller amounts of stores to support training and initial mobilisation were distributed to the new mobilisation camp at Burnham in the South Island and the Mount Eden depot in Auckland. Whilst both Trentham and Burnham had room for expansion, the existing infrastructure at those camps was deemed, with a few additions, adequate for the time being, with no purpose-built infrastructure constructed until 1939/40. However, in Auckland, the depot at Mount Eden was inadequate and unable to support the Northern districts. More robust mobilisation and storage infrastructure were required.
Another concern was ammunition storage. Existing ammunition storage across New Zealand consisted of many 19th-century powder magazines and converted coastal defence batteries, with the bulk of New Zealand’s ammunition supply stored at Wellington’s Fort Balance. These existing ammunition storage arrangements were unsatisfactory, and a more permanent solution in the form of a purpose-built facility was needed.
By 1921, the site of a new Mobilisation and Ordnance Depot to support the Northern Districts had been decided upon. In one of the largest defence infrastructure projects undertaken in New Zealand, construction of the new camp at Hopuhopu continued throughout the 1920s, with the Ordnance Depot opening in 1927. A significant project at the time, the progress of construction at Hopuhopu was widely reported on with this Auckland Star article from 1925 describing the plans for the camp. [2]
GREAT MILITARY CAMP
WORK AT HOPUHOPU
DOMINIONS’ AMMUNITION DEPOT
A SPLENDID TRAINING GROUND
Midway between Ngaruawahia and Taupiri, bounded by the railway and the Waikato River, is a long strip of land, some 500 acres in area, level excepting for an extensive hill that rises to an elevation of some ninety feet. This is Hopuhopu, site of the old mission station of the name. Once the home of peace, it is now being transformed by the engineers and men of the Public Works Department into a camp of training for war. Acquired by the Defence Department about three years ago, the Hopuhopu mission site has already been used as a camp for trainees, but it is in the rough, and the plans on which the engineers are now working aim at its conversion into a thoroughly equipped permanent military depot, to be officially known as the Ngaruawahia Mobilisation Base. When the plans are completed, it will be the chief military magazine, for the Dominion, and probably the greatest ordnance depot.
Through the courtesy of the Defence authorities and Mr E. K. James, the engineer in charge of the work, a “Star” representative was permitted to inspect the camp in the making yesterday. The site at once suggests itself as an ideal one for the purpose intended, and this idea is backed by expert engineering and military opinion. There has been some criticism of the area on the ground that it is damp, but this has proved to be a matter that can and will be easily overcome. After heavy rain, there is a degree of surface damp, caused by the matting of thick vegetable growth, but the sinking of a number of test holes has revealed a porous, sandy soil beneath, which, when the “matting” is removed, will readily allow all moisture to percolate and leave a dry surface. In fact, the site lends itself readily to perfect draining. About one hundred men are engaged in the work of clearing and building, and they have been greatly hampered in their preliminary operations by the amount of furze and blackberry that ‘successive owners of the land (including the Government) have allowed to grow on it.[3] The furze is not so hard to clear, but an instance of the pertinacity of the blackberry was shown in a patch that was again springing to vigorous growth two months after it had been cut. Over one hundred acres have been cleared, and there remains another 150 acres to be dealt with by hook and fire.
A Varied Terrain
The great value of the Hopuhopu site is that it is adaptable to every branch of military training. A detraining platform a quarter of a mile long will be constructed on the main railway line for the embarkation and disembarkation of troops; there are large level areas for parade grounds; there are hills for reconnoitre and signalling; there is the river for bridge-train and pontoon drill, and in fact, the contour of the country will enable training in every department of military tactics. When the camp is completed, its huge stores, magazines and hutments will spread over an area of 200 acres. It is proposed to provide sanitary drainage from the latrines by a large pipe running along the railway into septic tanks, and thence into the river. The first part of the plan provides for the accommodation of a full battalion, and this will gradually be extended to mobilise and house a brigade of about 5000 men. Next year trainees of the Northern Command will sleep beneath the roofs of solid huts, instead of in tents.
In arriving at the decision to construct this great camp at Hopuhopu, the authorities were doubtless influenced by other considerations additional to the natural suitability of the site for training purposes. It is a reasonable distance from the city; yet not too near. It is not advisable that men in training should have the temptations of a city that is in too close proximity, and it is essential really that a camp containing immense stores of ammunition should be out of range of shelling by a possible hostile fleet operating, for instance, in the Hauraki Gulf. Besides, Hopuhopu is a very handy site for the mobilisation of the thousands of trainees who reside in the closely settled districts of the Waikato.
Some acres of the campsite, between the Old South Road and the river, have been reserved for residences for officers of the permanent staff, the building of which has already been commenced in the corner adjacent to the railway, line. These houses are being constructed of concrete. The whole of the ordnance department is to be transferred to the camp, which will take over a great deal of the stores now housed at Featherston. The extent of the future ordnance department at the new base may be gauged from the fact that the plans provide for five sheds measuring 40 x 500 ft, 40 x 300 ft, 40 x 200 ft, 40 x 100 ft, and 40 x 350 ft. These will lie alongside the camp railway, which runs into the camp for a distance of half a mile from, the mainline, so that stores may be received and dispatched with a minimum of labour and a maximum of speed. From the terminus of this extension, a wooden tramway is to be constructed to the foot of the hill along the base of which the magazines are being built.
The Magazine Section
No fewer than ten magazines for the storage of explosives and ammunition are provided for, and several of these are nearing completion while excavating and banking is being carried out on the site of the great laboratory to be attached to this department. The magazines are built into the hillside. They are constructed of concrete, with double walls, in between which are formed the inspecting chambers. From these chambers’ sentries may see through observation windows the thermometers which register the temperature inside and by this guide check or increase ventilation, as needed, for the explosives must be kept at a certain degree Fahrenheit. Also, the double-wall is a protection against fire. Between each magazine, a pyramid is erected from the spoil taken from the excavation. These are eave high with the roofs of the magazines and are designed to break the force of any possible explosion of one magazine, so that others may not be exploded also. The magazines are also faced by a long embankment, and are, of course, backed by the hill, so that an explosion would be confined as far as possible to the magazine area.
On top of the hill, there has been constructed an 80,000-gallon reservoir for the camp water supply. The water is pumped by a 30 hp motor from a settling tank alongside the river and ten feet below the level of its bed. The water is well filtered and regarded as pure after it has percolated into its tank, but as an additional safeguard, a chlorinating plant is to be installed.
Negotiations are proceeding with landowners on the other side of the river for the acquirement of land for a rifle range.
“Great Military Camp,” The Auckland Star, vol. LVI, no. 83, p. 5, 8 April 1925.
The Ordnance Depot opened in 1927. The original plan called for five warehouses measuring 40 x 500 ft, 40 x 300 ft, 40 x 200 ft, 40 x 100 ft, and 40 x 350 ft; what was eventually construed was a single large warehouse measuring 100 x 322 ft.
1938 Military Camp, Hopuhopu, Waikato. Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs. Ref: WA-55972-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23181165
An additional Ordnance warehouse was constructed adjacent to the original building during the Second World War. The wartime era also saw the nationwide expansion of the NZ Army’s Ammunition infrastructure with additional magazines added to the existing ten magazine at the Hopuhopu Storage area and a new Ammunition Depot established outside of Hopuhopu Camp at the nearby Kelm Road.
1961 Hopuhopu Military Camp from the air. Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs. Ref: WA-55339-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22480584
Aerial oblique view of Ngāruawāhia (Hopuhopu) Army Camp, March 1962. Image ref OhG3046-62, RNZAF Official.
Hopuhopu and its Ordnance Depot survived until 1989, when, as part of many rationalisations across the New Zealand Defence Forces, the Hopuhopu camp was closed and its functions transferred to other locations.
Hopuhopu 2020. Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development
Notes
[1] Mark McGuire, “Equipping the Post-Bellum Army,” Forts and Works 2016.
[2] “Great Military Camp,” The Auckland Star, vol. LVI, no. 83, p. 5, 8 April 1925.
This period would see the RNZAOC. Continue to support Regular, Territorial and Compulsory Military Training. Ongoing support to Kayforce would continue.[1]
Key Appointments
Directorate of Ordnance
Director of Ordnance Services – Lieutenant Colonel F Reid, OBE
DADOS 2– Maj & QM K.A Bailey, MM
OOP (G) – Capt & QM R.P Kannedy
Inspection Ordnance Office
Technical Assistant – Captain N.C Fisher (Until 24 July 1953)
Technical Assistant – Warrant Officer L Smith (From 25 July 1953)
Northern Military District
District Headquarters
District Inspecting Ordnance Officer – Captain E.D Gerard (until 9 Aug 1953)
Northern District Ordnance Depot
Ordnance Officer – Maj M.R.J Keeler
Northern District Ammunition Depot
IOO – Captain E.D Gerard (from 28 Aug 1953)
Northern District Ammuniton Repair Depot
Officer Commanding– Captain C.C Pipson (From 28 Aug 1953)
Central Military District
District Headquarters
DADOS – Maj C.A Penny (From May 1953)
DIOO – Captain N.C Fisher (From 9 Aug 1953)
Southern Military District
Southern District Ordnance Depot
Ordnance Officer – Captain A.A Barwick
Southern District Ammunition Repair Depot
Officer Commanding – Capt & QM G.W Dudman
Compulsory Military Training
During this period three CMT intakes marched in;[2]
9th intake of 2954 recruits on 9 April1953
10th intake of 2610 recruits on 2 July 1953
11th intake of 2610 recruits on 24 September 1953
12th intake of 2200 recruits on 5 January 1954
On completion of CMT recruit training, recruits were posted to Territorial units close to their home location to complete their CMT commitment, with RNZAOC CMT recruits posted to either
1st Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Hopuhopu
2nd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Mangaroa.
3rd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, Burnham
Ordnance in the New Zealand Division
The RNZAOC elements of the Territorial Force had been reorganised in 1948, this had been a reorganisation that had taken place over three stages with Officers and then NCOs recruited, followed by the soldiers recruited through the CMT scheme to fill the ranks.[3] By September 1953 the RNZOAC units within the Division had rapidly grown and the CRAOC of the NZ Division provided clarification in the organisation and duties of the RNZAOC units in the NZ Division.
HQ CRAOC
Duties included.
RNZAOC representative at Division Headquarters.
Exercised Regimental command and Technical control of RNZAOC unit in the Division.
Divisional Ordnance Field Park
The functions of the OFP were.
Park HQ – Technical Control of the OFP
Regimental Section – Regimental Control of the OFP
Delivery Section – Collects and delivers operationally urgent stores
MT Stores Platoon – Carried two months of frequently required spare and minor assemblies for vehicles held by the Division
Tech Stores Platoon – Carried two months of frequently required spares for all guns, small arms, wireless and Signals equipment of the Division.
Gen Stores Platoon – Carried a small range of frequently required items of clothing, general stores, and the Divisional Reserve of Industrial gases.
Mobile Laundry and Bath Company
The functions of the Mobile Laundry and Bath Company was to provide bathing facilities and to wash troops under clothing.
RNZAOC Stores Sections
One RNZAOC Store Sections was attached to each Infantry Brigade Workshop, maintaining a stock of spares required for the repair of the Divisions equipment. The Stores sections would demand direct from the Base or Advance Base Ordnance Depot not the OFP.
Brigade Warrant Officers
RNZAOC representative at Brigade Headquarters
Presentation of Coronation Trophy
In celebration to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Coronation Trophy was presented to the Central Districts Training Depot by All Ranks of the RNZAOC from the Central Military District. The exact criteria for the presentation of the trophy has been long forgotten, however from the 11th CMT intake the Coronation Trophy would be awarded to an outstanding student of each CMT intake. 76
Acquisition of additional Training areas by NZ Army
To provide suitable training areas in all three military districts, firing and manoeuvre rights were obtained over 30000acres of land adjoining the Mackenzie District near lake Tekapo. The allowed all South Island units the ability to carry out realistic tactical training during their summer camps.
Flood Relief
In July 1953 Serious flooding affected the Waikato with soldiers from Hopuhopu Camp taking a prominent part in the relief operations. Solders from the 1st Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park, utilising vehicles with extended air intakes and exhausts and operating in areas that had been flooded to a depth of 1.4 meters deep assisted in rescuing families and livestock and distributing fodder to marooned animals.
Robert McKie RNZAOC School CollectionRobert McKie RNZAOC School CollectionNDOD Flood Assist 1953. Robert McKie RNZAOC School CollectionNDOD Flood Assist 1953. Robert McKie RNZAOC School Collection
Tangiwai Railway Disaster
The Tangiwai disaster occurred at Christmas eve 1953 when the Whangaehu River Railway bridge collapsed as the Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train was crossing it with a loss of 151 Lives. With Waiouru in proximity, the army was quick to respond, with rescue teams deploying from Waiouru with the first survivors admitted into the Waiouru Camp Hospital by 4 am. Representing the RNZAOC in the search parties were Warrant officer Class One P Best and Corporal Eric Ray.
Railway disaster at Tangiwai. Dominion Post (Newspaper): Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post and Dominion newspapers. Ref: EP-Accidents-Rail-Tangiwai rail disaster-01. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23201427
Royal Tour 23 December 1953 – 31 Jan 1954
Camp Commandants Bodyguard 1954. Robert Mckie RNZAOC School Collection
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.
This period saw the first RNZAOC men rotated and replaced out of Kayforce;
Out of Kayforce
Private Dennis Arthur Astwood, 8 December 1953
Lance Corporal Thomas Joseph Fitzsimons, 6 January 1954
Lance Corporal Owen Fowell, 2 September 1953
Private Gane Cornelius Hibberd, 13 May 1953,
Corporal Leonard Ferner Holder, 4 September 1953
Corporal Wiremu Matenga, 6 January 1954
Into Kay force
Private Richard John Smart, 25 June 1953
Private Abraham Barbara, 30 December 1953
Private Ernest Radnell, 29 December 1953
Sergeant Harold Earnest Strange Fry, 29 January 1954
Corporal Edward Tanguru, 25 February 1954
Gunner John Neil Campbell, 24 March 1954
Seconded to Fiji Military Forces
Lieutenant and Quartermaster Rodger Dillon Wederell remained seconded to the Fiji Military Forces.
Ordnance Conferences
Ordnance Conference 18-19 August 1953
The Director of Ordnance Services hosted a conference of the Districts DADOS and the Officer Commanding Main Ordnance Depot (MOD) at Army Headquarters over the period 21-23 April 1953. No detailed agenda remains.
Headquarters Group, Main Ordnance Depot, 1954. Robert McKie RNZAOC School Collection
Main Ordnance Depot, NZ Royal Womens Army Corps, 1954. Robert McKie RNZAOC School Colection
Routine Ordnance Activities
Over this period the RNZAOC in addition to its regular duties of provision, holding and the issue of multitudinous stores required by the Army including the additional issue of training equipment to the territorial Force allowing all unit’s enough equipment for normal training.
Ammunition Examiner Qualification
The following soldiers qualified as Ammunition Examiners
Corporal G.T Dimmock (SMD)
Corporal M.M Loveday (CMD)
Corporal Roche (MMD)
Lance Corporal H.E Luskie (SMD)
Lance Corporal Radford (NMD)
Small Arms Ammunition
Production of small-arms ammunition had met the monthly target, with the ammunition, fully proofed and inspected before acceptance.
Support to the French War in Vietnam
During this period the RNZAOC prepared a second consignment of stores and equipment for transfer to the French in Vietnam. Transferred from surplus and obsolete stocks held in RNZAOC depots, the following items would be dispatched to Vietnam;[4]
Bofors Guns Trentham, 1 March 1954. Evening Post illustrations file and prints. 1950-2000. (PA-Group-00685). [Series]
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, its 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. Depending on the equipment, several examples may have been retained in RNZAOC Depots as War Reserve/Repair and Maintenance Stock. Maintenance stocks of accessories and spares were maintained as operating stock in RNZAOC depots. If the new equipment was or 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;[6]
57 M20 Mk 2 3.5-inch Rocket Launchers
Anti-Tank Grenade No 94 Engera
1 120mm BAT L1 Recoilless Rifle
3 Centurion Tanks
150 Series 1 80″ Land-Rovers
Honours List
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.)
PrivateGeorge Thomas Dimmock to Lance Corporal – 1 April 1953
Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two Alick Claude Doyle to Substantive WO2, 1 April 1953
Lieutenant J. Harvey to Captain. 9 December 1953.[8]
Captain (temp. Major) H. McK Reid to Major. 22 January 1954.[9]
Lieutenant-Colonel (temp Colonel) A. H. Andrews, OBE, BE, to Colonel. 21 October 1953.[10]
Lieutenant and Quartermaster T Rose to be Captain and Quartermaster. 1 May 1953.[11]
Enlistments into the RNZAOC
John Gunn, 21 September 1953
Leonard T Conlon, 16 June 1953
Keith A Parker, 17 July 1953
Appointments into the RNZAOC
Edward Francis Lambert Russell, late Captain RAOC, appointed as Lieutenant (on prob.), with seniority from 26 November 1949, posted as Vehicle. Spares Officer, Vehicle Spares Group, Main Ordnance Depot, 26 November 1953.[12]
The following RNZAOC soldiers were re-engaged into the New Zealand Regular Force;
Sergeant W.J Smith for one year from April 1953, in the rank of Private
Warrant Officer Class One W.S Valentine, on a month to month basis until 31 March 1954
Corporal H.H Regnault, on a month to month basis until 31 March 1954
Civic Appointments
On 16 July 1953 Maurice Richard John Keeler, Ordnance Officer, Northern; District Ordnance Depot, RNZAOC Ngaruawahia, was authorized to take and receive statutory declarations under section 301 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1927.[17]
Notes
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 9, 4 February 1954.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 13, 25 February 1954.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 15, 11 March 1954.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 72, 17 December 1953.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 35, 3 June 1954.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 48, 20 August 1953.
“Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army.” New Zealand Gazette No 1, 7 January 1954.
Cooke, Peter. Fit to Fight. Compulsory Military Training and National Service in New Zealand 1949-72. Auckland: David Ling Publishing, 2013.
“Coronation Honours List.” New Zealand Gazette No 33, 11 June 1953.
Fenton, Damien. A False Sense of Security : The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978. Occasional Paper / Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand: No. 1. Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington, 1998. Bibliographies, Non-fiction.
“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 (3 July 1955 1955).
“Officer Authorized to Take and Receive Statutory Declarations “. New Zealand Gazette No 42, 23 July 1953.
Rabel, Roberto Giorgio. New Zealand and the Vietnam War : Politics and Diplomacy. Auckland University Press, 2005. Bibliographies, Non-fiction.
[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] Damien Fenton, A False Sense of Security : The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978, Occasional Paper / Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand: No. 1 (Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington, 1998), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 8-9.
[4] Roberto Giorgio Rabel, New Zealand and the Vietnam War : Politics and Diplomacy (Auckland University Press, 2005), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 16.
[5] Possibly surplus 37mm rounds used on New Zealand’s Stuart tanks which would have been compatible with weapon platforms in use with the French
[6] Fenton, A False Sense of Security : The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978, 21.
[7] “Coronation Honours List,” New Zealand Gazette No 33, 11 June 1953, 911.
[8] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 9, 4 February 1954, 180.
[9] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 13, 25 February 1954, 294.
[10] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army,” New Zealand Gazette No 15, 11 March 1954, 384.
