Ordnance during the Field Force era 1964 – 1978

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To meet SEATO commitments, the New Zealand Army was reorganised in 1964, with an Infantry Battalion based in Malaysia as part of the British Commonwealth Strategic Reserve. The remainder of the Army was organised to reinforce the overseas elements at short notice and, with a more extended notice period, forces able to meet other commitments outside of the scope of the Strategic Reserve. To achieve this the Army was organised as:

  • Field Force
    • The Combat Brigade Group – Organised as a combat force for commitments outside of the scope of the Strategic Reserve.
    • The Logistic Support Group – Organised to provide support in the field to the Combat Brigade Group.
    • The Combat Reserve Brigade Group – Designed to backfill personnel from the Combat Brigade Group and Logistic Support Group on their mobilisation, to provide trained reinforcements.
  • Static Support Force – all the static non-deployable units.

RNZAOC Locations and Roles

The RNZAOC maintained units on a regional basis.

  • Combat Brigade Group units based in the Northern region,
  • Logistic Support Group units based in the Central region,
  • Combat Reserve Brigade Group units based in the Southern region, and
  • Static Support Force units base throughout the country in non-operational support roles.

Units classed as Operating units had a real-time peacetime support role, all others only had training roles.

Up to 1968 Ordnance units, their locations and dependencies are detailed in the following three tables.

Ordnance In the Northern Military District

1968 NMD

1st COD 1971

1st Central Ordnance Depot – 25 June 1971. RNZAOC School

Ordnance In the Central Military District

1968 CMD

CDOD 1965

Central Districts Ordnance Depot 1965. Dave Morris Collection

 

Ordnance In the Southern Military District

1968 SMD

Dress Embellishments

Circular Coloured patches 1½ inch in diameter were worn on the shoulder Battledress and then Service Dress just below the Corps Shoulder Title, these patches were discontinued in the mid-1970’s.

  • Combat Brigade Group – Black
  • Logistic Support Group – Red
  • Combat Reserve Brigade group – Green
  • Static Support Force – Blue

1968 Reorganisation

In 1968 it was decided to refine the RNZAOC organisation to better suit its outputs, resulting in name changes, roles changes, relocation and disestablishment for some units.

Unit Name Changes

  • The Main Ordnance Depot at Trentham was renamed 1 Base Ordnance Depot.
  • The three District Ordnance Depots were renamed as Central Ordnance Depots
    • Northern District Ordnance Depot – 1 Central Ordnance Depot
    • Central District Ordnance Depot – 2 Central Ordnance Depot
    • Southern District Ordnance Depot – 3 Central Ordnance Depot

Note: It was mooted that ‘Command’ instead of ‘Central’ be used as the name of the Ordnance Depots, and some correspondence does refer to the COD as Command Ordnance Depots.

Roles Changes and Re-locations

  • 1 Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Field Park based at Trentham and already partly scaled but with no role other than training this was moved to Ngaruawahia, with the task of maintaining the Equipment Tables of Combat Brigade group units.
  • 1COC PLAQUE

    1 Composite Ordnance Company Plaque. Peter Cox collection

     

    1 Composite Ordnance Company assumed the role as the significant bulk Ordnance stock-holding unit in the Field Force, with responsibility for issuing bulk to 1 Ordnance Field Park and all Workshop Stores Sections and detailed Issues to all Logistic Support Group units. This unit had a peacetime holding of 60 -90 days of War Reserve stocks which were transferred from 1 Base Ordnance Depot. All Platoons were centralised at Mangaroa, less 4 (Ammo) Platoon, located at Makomako and loaned back to 2 Central Ordnance Depot.

  • 3 Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Field Park situated at Ngaruawahia with no stocks held and performing only a Training Role, this unit was relocated to Burnham where the majority of Combat Reserve Brigade Units were located, continuing to have no stock-holding responsibility and only have a training role.

There was no change to the Role and locations of the Workshops Stores section and RNZAOC school.

GEN OUTLINE.jpg

Disestablishment

The Small Arms and Proof Office co-located at Mount Eden with the Colonial Ammunition Company was closed down, and the Army ended its long relationship with the Colonial Ammunition Company when that company closed down.

The Ammunition Proof and Experimental Centre operations were also closed down, and its operations moved to the new Joint Services Proof Establishment, a Tri-service unit established as part of the Naval Ammunition Depot ad Kauri Point in Auckland.

RNZAOC Overseas

Throughout the 1960s the RNZAOC provided individuals for overseas service, with the bulk serving with the Australians in South Vietnam and 1 RNZIR at Ternadak Barracks in Malaysia.

In 1970 due to a proposed British withdrawal from Singapore, the RNZAOC made a commitment with the RAAOC to form 5 Advanced Ordnance Depot in Singapore. 5 Advanced Ordnance Depot was the first RNZAOC unit overseas since Kayforce during the Korean War, and the RNZAOC retained a unit in Singapore until 1989.

Future Reorganisations

The RNZAOC retained this organisation until the late 1970s, when the Rations and Fuel functions were gained on the disestablishment of the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps, and the RNZAOC underwent another Reorganisation, which will be covered in another article.

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017

Central Districts, RNZAOC Corps Day 2017

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To commemorate the 70th anniversary on the 12th of July 1947 of the granting of the “Royal” prefix by King George VI to the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, and the 100th anniversary of the formation of the New Zealand Army Ordnance Department and New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps on 1 February 1917. A small gathering was held the 15th of July  2017 at the Empire Hotel in Palmerston North.

The Empire Hotel was chosen as the venue as 100 years ago the NZAOC Palmerston North Detachment, Ordnance Store was located across the road at 327 Main Street, and I am sure that some of them would have enjoyed a cold beer at the Empire Hotel on a Saturday afternoon.

NZ Army Ordnance Stores, 327 Main Street, Palmerston North circa 1930. Palmerston North Libraries and Community Services

NZ Army Ordnance Stores, 327 Main Street, Palmerston North circa 1920. Palmerston North Libraries and Community Services

The gathering was small, but those who attended represented a varied cross-section of former RNZAOC members from the 1960’s to the 1990’s.

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Rear Left to Right: Tony (Wingnut) Rogers, Terry McBeth, Richard Tyler, Rob Mckie, Merv Hutley, Kevin Sigglekow, Peter Cox, Brian Crafts, Peter Dellabarca, Front Row Left to Right: Ray Benseman, Willie Simonsen, Phil Blundell, Dave Morris.

Ordnance and the Central Districts

The RNZAOC and its predecessors have had a  long association with the Central Districts of New Zealand. The Central Districts including the provinces of;

  • Taranaki,
  • Whanganui,
  • Ruapehu,
  • Rangitikei,
  • Manawatu,
  • Hawkes Bay,
  • Wairarapa,
  • Horowhenua, and
  • Wellington.

Ordnance Depot

In the early years of the 20th Century, Ordnance Support to the region was provided by the Defence Stores Department from their Headquarters at Mount Cook in Wellington.

With the foundation of the NZAOC in 1917, Trentham soon became the Main Ordnance Depot with detachments at Featherston and Palmerston North

On the conclusion of the First World War permanent Ordnance Depots were established at Ngaruawahia to support the Northern Districts, and at Burnham to Support the Southern Districts, it was decided to support the Central Districts directly from the Main Ordnance Depot at Trentham, resulting in the closure of the Featherston and Palmerston North Ordnance Detachments. 

With the onset of the Second World War and the mobilisation of  New Zealand, the Central Districts Ordnance Depot was established at the Showground’s in Palmerston North with several large warehouses in rented accommodation at Whanganui.

In August of 1942, the District Ordnance Depots were renamed, and responsibility’s defined.  The Main Ordnance Depot name would remain extant, and it would service;

  • Army Headquarters,
  • Army School,
  • Mobilisation Camp, Trentham,
  • All other troops in the Wellington Fortress area,
  • 1, 2 and 3 Ordnance Sup Depots.

The Central Districts Ordnance Depot would become  No 2 Ordnance Sub Depot and would service ;

  • Waiouru Military Camp and all units therein,
  • Tactical School, Wanganui,
  • Staff College, Palmerston North,
  • Central Military Districts Troops (except Wellington Fortress troops),
  • 4th Division.

On the Wars end, No 2 Ordnance Sub Depot closed on 14 December 1945 and responsibility for Ordnance Support for the Central Districts reverted to the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham. A short time later No 2 Ordnance Sub depot reopened in Linton Camp.

  • No 2 Ordnance Sub Depot in Linton, would endure becoming;
  • No2 Ordnance Depot in 1946,
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot in 1961,
  • 2 Central Ordnance Depot in 1968,
  • 2 Supply Company in 1979,
  • 5 Composite Supply Company in 1985 and finally
  • 21 Field Supply Company in 1990 until 1996 when its ownership Passed from the RNZAOC to the RNZALR.

Workshops and Stores Sections

In September 1946 most of the repair and maintenance functions of the NZAOC became the New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The NZAOC retained repair functions such as Bootmaking, Textile Repair and Tailoring.

From 1961 the RNZAOC was represented across the Central Districts in all of the RNZEME Workshops and LAD Stores Sections.

Ammunition Depot

Constructed and becoming operational in the mid-1940’s, Ammunition Depots would be established at:

  • Kuku valley at Trentham,
  • Belmont in Wellington,
  • Makomako, and
  • Waiouru.

These would remain as interdependent Ammunition Depots until 1961 when they became Sub-Depots of the Central Districts Ordnance Depot.

The Belmont Ammunition Depot would close in the late 1960’s, with Makomako closing in the mid-1990’s leaving Waiouru as the Main Ammunition Depot.

Waiouru Camp

When Waiouru Camp was established in 1940 it was planned to create an Ordnance Depot there, but these plans never eventuated, and Waiouru would remain a Sub Depot of Trentham. Waiouru became a Sub Depot of Linton until the 1970s when it became 4 Central Ordnance Depot, then 4 Supply Company in 1979.

Wellington Region Ordnance Units

 

Although based in the Wellington region and having a broader responsibility for just, not the Central Districts but also the entire Army, by their proximity they have a closer association to the Central Districts than the Northern and Southern Districts and therefore have been included in this article.

In the post-war era Ordnance in the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham would undergo many transformations, the Main Ordnance Depot would become the Base Ordnance Depot in 1968 and then the 1st Base Supply Battalion in 1979 and finally 5 Logistic Regiment in 1993.

The RNZAF stores depot at Mangaroa was handed over to the NZ Army in 1949 and over the years would become home to;

  • 4(NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park was based at Trentham and Mangaroa from 1950 to 1963,
  • 1 Infantry Brigade OFP from 1963 to 1968 until reorganised and redeployed to Ngaruawahia and Burnham.
  • 1st Composite Ordnance Company from 1964 to 1977.

The Central Districts Vehicle Depot would be established at Trentham in the late 1940’s and would move closer to its primary customer base at  Linton in 1958 and would to be absorbed into the CDOD as a Sub-Depot in 1961.

Adoption of RNZASC functions

In 1979 the foodstuffs and POL functions of the RNZASC became an Ordnance responsibility with the RNZAOC gaining;

  • 24 Supply Platoon in Linton,
  • 44 Supply Platoon in Waiouru,
  • 54 Supply Platoons in Trentham,
  • 21 Supply Company in Waiouru (retaining its name in honour of its long history with the RNZASC), and
  • 7 Petroleum Platoon in Waiouru, which was renamed 47 Petroleum Platoon (4 added to identify it as a Platoon of 4 Supply Company).

Establishment of the RNZALR

On the 8 of December 1996, the RNZAOC along with the RNZCT and RNZEME was disestablished and its personnel and unit’s becoming part of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment.

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017

 

 

RNZAOC District Ordnance Depots 1961-68

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As the RNZAOC organisation matured in the late 1950s, it became apparent that the system in place of having separate Ordnance, Vehicle and Ammunition Depots located in the same locations but under different command arrangements was impracticable and not an efficient use of resources. Starting in 1961, a reorganisation was undertaken to consolidate administrative, accounting and store functions under one headquarters. The restructuring ensured that there was only one RNZAOC depot in each district, which consisted of.

  • Headquarters,
  • Stores Sub-Depot,
  • Ammunition Sub-Depot,
  • Vehicle Sub-Depot
  • Traffic Centre.

To achieve this all the existing Stores, Ammunition and Vehicle depots became Sub-depots of a District Ordnance Depot, designated as.

  • Northern Districts Ordnance Depot (NDOD) – Ngaruawahia,
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot (CDOD) – Linton,
  • Southern Districts Ordnance Depot (SDOD) – Burnham

The outline shape of the new Depots is shown as;

1960 ord depot

Responsibilities

Officer commanding

A Major, the Officer Commanding was responsible for.

  • Command of the depot
  • Policy
  • Administrations including personnel matters.

2IC, Stores and Planning officer

Either a Captain of Senior Lieutenant the 2IC, Stores and Planning officer was responsible for;

  • Depot Planning,
  • Receipt, preservation, storage, maintenance, issue,
  • Storehouse layout,
  • Warehouse methods,
  • Procedure instructions,
  • Depot Workshops,
  • Traffic Centre,
  • Depot Transport officer,
  • Security,
  • Fire Precautions.

The 2IC, Stores and Planning officer was usually assisted by the Foreman IC Stores (FICS), who was a senior Warrant Officer.

Accounting Officer

Either a Captain or Senior Lieutenant or the Accounting Officer was responsible.

  • Accounting for Stores,
  • Provision,
  • Claims,
  • Stocktaking,
  • Correspondence in connection with Stores,
  • Accounting for Articles in use.

Ammunition Technical Officers

ATO’s could have been any of the Depots officers who had to balance their regular duties with their Ammo responsibility.

Depot HQ

Each HQ consisted of an.

  • Administrative Group, and
  • Accounts Group

Records from all three Sub-Depots were centralised in the HQ, and all administrative and accounting functions (including Workshop accounting) were performed there.

Administrative Group

Controlled by a Chief Clerk who was responsible to the OC for.

  • Records,
  • Technical Library including amendments,
  • Typing and reproductions,
  • Stationary including Army forms,
  • Mail – receipt, registration, dispatch,
  • Personnel administration as directed, and
  • Orderly room – Unit administration, ROs, etc.

Accounts Group

Controlled by the Accounting Officer,  for the two accounts in the Depot:

  • The main stores account embracing all general stores, ammunition and vehicles, and
  • The A in U account, which included all articles in use by all parts of the Depot

The Accounts Group was comprised of the following sections.

  • Control – General Stores, ammunition and vehicle ledgers
  • Ledger Checking – To provide:
    • 100% check of all ledger postings of Clothing and Ammunition.
    • 25% check of all other postings.
  • Provision – Annual and periodic provision reviews for all types of stores, and to progress demands and orders.
  • Claims –Passing of accounts for payment, financial aspects of “On Payment” transactions, hires etc.
  • Stocktaking -Responsible for continuous stocktaking of all stores (including ammunition), aimed at completion once every 3 years.

Stores Sub-Depots

The Stores Sub-Depots consisted of the following Groups;

  • Hardware
  • Clothing
  • Camp Equipment
  • Technical Stores
  • Returned Stores and Disposals, in addition to the conventional functions this group included;
    •  Textile Repair Workshop,
    • Footwear Repair Workshop,
    • Tailors,
    • Carpenters.

The functions within in Stores Groups were accepted as standard;

  • Receipts
    • Receiving
    • Unpacking
    • Identifying
    • Checking
    • Discrepancies and queries
  • Storage
    • Detail
      • Preserving
      • Binning
      • Maintaining
      • Amending Location and catalogue information
      • Selecting for issue
    • Bulk
      • Preserving
      • Packing for bulk storage
      • Bulk stacking
      • Selecting for issue
      • Dispatching.

Note: In a small group one person performed all or most of the above functions.

A typical representation of the staffing of a large Group is shown in the following diagram.

staff stores group

Ammunition Sub-Depots

Ammunition Sub-Depots consisted of:

  • Ammunition Inspection Section.
  • Ammunition Repair Section.
  • Non-Explosive Store.
  • Ammunition Areas;
    • NDOD
      • Ardmore.
      • Kelm road.
      • Ngaruawahia
    • CDOD
      • Waiouru.
      • Makomako.
      • Belmont.
      • Trentham.
    • SDOD
      • Burnham.
      • Glentunnel.
      • Fairlie.
      • Mt Somers.

Vehicle Sub-Depots

Vehicle Depots consisted of:

  • Vehicle Park
  • Kit Store

A RNZEME Maintenance Section was sometimes included as part of the Depot.

In the CDOD and SDOD the Vehicle group control functions were incorporated into the Depot HQ, In NDOD the Control functions were located at Sylvia Park and not at the depot HQ Ngaruawahia.

Traffic Centres

The NCO IC Traffic was directly responsible to the Stores officer and had the responsibility for the control and coordination of the Depots transport, Including;

  • Servicing,
  • Repair,
  • Vehicle registrations,
  • Warrants of fitness,
  • POL returns.

Establishments

Although similar in function, based on their location, dependency and infrastructure each Ordnance Depot had a slightly different structure, as much as possible the terms used to name positions were standardised against the following definitions.

  • Chief Clerk –  Clerk in charge of a Group, or 2IC of an HQ Group controlled by an Officer.
  • Senior Clerk – Clerk in charge of a Section of an HQ Group clerks
  • Chief Storeman – Storeman in charge of
    1. A group of a Stores Sub-Depot,
    2. A Vehicle Sub-depot,
    3. Traffic Centre.
  • Senior Storeman – Storeman in charge of:
    1. A Section of a Stores Group,
    2. An Ammunition Area storeman,
    3. A Vehicle Park storeman,
    4. A Kit Store storeman.
  • Chief Ammunition Technician – The WO1 in charge of an Inspection Section
  • Senior Ammunition Technician – he AT in charge of the Repair Section
  • Foreman – The Tradesman in charge of a RNZAOC Workshop

Copies of the 2 District Ordnance Depots establishments can seen on the attached Links;

Northern District Ordnance Depot Establishment

Central District Ordnance Depot Establishment

Linton-0001-OhG304062

Southern District Ordnance Depot Establishment

Burnham-2-0001-OhG303962

Summary

The District Ordnance Depots remained until 1968 when they were reorganised  again and became;

  • Northern Districts Ordnance Depot – became 1 Central Ordnance Depot (1COD),
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot – became 2 Central Ordnance Depot (2COD),
  • Southern Districts Ordnance Depot – became 3 Central Ordnance Depot (3COD).

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017