Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps

1 Comment

In British and Commonwealth military doctrine, there has long been a separation of responsibility for Supplies and Stores.

  • Supplies – The provisioning, storing, and distributing of food for soldiers; forage for animals; Fuel, Oil, and Lubricants (FOL) for Tanks, Trucks, and other fuel-powered vehicles and equipment; and the forward transport and distribution of ammunition. In the NZ Army, Supplies were managed by the New Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC) from 1911 to 16 October 19789.
  • Stores – The provisioning, storage, and distribution of weapons, munitions, and military equipment are not managed by RNZASC. Stores were the Responsibility of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) until 1996.

Despite the separation of responsibilities, the RNZASC and RNZAOC would have a long and cooperative relationship for most of their existence.

During the early colonial days, the early actions of the New Zealand Wars proved that the New Zealand bush and the elusive tactics of the Maori presented new problems in supply and transport. An Imperial Supply and Transport Service was established and operated with the Imperial troops.

From the end of the New Zealand Wars until 1910, there was no ASC unit in New Zealand, with the supply functions required by the New Zealand Military provided by the Defence Stores Department.

After the conclusion of the South African War, the Military Forces in New Zealand embarked on a series of reforms to enhance the organisation and capability of the nation’s military, enabling it to contribute effectively to a broader Imperial Defence scheme. In 1910, at the request of the New Zealand Government, Field Marshal Viscount Kitchener inspected New Zealand’s Forces. Kitchener provided several recommendations concerning the ongoing reforms, emphasising the need for a professional Staff Corps to administer the force and confirming the requirement for a New Zealand ASC, which was gazetted on 12 May 1910 (backdated to 6 May 1910) as a designated component of the Territorial Forces of New Zealand.

The momentum for these reforms gained further impetus with the appointment of Major General Alexander Godley as the New Zealand Military Forces Commandant in December 1910. Godley was pivotal in revitalising New Zealand’s military organisational framework in his first year, making critical command and staff appointments, promulgating the (Provisional) Regulations for the Military Forces of New Zealand, and making plans to build up the NZASC, which up to this time had remained a paper corps.

Acknowledging the highly specialised nature of ASC duties, distinct from combatant staff and regimental officers, and the absence of suitably qualified officers in New Zealand, Godley recommended to the Minister of Defence on 4 January 1911 the lending of services of an experienced Imperial ASC Senior Captain or Major to organise and train New Zealand’s transport and supply services for three years. The Minister of Defence endorsed this recommendation with the Prime Minister cabling the New Zealand High Commissioner in London on 10 January 1910 to approach the Army Council for the following:

Services of experienced Army Service Corps major or senior captain required to organise New Zealand Army Service Corps. Engagement for three years. Salary £600 a year consolidated. Pay to include house allowance. Travelling allowance of 12/6d a day and allowance for one horse if kept, will also be granted. 

Within two months of receiving New Zealand’s request for an ASC Officer, the Army Council promptly and affirmatively responded to the call. Having already sanctioned nine additional officers to assist Godley, the Council selected Knox, who then served in C (Depot) Company ASC at Aldershot for service in New Zealand to organise the NZASC.

Under the guidance of New Zealand Adjutant and Quartermaster-General Colonel Alfred Robin, Knox assumed his duties as the New Zealand DST at the Army General Staff Offices on Wellington’s Buckle Street. His responsibilities encompassed a wide range of functions, including quarters, tender and contracts, personal and freight movement, and presidency on two standing committees related to Drill sheds and the storage and distribution of clothing and equipment to the forces.

Recognising Knox’s extensive duties, he was granted the Temporary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel on 6 September 1911. With Colonel Robin’s appointment as the New Zealand representative at the War Office in London in 1912, Knox assumed the additional role of Quartermaster General (QMG). Despite Knox diligently fulfilling the role of QMG and DST, progress on the formation of the NZASC was slow.

By 1914, Knox had established 16 NZASC companies of approximately 30 men each across the four New Zealand Military Districts, with imported ASC officers serving as Assistant Directors of Supply and Transport (ADST) in each District Headquarters.   Although Knox had departed by the time of the 1914 divisional camps, the Inspector General of Imperial Forces, General Sir Ian Hamilton, noted following his inspection that:

The very highest credit is due to the Army Service Corps officers and their men. They have done a first-class service, although as a rule undermanned to an extent that would fill a labour union with horror. When the Army Service Corps units are up to their normal strengths, a suitable system of calling the men up to camp in relays will enable the necessary duties to be carried out as efficiently and with much less strain on the personnel.

During World War One, New Zealand ASC units fulfilled crucial functions. ASC Companies supported the Territorial Infantry and Mounted Rifle Brigades. At the same time, Supply and Transport Units aided mobilisation camps within New Zealand. Overseas, the NZASC operated across all New Zealand theatres of war, delivering indispensable services. At its zenith, it managed the NZ Divisional Train, five ASC Companies, five Depot Units of Supply, the NZ Field Bakery, the NZ Field Butchery, and the NZ Motor Transport Workshop. Notably, the NZASC and NZAOC frequently shared personnel, facilities, and transportation, especially in the conflict’s early years.

In 1917 the NZAOC was established as a permanent component of the New Zealand Military Forces, however, it would not be until 1924 that the Permanent NZASC was formed.

Post-war, under the leadership of Captain Stanley Herbert Crump, the NZASC transitioned to a peacetime establishment comprising a Headquarters and three depots (Northern, Central, and Southern). In 1924, the Permanent NZASC (PNZASC) was established as part of the permanent Military Forces. Additionally, in 1925, an alliance between the NZASC and the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was ratified.

The RASC has its roots in history that are much more profound. Up to the time of Cromwell, armies mainly lived by plunder. The RASC came into being in 1888. but the work it now performs was being done long before that.

Cromwell and then the Duke of Marlborough, and later Napoleon, organised a system of civilian commissaries. The Duke of York established the Corps of Royal Waggoners in 1794. This purely transport organisation continued until 1869 under various names, eventually as the Military Train, fighting as light cavalry in the Indian Mutiny.

The birth of the Supplies and Transport Service dates from 1869. when supplies and transport, along with the Military Stores Department, came under one department called the Control Department, it remained for General Sir Redvers Buller in 1888 to organise the first Army Service Corps. Since its formation, the RASC has been a combatant one. Trained and armed as infantry and responsible for its own protection. Considerd a more technical Corps, the RAOC was not granted combatant status until 1942.

In 1931, under Crump’s continued leadership, the NZASC underwent a reorganisation into three Composite Companies. Each company comprised seven officers, four warrant officers, and 99 other ranks, establishing a solid foundation from which the NZASC could readily expand to meet the demands of future conflicts.

During World War Two, numerous units and establishments represented the NZASC across all New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) theatres. Similar to the previous World War, the NZASC maintained a collaborative relationship with New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC) Ammunition Examiners (AEs) in the establishment of NZASC Ammunition platoons. At times, NZASC Warrant Officers were attached to the NZ Divisional Ordnance Field Park (OFP) to offer technical advice on vehicle spares. In recognition of the NZASC’s service during WW2, the title “Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps” was conferred in 1946.

In the post-war era, the NZASC and from 1946, the RNZASC would serve with distinction J Force in Japan and then contribute the second-largest New Zealand contingent to K Force in Korea by providing 10 Transport Company. Playing a pivotal role in sustaining the morale and effectiveness of New Zealand forces during these conflicts

Until 1947, NZASC units primarily handled baking bread, butchering meat, and procuring and distributing fresh and packaged provisions to frontline units, while regimental cooks and stewards were responsible for cooking and serving meals. To enhance and standardise cooking practices throughout the army, the Supplies and Transport Catering Group (STCG) was established on 15 February 1948 with the following objectives:

  • Training and provision of unit cooks and kitchen hands.
  • Instruction and supervision of the management of the Army ration scale.
  • Improvement of food preparation and cooking standards.
  • Advice on the installation and operation of cooking appliances and kitchen equipment.
  • Guidance on the layout of mess buildings.

In September 1948, all Regimental catering staff, except those of the New Zealand Women’s Army Corps, were transferred into the RNZASC. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the RNZASC played a vital role within the New Zealand Army, encompassing a wide range of functions. These included everyday tasks such as cooking and serving food, as well as more complex operations like air supply drops. To manage the procurement, storage, transportation, and distribution of essential supplies such as food, fuels, and oils for a modern Army, the RNZASC operated Supply Depots and employed various tradespeople, including butchers. Supply Depots were strategically located in Papakura, Waiouru, Linton, Trentham, and Burnham, where bulk supplies were stored and distributed as needed. Additionally, every Army camp featured a section of the RNZASC, along with smaller supply and transport depots, which were responsible for handling goods from central supply depots and providing drivers and transport services for various purposes. These smaller depots were situated in Devonport/Fort Caultley,

ANZUK Supply Platoon, Singapore – 1972 Standing L to R: Cpl Parker, RAASC. Cpl Olderman, RAASC, Cpl Mcintyre, RAOC. Sgt Frank, RAOC. Cpl Rangi, RNZASC. Sgt Locke, RNZASC. Sgt Bust, RAOC. Pte Mag, RAASC. Cpl David, RAASC. Sitting L to R: Sgt Kietelgen, RAASC. WO2 West, RAOC. Capt Mcnice, RAOC. Maj Hunt, RAASC. Lt Fynn, RAASC. WO2 Cole, RAASC. WO2 Clapton. RAASC

Following the Macleod report that recommended the streamlining of logistic support for the British Army, the RASC merged in 1965 with the Royal Engineers’ Transportation and Movement Control Service to form the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT). This would see the RASC Supply functions transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). In 1973, following the British lead, the Australians also reformed their Royal Australian Army Service Corps (RAASC) into the Royal Australian Army Corps of Transport (RAACT).

Acknowledging the British and Australian experience, the RNZASC underwent a similar transition—operational command of the Supply function transferred to the RNZAOC on 16 October 1978. On 12 May 1979, the RNZASC ceased to exist: Supply personnel formally transferred to the RNZAOC, while Transport, Movements, and Catering were re-formed as the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT)..

The RNZASC supply function would be integrated into the RNZAOC, with the Camp Supply Depots becoming NZAOC Supply Platoons numbered as.

  • 14 Supply Platoon, Papakura/Hopuhopu
  • 24 Supply Platoon, Linton
  • 34 Supply Platoon, Burnham
  • 44 Supply Platoon, Waiouru
  • 54 Supply Platoon, Trentham
  • NZ Supply Platoon, Singapore

In recognition of its long RNZASC service, 21 Supply Company was retained as a Territorial unit, initially as the Territorial element of 4 Supply Company in Waiouru and later as the Territorial element of 2 Supply Company, Linton. Today, 21 Supply is the principal North Island Supply unit of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR).

For a short period following the RNZAOC assumption of Supply functions, some RF and TF RNZAOC would periodically be employed within the RNZCT transport Squadrons’ Combat Supplies sections.

The RNZAOC Butcher trade inherited from the RNZASC would be discontinued in the mid-1980s, with the last of the butchers reclassifying as RNZAOC Suppliers. By the mid-1990s, it was decided as a cost-saving measure to allow the RNZCT catering staff to order directly from commercial foodstuff suppliers, effectively ending the RNZAOC foodstuffs speciality. The only RNZASC trade speciality remaining in the RNZAOC after its amalgamation into the RNZALR was that of Petroleum Operator.

The Royal NZ Army Service Corps & Corps of Transport, like the RNZAOC, have passed their combined responsibilities to the RNZALR. However, the Royal NZ Army Service Corps & Corps of Transport maintain a strong association that provides many benefits and opportunities for comradeship to RNZASC/CT Corps members and past and present members of the RNZALR. Another role of the RNZASC/CT association is to ensure that the rich and significant history of the RNZASC/CT is not lost to future generations of the RNZALR.

Copies of the RNZASC/CT association newsletter can be viewed here

NZ Defence Stores July 1869 – June 1870

Leave a comment

The year from July 1869 to June 1870 marked the beginning of a more formal Defence Stores system in New Zealand. Military storekeeping had existed since the earliest colonial militia arrangements, but this period saw the Defence Stores Department recognised as a permanent component of the New Zealand Forces, with a dedicated vote, named staff, and clearer responsibility for managing the large quantities of arms, ammunition, clothing, accoutrements and equipment accumulated during the New Zealand Wars.

Military storekeeping in New Zealand had roots reaching back to 1840, when Henry Tucker was appointed Colonial Storekeeper and became responsible for the arms, ammunition and accoutrements issued to the early militia. During the 1850s and 1860s, responsibility for equipping militia and volunteer forces remained closely linked to the Colonial Secretary and later to the Defence Department. The Militia Act 1858 allowed Volunteer units to be formed for service beyond strictly local defence, while the Colonial Defence Force Act 1862 created a small regular colonial force and formalised the role of the Defence Minister and Defence Department. These changes created a more distinct administrative framework for the colony’s regular, militia and volunteer forces.

This was also the moment when New Zealand’s policy of military self-reliance reached its practical conclusion. Imperial forces were in the final stages of withdrawal, colonial operations were still active in the North Island, and the Government was left to manage the material consequences of a decade of war. In that setting, the Defence Stores Department was not an administrative luxury. It was the mechanism by which the colony controlled, repaired, redistributed and accounted for the war material on which the Armed Constabulary, Militia and Volunteers depended.

In October 1867, the Colonial Defence Force was disbanded under the Armed Constabulary Act 1867, with its regular members transferred to the Armed Constabulary. At the same time, the Public Stores Act 1867 provided an important administrative foundation for government storekeeping. It established a more comprehensive policy for the custody, issue and accountability of public stores. As government organisations, the Armed Constabulary, Militia and Volunteers were therefore subject to the same broad expectations of public accountability that Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Gorton would soon attempt to apply to military stores.

A new system under Edward Gorton

In April 1869, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Gorton was appointed Inspector of Stores.[1] His appointment did not create military storekeeping in New Zealand, but it did give the Defence Stores a stronger central authority. Gorton inherited a scattered and uneven system, with stores held at Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui, Patea, frontier posts, magazines and former campaign depots. Much of this material had been purchased in haste during the wars and was now required either for continued operations, for local defence, or for storage under more accountable arrangements.

The Defence Stores was not a new organisation in functional terms. It represented the consolidation of earlier Militia Stores and Colonial Stores arrangements that had emerged during the 1860s. The change in 1869 was that Defence Stores were now treated as a permanent part of the military system, with a dedicated establishment and a central Inspector of Stores.

The Department was funded under Class VIII, “Militia, Volunteers, and Armed Constabulary.” The 1869 Appropriation Act authorised total Defence expenditure of £230,799 14s 2d for the year ending 30 June 1870, equivalent to approximately $41.0 million in 2026 NZD. Within this, the Store Department was voted £3,180, equivalent to approximately $564,700 in 2026 NZD.[2]

Gorton’s early work was practical rather than ceremonial. He established his office in Wellington, assisted by his clerk, G. S. Lockie, and drafted new rules, regulations and forms for keeping store accounts. This was an essential first step in turning scattered wartime holdings into an accountable Defence Stores system.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Gorton

 One of his early tours, in November 1869, took him from Auckland aboard the Government paddle steamer Sturt to military depots and garrisons on the East Coast, where he found stores accumulated for recent operations but not used.[3] This was the essential problem of the period: not simply a shortage of stores, but poor visibility, uneven distribution and insufficient central control.

The practical value of Gorton’s emphasis on stocktaking was demonstrated almost immediately. On 29 July 1869, he completed a stocktake and reorganisation of the Wellington Militia Store. Two days later the store was burgled and several items of clothing were stolen. Because the store had just been checked, Sergeant Crowe was able to identify the nature and quantity of the missing items, enabling an accurate report to be made to the Wellington Police. The offender and accomplices were soon apprehended, reportedly while wearing some of the stolen clothing.

Defence finance, 1869–70

The surviving official accounts are organised around the financial year ending 30 June 1870. They show the scale of the military burden still carried by the colony.

The Appropriation Act authorised £812,780 18s 5d for the year, including £230,799 14s 2d for Defence.[4] In the Defence vote, the Store Department was a modest item when compared with the Armed Constabulary and contingent defence expenditure, but its importance was out of proportion to its cost. Without storekeepers, armourers, arms cleaners, magazine keepers and clerks, the weapons, ammunition and stores purchased during the previous decade could not be controlled or maintained.

The Public Accounts for 1869–70 recorded Store Department expenditure of £2,953 8s 7d, equivalent to approximately $524,500 in 2026 NZD. This consisted of £1,621 10s for the salaries of the Inspector, Storekeepers and Clerks, £1,065 18s 6d for Armourers and Arms Cleaners, £229 0s 7d for rent, advertising and contingencies, and £36 19s 6d for travelling expenses of Inspecting Officers. The Department underspent its vote by £226 11s 5d, equivalent to approximately $40,200 in 2026 NZD.[5]

Store Department expenditure, 1869–70Original amountApprox. 2026 NZD
Inspector, Storekeepers and Clerks, salaries£1,621 10s 0d$288,000
Armourers and Arms Cleaners, salaries£1,065 18s 6d$189,300
Rent, advertising and contingencies£229 0s 7d$40,700
Travelling expenses of Inspecting Officers£36 19s 6d$6,600
Total Store Department expenditure£2,953 8s 7d$524,500
Carried to Reserve Account£226 11s 5d$40,200

A separate “Miscellaneous” defence vote also directly affected stores, arms and ammunition. It included expenditure on rifle prizes, passages for competitors, purchase of arms, purchase of ammunition, carriage and freight, insurance, repair of arms and contingencies. Actual expenditure under this heading was £6,547 0s 7d, equivalent to approximately $1.16 million in 2026 NZD.[6]

Selected defence stores-related miscellaneous expenditureOriginal amountApprox. 2026 NZD
Purchase of arms£623 5s 0d$110,700
Purchase of ammunition£1,768 5s 11d$314,000
Repair of arms£45 17s 6d$8,100
Carriage and freight£820 7s 11d$145,700
Miscellaneous contingencies£1,046 19s 5d$185,900

These figures show that Defence Stores was part of a wider material system. The formal Store Department paid the staff and operating expenses, while other defence votes funded the arms, ammunition, freight, repairs and support activities that gave the Department its workload.

Organisation and staff

The Defence Stores establishment for 1869–70 was small, but it was now sufficiently formal to identify both the appointments and, in many cases, the men holding them. The official accounts recorded the Store Department vote and expenditure by category, while later biographical and institutional research allows several appointments to be matched to named individuals.[7]

The following table combines the known authorised appointments, named holders where known, and approximate 2026 NZD equivalents.

LocationAppointmentNameAnnual salaryApprox. 2026 NZD
Head Office, WellingtonInspector of StoresLieutenant-Colonel Edward Gorton£500$88,800
Head Office, WellingtonClerk to Inspector of StoresG.S Lockie£150$26,600
AucklandActing Sub-StorekeeperMajor William St Clair Tisdall£250$44,400
AucklandClerkJohn Blomfield£160$28,400
AucklandClerkJohn Price£160$28,400
AucklandArmourer SergeantDavid Evitt£182$32,300
AucklandArms CleanerThomas Gibbons£109$19,400
AucklandArms CleanerCharles Phillips£109$19,400
AucklandArms CleanerWilliam Cook Rockley£109$19,400
AucklandArms CleanerJohn Penligen£109$19,400
AucklandMagazine Keeper, appointed January 1870J. Broughton£83$14,740
WellingtonStorekeeper, Armed Constabulary StoresSam Cosgrave Anderson£250$44,400
WellingtonStorekeeper, Militia and Volunteers / Defence StorekeeperLieutenant-Colonel H. E. Reader£100$17,800
WellingtonClerkAlexander Crowe£150$26,600
WellingtonArmourerArmourer Sergeant Edwin Henry Bradford£182$32,300
WellingtonArms CleanerJohn Shaw£109$19,400
WellingtonArms CleanerJames Smith£109$19,400
WellingtonArms CleanerWalter Christie£109$19,400
WellingtonArms CleanerW. Warren£109$19,400
WellingtonMagazine Keeper, appointed January 1870W. Corliss£63$11,188
WhanganuiSub StorekeeperCharles Chalkin£150$26,600
PateaSub-Storekeeper, from January 1870C.A Wray£150$26,600

This was a skeleton organisation for a national task. It had to support the Armed Constabulary, Militia and Volunteers, while managing stores from recent campaigns and the material legacy of Imperial withdrawal. These men were not yet members of an ordnance corps, but they performed many of the functions later associated with one: inspection, custody, repair, issue, receipt, magazine management and store accounting.

Auckland Defence Store

The Auckland Defence Store was located at Albert Barracks and remained the largest and most important Defence Store in New Zealand. Auckland had long been the principal military and stores centre, and although the Imperial presence was declining, the district still held large quantities of arms, ammunition and military equipment.

Captain John Mitchell, the former Colonial Storekeeper at Auckland, was suspended in May 1869 and resigned in July. Major William St Clair Tisdall was then appointed Acting Sub-Storekeeper of the Auckland Defence Stores. Tisdall was supported by clerks John Blomfield and John Price, Armourer Sergeant David Evitt, and arms cleaners Thomas Gibbons, Charles Phillips, William Cook Rockley and John Penligen. J. Broughton was appointed Magazine Keeper in January 1870.

The Auckland store was not merely a warehouse. It was responsible for arms, ammunition, magazines and repair support across a district where military stores had accumulated during years of war. Its importance was reinforced by the technical diversity of the weapons then in New Zealand service, including muzzle-loading arms, breech-loading conversions and Snider rifles.

Wellington Defence Stores and Mount Cook

In Wellington, the Defence Store was located at Mount Cook. The site was significant because it combined military, stores and Armed Constabulary functions. The Armed Constabulary Depot was also being developed at Mount Cook, and the Armed Constabulary Stores and Defence Store were closely associated, even where they remained technically distinct.

Sam Cosgrave Anderson controlled the Armed Constabulary Stores. Although his position was paid from within the Armed Constabulary budget and was technically part of the Armed Constabulary Depot, his work sat alongside the Defence Store system. Anderson had previously served as Clerk to the Militia Quartermaster at Patea and entered Gorton’s organisation in April 1869 before becoming Armed Constabulary Storekeeper late that year.

The Wellington Defence Store itself was under Lieutenant-Colonel H. E. Reader, who was also Commander of the Wellington District Militia. His staff included Sergeant Alexander Crowe as Clerk, Armourer Sergeant Edwin Henry Bradford, and arms cleaners John Shaw, James Smith, Walter Christie and W. Warren. W. Corliss was appointed Magazine Keeper in January 1870.

Whanganui and Patea

Whanganui had been a major military centre during the Tītokowaru War and retained a Defence Stores role into 1869–70. The Storekeeper position was held by Major Charles Chalkin, who was also Officer Commanding and Adjutant of the Whanganui Militia and Volunteers. By January 1870, as the immediate military situation changed, the Whanganui post was downgraded to that of Sub-Storekeeper.

Patea reflected the same pattern. With the main hostilities associated with the Tītokowaru War reduced, Patea became a regional hub rather than a forward campaign base. A Sub-Storekeeper was appointed there in January 1870 to manage Defence Stores affairs in the district, although the first holder of that appointment still requires confirmation.

These changes show that Defence Stores followed the geography of conflict. When fighting was active, stores were concentrated near the front. When operations declined, posts were reduced but not abandoned, because arms, ammunition and equipment still required custody, repair, issue and accounting.

The Armed Constabulary

The Armed Constabulary remained the main paid colonial force. In June 1870, the Commissioner reported that the force was being reorganised around a Depot of Instruction at Mount Cook Barracks, Wellington. The North Island was divided into districts, with one officer commanding the Armed Constabulary, Militia and Volunteers in each district. Officers commanding districts were required to pay the men and supervise messing, clothing and other internal arrangements.[8]

As at 15 June 1870, the Armed Constabulary was organised into six districts, Waikato, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Turanganui, Whanganui-Patea and Bay of Plenty, supported by the Wellington Depot. Its detachments were spread across frontier stations, redoubts and regional centres, creating a wide and uneven demand for arms, ammunition, clothing, saddlery, transport stores and repair support.

New Zealand Armed Constabulary garrison at Ōpepe, near Taupō, early 1870s. Alexander Turnbull Library, Reference: 1/2-003116-F Artist: Samuel Carnell.

This reorganisation had direct stores implications. A smaller, more permanent and better-trained force still required reliable supply. Clothing, ammunition, rations, transport, forage, saddlery, barrack stores and arms maintenance were all essential to the Armed Constabulary’s effectiveness. The accounts show the scale of this commitment. The Armed Constabulary vote was £118,000, equivalent to approximately $21.0 million in 2026 NZD, while Contingent Defence was voted £82,000, equivalent to approximately $14.6 million in 2026 NZD.[9]

Militia and Volunteers

The Militia and Volunteers remained central to local defence. In November 1869, Lieutenant-Colonel Harington was directed to inspect Volunteer Corps and such Militia as were called out for training. His instructions required him to report on numerical strength, efficiency, parades, officer knowledge, target practice and the state of arms.[10]

This inspection requirement was closely linked to Defence Stores. Volunteer efficiency depended on having serviceable rifles, ammunition, accoutrements and stores. Poor arms maintenance, weak store accounting or uneven distribution would directly affect the ability of local corps to train and defend their districts.

Private of the New Zealand Militia in campaign dress. Harding, William James, 1826-1899 :Negatives of Wanganui district. Ref: 1/4-006785-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22807152

The Volunteer movement was also geographically broad. By 31 May 1870, Volunteer Corps had been reorganised into cavalry, artillery, engineer, rifle, naval and cadet corps. Auckland Province had about 2,600 volunteers in 40 adult and 13 cadet corps, Wellington Province had 1,821 in 39 adult and eight cadet corps, Otago and Southland had 1,303, Canterbury 710, Hawke’s Bay 304, Nelson 295, Marlborough 235, Taranaki 166 and Westland 207. These figures explain why the Defence Stores problem was national, not simply centred on Auckland and Wellington.

Arms, ammunition and the armourer function

The technical demands on the Department were increasing. During the 1860s, New Zealand underwent a rapid sequence of firearms developments, from percussion muzzle-loaders to breech-loading conversions and Snider rifles. Armourers were no longer simply cleaning muskets. They were maintaining, repairing and inspecting a changing range of rifles, carbines, pistols, bayonets and other equipment.

One example from this period was the Hay-Snider Medium Rifle. In January 1869, 500 medium rifles were packed for shipment from Auckland to London for conversion to the Snider system. They departed Auckland aboard the Countess of Kintore in March 1869 and returned to Wellington aboard the Melita in December 1869. Their return fell within the period covered by this article and added another layer to the Department’s task of receiving, identifying, accounting for and issuing converted arms.

The Imperial withdrawal

The Defence Stores Department also had to operate in the shadow of the Imperial withdrawal. Since 1842, an Imperial storekeeping organisation had existed in New Zealand, with the Ordnance Department maintaining stores offices at Auckland and Wellington. In 1857 this became part of the British Military Store Department, with Fort Britomart in Auckland serving as a principal store location.

As Imperial regiments were withdrawn, this support system contracted. The Whanganui depot closed in 1867, followed by Tauranga, and the final Imperial regiment departed New Zealand in February 1869. The dismantling of Fort Britomart had already begun in January 1869, with Imperial guns, ammunition and stores from Fort Britomart and Albert Barracks being shipped to the United Kingdom on the SS Himalaya. The practical consequence was clear: the colonial Defence Stores under Gorton could no longer rely on the Imperial storekeeping system as a logistical backstop.

From improvised stores to a permanent logistics estate

The Defence Stores of 1869–70 operated in repurposed barracks, older military buildings and temporary accommodation. This was the beginning of a long pattern in New Zealand Army logistics: making do with inherited or improvised estate until purpose-built stores, magazines and workshops could be provided. The Mount Cook complex in Wellington and Albert Barracks in Auckland were part of this inherited system. Later developments at Buckle Street, Mount Eden and other sites would gradually turn the colonial store system into a more deliberate logistics estate.

In this respect, 1869–70 was more than an accounting year. It was the starting point for a long institutional journey from scattered wartime holdings to a permanent Defence Stores organisation, and eventually to the ordnance and logistics systems of the twentieth century.

Why 1869–70 matters

The period July 1869 to June 1870 matters because it captures the moment when New Zealand began to take full practical responsibility for its own military material. The Imperial backstop was disappearing, active operations continued, and the colony had to account for the arms, ammunition and stores it had purchased during years of conflict.

The Defence Stores Department was small but central to this transition. Gorton and his staff imposed inspection, accounting and repair disciplines on a scattered system. Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui and Patea became the visible nodes of a developing national storekeeping network. Armourers and arms cleaners maintained the weapons on which local defence depended. Storekeepers and clerks gave the Government visibility of what it owned, where it was held and how it was used.

In financial terms, the Department’s direct expenditure of £2,953 8s 7d, or about $524,500 in 2026 NZD, appears modest. In institutional terms, it was foundational. It was the practical beginning of the Defence Stores system that would support New Zealand’s military forces through the 1870s and provide one of the roots of the later New Zealand Army Ordnance organisation.

Cost conversion note

The 2026 equivalents above use a working conversion of:

£1 in 1870 ≈ $177.59 in 2026 NZD

This is based on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand inflation calculator approach. The RBNZ notes that its calculator converts pre-decimal values by treating £1 as $2 after decimalisation, and that it uses long-run price data, mostly from Stats NZ, with pre-1914 figures treated as estimates rather than official CPI data. The RBNZ calculator was last updated on 19 May 2026.²⁴

The figures should therefore be read as approximate purchasing-power equivalents, not exact wage or budget comparisons.

Notes

[1] “Arrival of Colonel Gorton in Wellington,” Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 589, 23 April 1869, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WH18690423.2.6.

[2] Appropriation Act 1869 (32 and 33 Victoriae 1869 No 76),  (New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office, 1869). https://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/aa186932a33v1869n76312/.

[3] “Arrival of the p.s. Sturt.,” Hawke’s Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1103, 23 November 1869, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBH18691123.2.3.9.

[4] Appropriation Act 1869 (32 and 33 Victoriae 1869 No 76).

[5] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1869-70, Commencing 1 July 1869 and ending 30 June 1870,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1871 Session I, B-01  (9 October 1871), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1871-I.2.1.3.1.

[6] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1869-70, Commencing 1 July 1869 and ending 30 June 1870.”

[7] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1869-70, Commencing 1 July 1869 and ending 30 June 1870.”; Nominal Roll of Officers in the Store Department – August 1870 – for printing, Archives New Zealand Item ID R24174657, Record No CD1870/2744, (Wellington: New Zealand Archives, 9 August, 1870); “D-42 Nominal roll of the civil establishemnt of New Zealand on the 1st July 1870,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  ( 1870), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1870-I.2.2.4.47.

[8] “Papers and reports relating to the Armed Constabulary,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1870 Session I, D-07  (1870), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1870-I.2.2.4.8.

[9] Appropriation Act 1869 (32 and 33 Victoriae 1869 No 76).

[10] “Report by Colonel Harington on the Militia and Voluneteers,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1870 Session 1, D-08  (1870), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1870-I.2.2.4.9.

The Pātaka of Ngāti Tumatauenga: NZ Ordnance Corps Locations 1840 to 1996

2 Comments

The New Zealand Army evolved out of the British troops deployed during the 19th-century New Zealand Wars into a unique iwi known as Ngāti Tumatauenga – ‘Tribe of the God of War’. While Ngāti Tumatauenga has an extensive and well-known Whakapapa,[1] less well known is the whakapapa of the New Zealand Army’s supply and warehousing services.

Leading up to 1996, the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) was the New Zealand Army organisation with the responsibility in peace and war for the provision, storage and distribution of Arms, Ammunition, Rations and Military stores. As the army’s warehousing organisation, the RNZAOC adopted the Pātaka (The New Zealand Māori name for a storehouse) as an integral piece of its traditions and symbology. On 9 December 1996, the warehousing functions of the RNZAOC were assumed by the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR).

Unpacked on this page and on the attached Web Application “the Pātaka of Ngati Tumatauenga” the evolution of New Zealand’s Army’s Ordnance services is examined. From a single storekeeper in 1840, the organisation grew through the New Zealand Wars, the World Wars and the Cold War into an organisation with global reach providing support to New Zealand Forces in New Zealand and across the globe.

Scan the QR code to view the Web App:

Pataka (1)

Description of Ordnance Units

In general terms, Ordnance units can be described as:

  • Main/Base Depots– A battalion-sized group, commanded by a lieutenant colonel. Usually a significant stock holding unit, responsible for the distribution of stock to other ordnance installations.
  • Central Ordnance Depots/Supply Company– Company-sized units, commanded by a major. Depending on the role of the unit, the following subunits could be included in the organisation:
    • Provision, Control & Accounts
    • Stores sub-depot/platoon
      • Traffic Centre
      • Camp Equipment
      • Technical Stores
      • Expendables
      • Clothing
      • Returned Stores & Disposals
        • Textile Repair
        • Tailors
        • Boot Repair
      • Ammunition Sub-Depot/Platoon
      • Vehicles Sub-Depot/Platoon
      • Services Sub-Depot/Platoon
        • Bath and Shower
        • Laundry
      • Rations Sub-Depot/Platoon (after 1979)
      • Fresh Rations
      • Combat Rations
      • Butchers
      • Petroleum Platoon (after 1979)
      • Vehicle Depots –
    • Workshops Stores Sections – In 1962, RNZAOC Stores Sections carrying specialised spares, assemblies and workshops materials to suit the particular requirement of its parent RNZEME workshops were approved, and RNZEME Technical Stores personnel employed in these were transferred to the RNZAOC.[2] [3]
    • Workshops. Before 1947, Equipment repair workshops were part of the Ordnance organisation. Types of Workshop included:
      • Main Workshop
      • Field/Mobile Workshop
      • Light Aid Detachments

Unit naming conventions

The naming of Ordnance units within New Zealand was generally based upon the unit locations or function or unit.

Supply Depots were initially named based on the district they belonged to:

  • Upper North Island – Northern District Ordnance Depot
  • Lower North Island – Central Districts Ordnance Depot
  • South Island – Southern Districts Ordnance Depot

In 1968, a regionally based numbering system was adopted

  • 1 for Ngaruawahia
  • 2 for Linton
  • 3 for Burnham
  • 4 for Waiouru

Some exceptions were:

  • 1 Base Depot and 1st Base Supply Battalion, a single battalion-sized unit, the name was based on role, not location.
  • 1 Composite Ordnance Company, a unique company-sized group, the name was based on function, not location

When the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps (RNZASC) became the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT) in 1979, the supply functions were transferred to the RNZAOC, with the 1st number signifying the location, with the 2nd number being 4 for all Supply Platoons:

  • 14 Supply Platoon, Papakura
  • 24 Supply Platoon, Linton
  • 34 Supply Platoon, Burnham
  • 44 Supply Platoon, Waiouru
  • 54 Supply Platoon, Trentham

Not that command of these units was transferred to the RNZAOC on 16 October 1978, with the personnel transferred in 1979.

Exceptions were:

  • 21 Supply Company – Retained its name as a historical link to the unit’s long history in the RNZASC.
  • 47 Petroleum Platoon, originally 7 Petroleum Platoon RNZASC, when transferred to the RNZAOC, as it was based in Waiouru, it added the Waiouru unit designation ‘4’ and became 47 Petroleum Platoon RNZAOC

Unit locations New Zealand, 1907–1996

Alexandra

9 Magazines operated from 1943 to 1962.

Ardmore

20 Magazines operational from 1943

Auckland

There has been an Ordnance presence in Auckland since the 1840s, with the Colonial Storekeeper and Imperial forces. The Northern Districts Ordnance Depot was situated in Mount Eden in the early 1900s. In the 1940s, the centre for Ordnance Support for the Northern Districts moved to Ngaruawahia, with a Sub depot remaining at Narrow Neck to provide immediate support.

RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Auckland have been:

Stores Depot

  • Defence Stores Department, District Stores – Albert Barracks 1961-1883
  • Defence Stores Department, District Stores – O’Rourke Street, 1883-1903
  • Defence Stores Department, District Stores – Goal Reserve, Mount Eden 1903 -1917
  • Northern District Ordnance Depot – Goal Reserve, Mount Eden 1917 -1929.[4]
  • Northern District Ordnance Depot, Narrow Neck, 1929 to? [5]
  • 1 Supply Company, from 1989, Papakura
  • 12 Supply Company
  • 12 Field Supply Company
  • 15 Combat Supplies Platoon, 1 Logistic Regiment
  • 52 Supply Platoon, 5 Force Support Company

Vehicle Depot

  • Northern Districts Vehicle Depot, Sylvia Park, 1948-1961
  • Northern Districts Ordnance Depot, Vehicle Sub Depot, Sylvia Park, 1961 – 1968
  • 1 Central Ordnance Depot (1 COD), Vehicle Sub Depot, Sylvia Park, 1968 to 1979
  • 1 Supply Company, Vehicle Sub Depot, Sylvia Park, 1979 to 1989

Ammunition Depot

  • Mount Eden Magazines – 1873-1929
  • Northern Districts Ammunition Depot, Ardmore – 1942 – Present

Other Units

  • Bulk Stores Mangere, the 1940s (Part of MOD Trentham)
  • DSS Fort Cautley.

Workshops

Located at the Torpedo Yard, North Head

  • Ordnance Workshop Devonport, 1925-1941
  • No 12 Ordnance Workshop, Devonport, 1941–1946

Workshop Stores Section

  • 1 Infantry Workshop, Stores Section, Papakura 1962–1986
  • 1 Field Workshop Store Section, Papakura
  • 1 Transport Company Workshop, Stores Section, Fort Cautley

Belmont

Operational from 1943

  • MOD Trentham, Ammunition Group, Ammunition Section

Burnham

Stores Depot

In 1921, a single Command Ordnance Depot was established to service all military units in the newly organised Southern Military Command. Before this, Ordnance stores had operated from Christchurch and Dunedin. The new Depot (later renamed the Third Central Ordnance Depot) was established in the buildings of the former Industrial School at Burnham. Re-structuring in 1979 brought a change of name to 3 Supply Company.[6] [7] [8]

  • Stores Depot titles 1921–1996
    • Area Ordnance Department Burnham, 1920 to 1939,
    • Southern Districts Ordnance Depot, 1939 to 1942,
    • No 3 Sub Depot, 1942 to 1948,
    • Southern Districts Ordnance Depot, 1948 to 1968,
    • 3 Central Ordnance Depot (3 COD), 1968 to 1979, [9]
    • 3 Supply Company, 1979 to 1993,
    • Burnham Supply Center,1993 to 1994,
    • 3 Field Supply Company, 1994 to 1996.

Vehicle Depot

  • Southern Districts Vehicle Depot, 1948-1961.

Ammunition Depot

  • Southern Districts Vehicle Ammunition 1954-1961.

Other Ordnance Units

  • Combat Supplies Platoon. 1979 to 19??,
  • Ready Reaction Force Ordnance Support Group (RRF OSG), 19?? To 1992, moved to Linton,
  • 32 Field Supply Company (Territorial Force Unit).

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 3 Infantry Brigade Group OFP Platoon, 21 October 1948 – 28 June 1955.
  • 1 (NZ) Division OFP, Tech Stores Platoon, 28 June 1955 -,

Workshops

  • No 14 Ordnance Workshop, until 1946.

Workshop Stores Section

  • Southern Districts Workshop, Stores Section,
  • 3 Field Workshop, Store Section.

Christchurch

Stores Depot

  • Canterbury and Nelson Military District Stores Depot, King Edwards Barracks, Christchurch, 1907 to 1921.

Workshop Stores Section

  • Southern Districts Workshop, Stores Section, Addington,
  • 3 Infantry Brigade Workshop, Stores Section, Addington,
  • 3 Transport Company Workshop, Stores Section, Addington.

Devonport

Ordnance Workshop – Located at the Torpedo Yard, North Head

  • Ordnance Workshop Devonport, 1925-1941
  • No 12 Ordnance Workshop, Devonport, 1941–1946

Dunedin

Stores Depot

  • Otago and Southland Military Districts Stores Depot, 1907 to 1921

Fairlie

Nine magazines Operational 1943.

Featherston

Featherston Camp was New Zealand’s largest training camp during the First World War, where around 60,000 young men trained for overseas service between 1916 – 1918. An Ordnance Detachment was maintained in Featherston until 1927 when it functions were transferred to Northern Districts Ordnance Depot, Ngaruawahia.[10]

Glen Tunnel

16 magazines Operational from 1943

Hamilton

Proof Office, Small Arms Ammunition Factory, 1943-1946

Kelms Road

55 Magazines Operational from 1943 to 1976

Linton Camp

RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Linton have been;

Stores Depot

  • No 2 Ordnance Depot, 1 October 1946  to 1948,
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot,  1948 to 1968,
  • 2 Central Ordnance Depot (2 COD), 1968 to 16 Oct 1978,[11]
  • 2 Supply Company,  16 October 1978 to 1985,
    • Static Depot
      • Tech Stores Section
    • Field Force
      • 22 Ordnance Field Park
        • General Stores
        • Bath Section
  • 5 Composite Supply Company, 1985 to 1990.
  • 21 Field Supply Company 1990 to 1996

Vehicle Depot

  • Central Districts Vehicle Depot, 1957-1961

Ammunition Depot

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 2nd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon 1948-48
  • 22 Ordnance Field Park

Workshop Stores Section

  • 1 General Troops Workshop, Stores Section
  • Linton Area Workshop, Stores Section
  • 5 Engineer Workshop, Store Section

Other Ordnance Units

  • 24 Supply Platoon
  • 23 Combat Supplies Platoon
  • 47 Petroleum Platoon 1984 to 1996
  • Ready Reaction Force Ordnance Support Group (RRF OSG), from Burnham in 1992 absorbed into 21 Field Supply Company. [12]

Lower Hutt

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 1 (NZ) Division OFP, Tech Stores Platoon, 28 June 1955 –

Mangaroa

First used as a tented camp during the First World War and in the Second World War Mangaroa was the site of an RNZAF Stores Depot from 1943. The depot with a storage capacity of 25,000 sq ft in 8 ‘Adams-type Buildings was handed over to the NZ Army by 1949.[13] The units that have been accommodated at Mangaroa have been:

Supply Depot

  • Main Ordnance Depot,1949–1968,
  • 1 Base Ordnance Depot, 1968–1979,
  • 1st Base Supply Battalion,
    • ACE(Artillery and Camp Equipment) Group
    • 5 Composite Supply Company, 1978 – Dec 1979

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 2nd Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, 1950–1963,
  • 1 Infantry Brigade Group, OFP, 1963–1968,
  • 1st Composite Ordnance Company (1 Comp Ord Coy), 1964–1977,
    1 Comp Ord Coy was the Ordnance Bulk Holding unit for the field force units supporting the Combat Brigade Group and the Logistic Support Group, and held 60–90 days’ war reserve stock. 1 Comp Ord Coy was made up of the following subunits: [14]

    • Coy HQ
    • 1 Platoon, General Stores
    • 2 Platoon, Technical Stores
    • 3 Platoon, Vehicles
    • 4 Platoon, Ammo (located at Makomako)
    • 5 Platoon, Laundry
    • 6 Platoon, Bath

Mako Mako

39 magazines operational from 1943

  • MOD Trentham, Ammunition Group, Ammunition Section
  • 2 COD Ammunition Section

Mount Eden

Defence Stores/Ordnance Depot, 1871-1927

  • Defence Stores Department Powder Magazines 1871
  • Defence Stores Department, District Stores – Goal Reserve, Mount Eden 1903 -1917
  • Northern District Ordnance Depot – Goal Reserve, Mount Eden 1917 -1929.[4]

Proof Office, Small Arms Ammunition Factory, 1898-1967

Mount Somers

10 Magazines operational from 1943, closed 1969

Ngaruawahia

Ngaruawahia also was known as Hopu Hopu was established in 1927, [15] and allowed the closure of Featherston Ordnance Depot and the Auckland Ordnance Depot and was intended to service the northern regions. During construction, Ngaruawahia was described by the Auckland Star as “Probably the greatest Ordnance Depot”[16] Ngaruawahia closed down in 1989, and its Ordnance functions moved to Papakura and Mount Wellington.
RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Ngaruawahia have been:

Stores Depot

  • Area Ngaruawahia Ordnance Department 1927 to 1940,
  • Northern District Ordnance Depot, 1940 to 1942,
  • No 1 Ordnance Sub Depot, 1942 to 1948, In addition to the main stores at Ngaruawahia Camp, No 1 Ordnance Sub Depot also maintained Sub-Depots at the following locations:
    • Bulk Store at Federal Street, Auckland
    • Clothing and Boot Store at Mills Lane, Auckland
    • Clothing Store at Glyde Rink, Kyber Pass/Park Rd, Auckland
    • The Ray Boot Store, Frankton
    • Area 4 Ordnance store, Hamilton.
    • Pukekohe Show Grounds Buildings
  • Northern District Ordnance Depot, 1948 to 1968,
  • 1 Central Ordnance Depot (1 COD), 1968 to 1979,
  • 1 Supply Company, 1979 to 1989,
  • 1 Field Supply Company, 1984, from 1989, Papakura.  [17]

Ammunition Depot

25 Storehouses

  • Thirteen Constructed 1927-29
  • Twelve Constructed 1942-45

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 1st Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park Platoon, 1948 to 1955
  • 1 Infantry Brigade Group, Ordnance Field Park(OFP), 1968 to 1979, support to Combat Brigade Group

Workshop Stores Section

  • 1 Infantry Brigade Group LAD, Stores Section

Other Ordnance Units

  • Northern Districts Ammunition Depot, Kelms Road

 Palmerston North

  • Palmerston North Detachment, NZAOC, 1914 to 1921.[18] [19] [20]
  • Depot Closed and stocks moved to Trentham.
  • Ordnance Store, 327 Main Street Circa 1917-1921.[21]
  • No 2 Ordnance Sub Depot, Palmerston North showgrounds, 1942 to 1946 when depot moved to Linton.

Trentham

Stores Depot

  • Main Ordnance Depot (MOD), 1920 to 1968
  • Base Ordnance Depot (BOD), 1968 to 1979
  • 1st Base Supply Battalion (1BSB), 1979 to 1993
  • 5 Logistic Regiment (5LR), 1993 to 8 December 1996 when Transferred to the RNZALR.

Ordnance School

  • RNZAOC School, 1958 to 1994
  • Supply/Quartermaster Wing and Ammunition Wing, Trade Training School 1994 to 1996. [21]

Workshops

  • Main Ordnance Workshop, 1917 to 1946.[22]

Workshop Stores Section

  • 1 Base Workshop, Stores Section

Ordnance Field Parks

  • 4(NZ) Division Ordnance Field Park(OFP), 1950–1963

Vehicle Depot

  • Central Districts Vehicle Depot, 1948 – 1957

Ammunition Units

  • HQ Ammunition Group, sections at Belmont, Makomako, Kuku Valley, Waiouru
  • Ammunition Proof and Experimental Centre, Kuku Valley
  • Central Military District Ammunition Repair Depot, Kuku Valley

Waiouru

Ordnance Sub Depots were established at Waiouru in 1940, which eventually grew into a stand-alone Supply Company.[23]

RNZAOC units that have supported Waiouru have been;

Stores Depot

  • Main Ordnance Depot, Waiouru Sub-Depot, 1940–1946, Initially managed as a Sub-Depot of the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham, Ordnance units in Waiouru consisted of:
    • Artillery Sub Depot
    • Bulk Stores Depot
    • Ammunition Section
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot, Waiouru Sub Depot (1946–1976).[24] In 1946 Waiouru became a Sub-Depot of the Central Districts Ordnance Depot in Linton, consisting of:
    • Ammo Group
    • Vehicle Group
    • Camp Equipment Group.
  • 4 Central Ordnance Deport, (1976–1979) On 1 April 1976 became a stand-alone Depot in its own right. [25]
  • 4 Supply Company, (1979–1989)
    when the RNZASC was disbanded in 1979 and its supply functions transferred to the RNZAOC, 4 Supply gained the following RNZASC units:[26]

    • HQ 21 Supply Company,(TF element)(1979–1984)
      21 Supply Company was retained as a Territorial unit for training and exercise purposes and was capable of providing a Supply Company Headquarter capable of commanding up to five subunits.
    • 47 Petroleum Platoon (1979–1984)
    • 44 Supply Platoon
  • Central Q, (1989–1993)
  • 4 Field Supply Company, (1993–1994)
  • Distribution Company, 4 Logistic Regiment, (1994–1996)

Workshop Stores Section

  • Waiouru Workshop, Stores Section
  • 4 ATG Workshop, Stores Section
  • 1 Armoured Workshop, Store Section
  • QAMR Workshop, Store Section

Wellington

The Board of Ordnance originally had a warehouse in Manners Street, but after the 1850 earthquake severely damaged this building, 13 acres of Mount Cook was granted to the Board of Ordnance, starting a long Ordnance association with the Wellington area.

Stores Depot

  • Defence Stores Department, Lower Mount Cook Barracks, 1869 – 1917
  • Central Districts Ordnance Depot, Mount Cook, 1917 to 1920.[27]

 Workshops

  • Armament Workshop, Alexandra Military Depot.[29]

Ammunition Storage

  • Mount Cook, Powder Magazine,  1847 – 1879
  • Kaiwharrawharra Powder Magazines, 1879-1920
  • NZAOC Ammunition Section, Fort Ballance Magazine Area, 1920 -1943

Ammunition Inspection and Repair

  • New Zealand Ordnance Corps Section, RNZA, Fort Ballance, Wellington, 1915 to 1917.[28]

Unit locations overseas, 1914–1920

Few records trace with any accuracy New Zealand Ordnance units that served overseas in the First World War. Although the NZAOC was not officially created until 1917.[30] The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps was constituted as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in 1914 for overseas service only and in 1919 its members demobilised, returned to their parent units or mustered into the New Zealand Army Ordnance Department (Officers) or New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (other Ranks) on their return to New Zealand.

Egypt

  • Ordnance Depot, Zeitoun Camp, 1914-16
  • Ordnance Depot Alexandra, 1915-16
    • 12 Rue de la, Porte Rosette, Alexandria. [31]
    • New Zealand Ordnance Store, Shed 43, Alexandria Docks.[32]
  • NZ Ordnance Section, NZEF Headquarters in Egypt
    • Qasr El Nil Barracks, Cairo.[33]

Fiji

  • NZAOC Detachment, Fiji Expeditionary Force, Suva – February- April 1920

Germany

  • Ordnance Depot, Mulheim, Cologne

 Greece

  • Ordnance Depot, Sapri Camp, Lemnos Island, October – December 1915

Samoa

  • 1 Base Depot

 Turkey

  • Ordnance Depot, ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, April – Dec 1915

 United Kingdom

  • New Zealand Ordnance Base Depot Farringdon Street, London
  • Ordnance Depot, Cosford Camp

Unit locations overseas, 1939–1946

Egypt

Headquarters

  • Office of the DDOS 2NZEF, 22 Aig 1941 to Sept 1942
  • Office of the ADOS 2NZEF, Sept 1942 to 1 Sept 1945

Base Units

Supply

  • New Zealand Base Ordnance Depot, Maadi, 1940 to 19 Feb 1944
  • No 1 New Zealand Base Ordnance Depot,  16 Feb 1944 to 1946

Workshops (until Sept 1942 when transferred to NZEME)

  • NZ Base Ordnance Workshop

Laundry

  • NZ Base Laundry, 30 Sept 1942 – 30 Sept 1943

Training

  • Engineer and Ordnance Training Depot, Maadi Camp

Field Units

Supply

  • 2 NZ Divisional Ordnance Field Park, 28 Jul 1941 – 29 Dec 1945
  • NZ Divisional Mobile Bath Unit, 6 Sept 1941  –  30 Sept 1942
  • NZ Divisional Mobile Laundry & Decontamination Unit, 22 Sept 1941 – 27 Mar 1942
  • NZ Divisional Mobile Laundry, 27 Mar 1942 – 30 Sept 1942
  • NZ Salvage Unit, 16 Aug 1941 – 20 Oct 1942

Workshops (until Sept 1942 when transferred to NZEME)

  • 2 NZ Divisional Ordnance Workshops
  • 1 NZ Field Workshop
  • 2 NZ Field Workshop
  • 3 NZ Field Workshop
  • 14 NZ Anti-Aircraft Workshop Section
  • 9 NZ Light Aid Detachment (attached 4 Fd Regt)
  • 10 NZ LAD (attached 5 Fd Pk Coy)
  • 11 NZ LAD (attached HQ 4 NZ Inf Bde)
  • 12 NZ LAD (attached 27 NZ (MG) Bn) Disbanded 15 Oct 1942
  • 13 NZ LAD (attached 2 NZ Div Cav)
  • 14 NZ LAD (attached 2 NZ Div Sigs)
  • 15 NZ LAD (attached 7 NZ A Tk Regt)
  • 16 NZ LAD (attached HQ 5 Fd Regt)
  • 17 NZ LAD (attached HQ 5 NZ Inf Bde)
  • 18 NZ LAD (attached 6 NZ Fd Regt)
  • 19 NZ LAD (attached HQ 6 NZ Inf Bde)

Greece

  • 2 Independent (NZ) Brigade Group Workshop.[34]
  • 5 Independent (NZ) Brigade Group Workshop. [35]
  • Light Aid Detachments x 11
  • 1 Ordnance Field Park (British OFP attached to NZ Division).[36]

Italy

Headquarters

  • Office of the ADOS 2NZEF, 6 Jun 1945 to 1 Sept 1945

Base units

  • No 2 New Zealand Base Ordnance Depot, Bari, 16 Feb 1944 – 2 Feb 1946.[37]
    •  Advanced Section of Base Depot, Senegallia, Sept 44 – Feb 46.
  • NZ Advanced Ordnance Depot,   1943- 14 Feb 1944 (Absorbed into OFP)

Field units

  • NZ Division Ordnance Field Park OFP, – 29 Dec 1945
  • NZ Advanced Ordnance Depot, 27 Oct 1945- 1 Feb 1946
  • NZ Mobile Laundry Unit, 1 Oct 1943 – 16 Feb 1944
  • NZ Mobile Bath Unit, 18 Oct 1943 – 16 Feb 1944
  • MZ Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit, 16 Feb 1944 – 8 Dec 1945
  • NZ Vehicle and Stores Reception Depot, 27 Oct 1944 – 1 Feb 1946
    • Vehicle Depot, Assisi, 27 Oct 1945 – Jan 1946.[38]
    • Stores Depot, Perugia, 27 Oct 1945 – Feb 1946.[39]

Fiji

  • Divisional Ordnance Headquarters
  • Base Ordnance Depot
  • Division Ordnance Workshop
  • ‘A’ Workshop Section
  • ‘B Workshop Section
  • 20th Light Aid Detachment
  • 36th Light Aid Detachment
  • 37th Light Aid Detachment

New Caledonia

  • Base Ordnance Depot
  • Division Ordnance Workshop
  • 20th Light Aid Detachment
  • 36th Light Aid Detachment
  • 37th Light Aid Detachment
  • 42 Light Aid Detachment
  • 64 Light Aid Detachment
  • 65 Light Aid Detachment
  • 67 Light Aid Detachment

Solomon Islands

  • Advanced Ordnance Depot, Guadalcanal. Officer Commanding and Chief Ordnance Officer, Captain Noel McCarthy.

Tonga

  • 16 Brigade Group Ordnance Field Park
  • 16 Brigade Group Workshop

Unit locations overseas, 1945–1996

Japan

  • Base Ordnance Depot, Kure (RAOC unit, NZAOC personnel attached)
  • 4 New Zealand Base Ordnance Depot, November 1945.
  • 4 New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot, November 1946.
  • 4 New Zealand Ordnance Field Park – August 1947 to July 1948 when closed.

ADO Gate

Korea

No Standalone units but individual RNZAOC personnel served in 4 Ordnance Composite Depot (4 OCD) RAOC.

Malaya

No standalone RNZAOC units, but individual RNZAOC personnel may have served in the following British and Commonwealth Ordnance units:

  • 3 Base Ordnance Depot, RAOC, Singapore
  • 28 Commonwealth Brigade Ordnance Field Park, Terendak, Malaysia.

Singapore

Stores Depot

  • 5 Advanced Ordnance Depot, 1970–1971
    5 Advanced Ordnance Depot (5 AOD) was a short-lived Bi-National Ordnance Depot operated by the RAAOC and RNZAOC in Singapore, 1970 to 1971.
  • ANZUK Ordnance Depot, 1971–1974
    ANZUK Ordnance Depot was the Tri-National Ordnance Depot supporting the short-lived ANZUK Force. Staffed by service personnel from the RAOC, RAAOC and RNZAOC with locally Employed Civilians (LEC) performing the basic clerical, warehousing and driving tasks. It was part of the ANZUK Support Group supporting ANZUK Force in Singapore between 1971 to 1974. ANZUK Ordnance Depot was formed from the Australian/NZ 5 AOD and UK 3BOD and consisted of:

    • Stores Sub Depot
    • Vehicle Sub Depot
    • Ammunition Sub Depot
    • Barrack Services Unit
    • Forward Ordnance Depot(FOD)
  • New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot, 1974–1989
    From 1974 to 1989 the RNZAOC maintained the New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot(NZAOD) in Singapore as part of New Zealand Force South East Asia (NZFORSEA).

Workshops Stores Section

  • New Zealand Workshops, RNZAOC Stores Section
  • 1RNZIR, Light Aid Detachment Stores Section

Somalia

The RNZAOC (with RNZCT, RNZEME, RNZSig, RNZMC specialist attachments) contributed to the New Zealand Governments commitment to the International and United Nations Operation in Somalia(UNOSOM) efforts in Somalia with:

  • Supply Detachment, Dec 1992 to June 1993
  • Supply Platoon x 2 rotations, July 1993 to July 1994 (reinforced with RNZIR Infantry Section)
  • RNZAOC officers to UNOSOM headquarters, 1992 to 1995.[40]

South Vietnam

During New Zealand’s commitment to the war in South Vietnam (29 June 1964 – 21 December 1972). The Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps did not contribute a standalone unit but provided individuals to serve in New Zealand Headquarters units, Composite Logistic units or as part of Australian Ordnance Units including:

  • Headquarters Vietnam Force (HQ V Force)
  • 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF)
  • 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG)
  • 161 Battery Attachments (161 Bty Attached)
  • New Zealand Rifle Companies
  • 161st (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight

Copyright © Robert McKie 2018

Notes

[1] Whakapapa is a taxonomic framework that links all animate and inanimate, known and unknown phenomena in the terrestrial and spiritual worlds. Whakapapa, therefore, binds all things. It maps relationships so that mythology, legend, history, knowledge, Tikanga (custom), philosophies and spiritualities are organised, preserved and transmitted from one generation to the next. “Rāwiri Taonui, ‘Whakapapa – Genealogy – What Is Whakapapa?’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Http://Www.Teara.Govt.Nz/En/Whakapapa-Genealogy/Page-1 (Accessed 3 June 2019).”

[2] Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992).

[3] A.J. Polaschek and Medals Research Christchurch, The Complete New Zealand Distinguished Conduct Medal: Being an Account of the New Zealand Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal from the Earliest Times of the South African War to the Present Time, Together with Brief Biographical Notes and Details of Their Entitlement to Other Medals, Orders and Decorations (Medals Research Christchurch, 1983).

[4] “Dismantling of Buildings at Mt Eden and Reassembling at Narrow Neck,” New Zealand Herald, vol. LXVI, p. 5, 2 February 1929.

[5] “The Narrow Neck Camp,” New Zealand Herald, vol. LVIII, no. 17815, p. 6, 23 June 1921.

[6] John J. Storey and J. Halket Millar, March Past: A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp (Christchurch, N.Z.: Pegasus Press, 1973, 1974 printing, 1973), Non-fiction.

[7] “Camp at Burnham,” Star, no. 16298, p. 8, 13 December 1920.

[8] “RNZAOC Triennial Conference,” in Handbook – RNZAOC Triennial Conference, Wellington,”  (1981).

[9][9] “NZ P106 Dos Procedure Instructions, Part 1 Static Support Force. Annex F to Chapter 1, Rnzaoc Director of Ordnance Services,”  (1978).

[10] ” Featherston Military Training Camp and the First World War, 1915–27,”  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/featherston-camp.

[11] “NZ P106 Dos Procedure Instructions, Part 1 Static Support Force. Annex F to Chapter 1, Rnzaoc Director of Ordnance Services.”

[12] “Stockholding for Operationally Deployable Stockholding Units,” NZ Army General Staff, Wellington  (1993.).

[13] L Clifton, Aerodrome Services, ed. Aerodrome Services Branch of the Public Works Department War History (Wellington1947).

[14] “1 Comp Ord Coy,” Pataka Magazine, February 1979.

[15] “D-01 Public Works Statement by the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1 January,”  (1925).

[16] “Great Military Camp,” The Auckland Star, vol. LVI, no. 83, p. 5, 8 April 1925.

[17] “1st Field Supply Company Standing Operating Procedures, 1st Supply Company Training Wing, Dec “,  (1984).

[18] W.H. Cunningham and C.A.L. Treadwell, Wellington Regiment: N. Z. E. F 1914-1918 (Naval & Military Press, 2003).

[19] “Defence Re-Organisation,” Manawatu Times, vol. XLII, no. 1808, p. 5, 5 May  1921.

[20] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces from 25th June 1914 to 26th June, 1915.,” “, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  (1915).

[21] “NZ Army Ordnance Stores, ,”  https://manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz/item/c7681d2d-c440-4d58-81ad-227fc31efebf.

[22] “Pataka Magazine. RNZAOC, P. 52,,”  (1994).

[23] “Waiouru Camp  “, Ellesmere Guardian, vol. LXI, no. 90, p. 2, 12 November 1940

[24] Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Ibid.

[27] “Ordnance Stores,” Evening Post, vol. c, no. 95, p. 8, 19 October 1920.

[28] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces from 25th June 1914 to 26th June 1915.”

“, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  (1915).

[29] “H-19 Defence Forces of New Zealand, Report of the General Officer Commanding the Forces, from 1st June 1916 to 31st May 1917,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives  (1917).

[30] “Colonel Rhodes,” Dominion, vol. 9, no. 2718, p. 9, 13 March 1916. .

[31] Ibid.

[32] Ibid.

[33] Glyn Harper, Johnny Enzed: The New Zealand Soldier in the First World War 1914-1918, First World War Centenary History (Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand: Exisle Publishing, 2015

[Limited Leather Bound Edition], 2015), Bibliographies, Non-fiction.

[34] A.H. Fernyhough, History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945 (Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1958).

[35] Ibid.

[36] Ibid.

[37] New Zealand War Histories – Italy Volume Ii : From Cassino to Trieste,  (Victoria University of Wellington, 1967).

[38] Ibid.

[39] Ibid.

[40] “Somalia: 1992 – 1995,” NZ Army,” http://www.army.mil.nz/about-us/what-we-do/deployments/previous-deployments/somalia/default.htm.

The Historiography of the New Zealand Wars and the Military Store Department

1 Comment

The study of the New Zealand Wars has created an extensive Historiography focused on the political and warfighting aspects of the campaign, providing much information on the causes, effects, commanders, battles and units that participated in the New Zealand Wars. If the narrative has chosen to include the logistic services, the general Historiography has been biased towards the larger of the Logistic Services- the Commissariat – while neglecting to cover the contribution of the Military Store Department. This essay will examine the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars as it relates to the logistics and the activities of the Military Store Department from 1857 to 1870.

The Military Store Department was the department of the British Army responsible for providing weapons, munitions and military equipment to the British Army and Colonial Forces from 1857 to 1870.[1] The origins of the Military Store Department lay with the Board of Ordnance and was under the control of the Master General of the Ordnance from 1597. The Crimean War (16 October 1853 – 30 March 1856) had seen the British Army suffer many privations due to the failure of its Logistic Services, including the Ordnance Board, which saw their functions placed under the supervision of the War Office while the reformation of the British Army’s administrative system took place.[2] By 1857 the reforms had resulted in the formation of specialised departments to manage the British Army’s logistics:[3]

  • The Commissariat –  land transport services, providing food and fuel for soldiers and forage for animals.
  • The Purveyors Department –  Setting up, equipping and maintaining hospitals.
  • The Military Store Department – Weapons, Munitions and Military equipment not managed by the other departments.[4]

The Ordnance Board had existed in New Zealand since the 1840s. In 1857, its staff and infrastructure were amalgamated into the Military Store Department, supporting the Imperial Forces for the duration of the conflict.[5]

Much of the Historiography about the New Zealand War Logistics is related to General Cameron and his staff and how they had learnt the lessons of the Crimean War and were determined not to make the same mistakes. Matthew Wright describes Cameron as a veteran General “with a reputation for, discipline, ‘reticent and auster”‘ who understood Logistics.[6]  James Belich agrees with Wright on Cameron’s Logistical appreciation and expands on the logistical challenges that the Imperial Forces faced, such as the length of the Supply Chain and the reliance on imports from England and Australia.[7] Wright and Belich do not delve deeply into the organisational structures of the Imperial Forces, so the omission of the Military Store Department is to be expected.

The Military Store Department is noticeably missing from Tim Ryan and Bill Parham’s book on the New Zealand Wars, which furnishes an entire chapter on the British Regiments and Corps involved in the New Zealand Wars from 1845 to 1870. Despite detailing all the Imperial Units, including the Medical and commissariat units, Ryan and Parham neglect to mention the Military Store Department.[8] Richard Taylor’s 2004 thesis, ‘British Logistics in the New Zealand Wars, 1845-66’ provides a comprehensive review of British Logistics during the New Zealand Wars. Taylor briefly mentions the activities of the Board of Ordnance in the 1840s and 50s but provides no mention of their successor, the Military Store Department. Focused on the Medical, Commissariat, and Transports Corps, Taylor’s work offers little understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the supply of arms, munitions and other military stores.

Adam Davis, in his 2004 thesis, ‘The Imperial Garrison in New Zealand, 1840-1870 with Particular Reference to Auckland’, examines the social interactions between the Imperial Forces and New Zealand Colonial Society. Drawing on many primary sources such as newspapers, Davis explores the activities of the Board of Ordnance before 1857 and then the Military Store Department post-1857. Davis states how the Military Store Department existed in 1861 and includes it in a list detailing the distribution of Imperial units in 1864.[9]  Davis also mentions several times in his text that the Military Store Department was also the primary occupant of Britomart Barracks.

The lack of the Military Store Department in the historiography of the New Zealand Wars is not surprising. The Regimental history of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT) records the history of the Commissariat and Transports Corps.[10] The Successors to the Military Store Department, the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps(RNZAOC), discusses the New Zealand Wars in their regimental history but makes no mention of the Military Store Department.[11] The History of the British Royal Army Ordnance  Corps (RAOC) briefly mentions the New Zealand Wars but describes how department officers were attached to flying columns and clerks, artificers and labourers were provided to accompany the force.[12] This description of responsibilities is supported by news articles relating to the Military Store Department found on the Papers Past Website. A 2018 article in the New Zealand Military History Society of New Zealand Journal, the Volunteers: ‘Ordnance Services in Colonial New Zealand 1840 to 1871’ weaves together a variety of primary and secondary sources outlaying the history of the Military Store Department in New Zealand and identifies many of its essential personnel and locations that it occupied.[13]

Surprisingly, the Military Store Department does not have a broader profile in the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars. Given its responsibility for providing and maintaining weapons, munitions and military equipment, it was a key enabler for maintaining the Imperial and Colonial Forces in the field. There are many examples in the media of the day of the high esteem in which the Military Store Department was held. At the Colonial level, Chapman’s New Zealand Almanac of 1860 lists the Military Store Department and its Staff as part of the Imperial Military Hierarchy,[14] whereas similarly, the Royal Kalenders issued between 1860 and 1862 provide listings of the Military Store Department Officers. Hart’s Army list also provides a wealth of information on the officers of the Military Store Department. Hart’s Army list was produced annually and provided detailed information on each officer of the British Army, including the Military Stores Department. [16] The notes contained in the Army list also provide biographical details which add to the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars; for example, the Army List of 1869 shows the following:[17]

  • Mr Hamley served in New Zealand from 1846, including two Native Wars;
  • Mr Haldane served during the late war in New Zealand;
  • Mr Le Geyt served in the New Zealand War of 1863-66 and was present at the attack of the Orakau Pah, assault and capture of the Gate Pa, and action at Te Ranga;
  • Timbrell and James White served in the New Zealand War from 1864 to 1860.

The Historiography provided by these primary sources contrasts with the database held on the Soldiers of Empire Website.[18]  The Soldiers of Empire website contributes a digital element to the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars. With a database of Imperial troops who served in New Zealand and several interactive articles detailing different aspects of the conflict. Despite being a gazetted unit of the British Military,[19] the Military Store Department has not been included in the Soldiers of Empire database. While continuing the trend of not including the Military Store Department, the Soldiers of Empire Website includes in its articles many of the watercolours painted by Joseph Osbertus Hamley, who, in his duties as Head of the Military Store Department, took part in many of the Imperial Military Operations.[20] Moreover, Hamley was also the last Imperial officer to depart New Zealand in 1870.[21]

The absence of the Military Store Department from the wider Historiography is an enigma and can be attributed to its small size and the successful conduct of its duties with little or no fuss. Davis stated that in 1864 the department consisted of four staff and ten sergeants,[22] collaborated by the list of the Department collated by Mckie.[23]  Given its small numbers, the Military Store Department seldom operated independently outside of Auckland. The men of the department for administrative and tactical reasons were attached to the strength of the Commissariat while in the field and hence appeared in many records as part of the Commissariat, which has helped to keep the department out of the historiography. [24]  Despite the size of the department and the vagueness of its existence, the department’s work was well known and appeared regularly in the media of the time. An 1864 article in the New Zealand Spectator and Cook’s Strait Guardian describes in detail the department’s duties and organisation and the praise it had received from General Cameron for its contribution to the war.[25]

In conclusion, the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars is in a state of continual evolution. Although the narrative has generally focused on the causes, effects, commanders, battles and forces that participated in the New Zealand Wars, modern advances in archival management have opened access to many records that previously remained out of reach. Until recently, the Military Store Department was not part of the New Zealand Wars Historiography. For some accounts, this is acceptable as such details do not add to the narrative. However, any New Zealand War history discussing details of Imperial and colonial units and the logistics required only tells a portion of the record if they do not include the Military Store Department.  Despite a raft of primary sources providing positive information on the existence of the Military Store Department, the Department is a victim of its success and has become unknown. If it had made a few errors or failed to provide ammunition on time, the historiography might be different.

e study of the New Zealand Wars has created an extensive Historiography focused on the political and warfighting aspects of the campaign, providing much information on the causes, effects, commanders, battles and units that participated in the New Zealand Wars. If the narrative has chosen to include the logistic services, the general Historiography has been biased towards the larger of the Logistic Services- the Commissariat – while neglecting to cover the contribution of the Military Store Department. This essay will examine the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars as it relates to the logistics and the activities of the Military Store Department from 1857 to 1870.

The Military Store Department was the department of the British Army responsible for providing weapons, munitions and military equipment to the British Army and Colonial Forces from 1857 to 1870.[1] The origins of the Military Store Department lie with the Board of Ordnance, which under the Master General of the Ordnance existed between 1597 and 1855. The Crimean War (16 October 1853 – 30 March 1856) had seen the British Army suffer many privations due to the failure of its Logistic Services, including the Ordnance Board, which saw their functions placed under the supervision of the War Office while the reformation of the British Army’s administrative system took place.[2] By 1857 the reforms had resulted in the formation of specialised departments to manage the British Army’s logistics:[3]

  • The Commissariat, responsible for land transport services and the provision of food and fuel for soldiers and forage for animals;
  • The Purveyors Department, responsible for the setting up, equipping and the maintenance of hospitals and;
  • The Military Store Department, responsible for Weapons, Munitions and Military equipment not managed by the other departments.[4]

The Ordnance Board had existed in New Zealand since the 1840s, in 1857 its staff and infrastructure were amalgamated into the Military Store Department supporting the Imperial Forces for the duration of the conflict.[5]

Much of the Historiography about the New Zealand War Logistics is related to General Cameron and his staff and how they had learnt the lessons of the Crimean War and were determined not to make the same mistakes. Matthew Wright describes Cameron as a veteran General, “with a reputation for, discipline, ‘reticent and auster”’ who understood Logistics.[6]  James Belich agrees with Wright on Cameron’s Logistical appreciation and expands on the logistical challenges that the Imperial Forces faced, such as the length of the Supply Chain and the reliance on imports from England and Australia.[7] Wright and Belich do not delve deeply into the organisational structures of the Imperial Forces, so the omission of the Military Store Department is to be expected.

The Military Store Department is noticeably missing from Tim Ryan and Bill Parham’s book on the New Zealand Wars, which furnishes a full chapter on the British Regiments and Corps involved in the New Zealand Wars from 1845 to 1870. Despite detailing all the Imperial Units, including the Medical and Commissariate units, Ryan and Parham neglect to mention the Military Store Department.[8]  Richard Taylor’s 2004 thesis, ‘British Logistics in the New Zealand Wars, 1845-66’ provides a comprehensive review of British Logistics during the New Zealand Wars. Taylor does mention in brief, the activities of the Board of Ordnance in the 1840s and 50s, but provides no mention of their successor, the Military Store Department. Focused on the Medical, Commissariat, and Transports Corps, Taylor’s work provides little understanding of mechanisms responsible for the supply of arms, munitions and other military stores.

Adam Davis, in his 2004 thesis, ‘The Imperial Garrison in New Zealand, 1840-1870 with Particular Reference to Auckland’, examines the social interactions between the Imperial Forces and New Zealand Colonial Society. Drawing on many primary sources such as newspapers, Davis examines the activities of the Board of Ordnance before 1857 and then the Military Store Department post-1857. Davis states how the Military Store Department was existing in 1861 and includes it in a list detailing the distribution of Imperial units in 1864.[9]  Davis also mentions several times in his text that the Military Store Department was also the primary occupant of Britomart Barracks.

The lack of the Military Store Department in the historiography of the New Zealand Wars it not surprising. The Regimental history of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT) records the history of the Commissariat and Transports Corps.[10] The Successors to the Military Store Department, the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps(RNZAOC), discusses the New Zealand Wars in their regimental history but makes no mention if the Military Store Department.[11] The History of the British Royal Army Ordnance  Corps (RAOC) makes no specific mention of the New Zealand Wars, but does describe how department officers were attached to flying columns and clerks, artificers and labourers were provided to accompany the force.[12] This description of responsibilities is supported by news articles relating to the Military Store Department found in the Papers Past Website. A 2018 article in the New Zealand Military History Society of New Zealand Journal, the Volunteers: ‘Ordnance Services in Colonial New Zealand 1840 to 1871’ weaves together a variety of primary and secondary sources outlaying the history of the Military Store Department in New Zealand and identifies many of its essential personnel and locations that it occupied.[13]

It is surprising that the Military Store Department does not have a broader profile in the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars. Given its responsibility for the provision and maintenance of weapons, munitions and military equipment, it was a key enabler for the maintenance of the Imperial and Colonial Forces in the field. There are many examples in the media of the day of the high esteem in which the Military Store Department was held. At the Colonial level, Chapman’s New Zealand Almanac of 1860 lists the Military Store Department and its Staff as part of the Imperial Military Hierarchy,[14] whereas similarly the Royal Kalanders issued between 1860 and 1862 provide listings of the Military Store Department Officers. Hart’s Army list also provides a wealth of information on the officers of the Military Store Department. Hart’s Army list was produced annually and provided detailed information on each officer of the British Army including the Military Stores Department. [16] The notes contained in the Army list also provide biographical details which add to the Historiography of the New Zeland Wars, for example, the Army List of 1869 shows the following:[17]

  • Mr Hamley served in New Zealand from 1846 including two Native Wars;
  • Mr Haldane served during the late war in New Zealand;
  • Mr Le Geyt served in the New Zealand War of 1863-66 and was present at the attack of the Orakau Pah, assault and capture of the Gate Pa, and action at Te Ranga;
  • T. Timbrell and James White served in the New Zealand War in 1864-06.

The Historiography provided by these primary sources contrasts with the database held on the Soldiers of Empire Website.[18]  The Soldiers of Empire website contributes a digital element to the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars. With a database of Imperial troops who served in New Zealand and several interactive articles detailing different aspects of the conflict. At this stage, despite being a gazetted unit of the British Military,[19] the Military Store Department has not been included on the Soldiers of Empire database. While continuing the trend of not including the Military Store Department, the Soldiers of Empire Website includes in its articles many of the watercolours painted by Joseph Osbertus Hamley who in his duties as Head of the Military Store Department took part in many of the Imperial Military Operations.[20] Moreover, Hamley was also be the last Imperial officer to depart New Zealand in 1870.[21]

The absence of the Military Store Department from much of the Historiography is an enigma, and can be attributed to its small size, and also the successful conduct of its duties with little or no fuss. Davis stated that in 1864 the department consisted of four staff and ten sergeants,[22] collaborated by the list of the Department collated by Mckie.[23]  Given its small numbers, the Military Store Department seldom operated independently outside of Auckland, and the men of the department for administrative and tactical reasons were often attached to the strength of the Commissariat while in the field and hence appeared in many records as part of the Commissariat,[24] which has helped to keep the department out of the historiography. Despite the size of the department and the vagueness of its existence in the historiography, in the 1860s the work of the department was well known and appeared regularly in the media of the time. An 1864 article in the New Zealand Spectator and Cook’s Strait Guardian describes in detail the duties and organisation of the department, and also the praise it had received from General Cameron for its contribution to the war.[25]

In conclusion, the Historiography of the New Zealand Wars is in a state of continual evolution and although the narrative has generally remained  focused on the causes, effects, commanders, battles and forces that participated in the New Zealand Wars, modern advances in archival management have opened up access to many records which have previously remained out of reach. Until recently the Military Store Department was not part of the New Zealand Wars Historiography, for some accounts, this is acceptable as such details do not add to the narrative. However, any New Zealand War history discussing details of Imperial and colonial units and the logistics required is only telling a portion of the history if they do not include the Military Store Department.  Despite there being a raft of primary sources providing positive information on the existence of the Military Store Department, the Department is a victim of its success and as such has become unknown. If it had made a few errors or failed to provide ammunition on time the historiography might be different.

Copyright © Robert McKie 2019

Notes:

[1] Arthur Forbes, A History of the Army Ordnance Services (London: The Medici society, ltd., 1929), 149.

[2] Many of the Officers and men who had served in the Crimean war also served in the New Zealand Wars, applying many of the tactical and Logistical lessons learnt to good effect.

[3] J.M. War office Bannatyne, Royal Warrants, Circular, General Orders and Memoranda, Issued by the War Office and Horse Guards, Aug. 1856- July 1864 (1864), 302-10.

[4] Brigadier A H Fernyhough, A Short History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (First Edition) (RAOC Trust 1965), 14-15.

[5] Robert McKie, “Ordnance Services in Colonial New Zealand 1840-1871,” The Volunteers: New Zealand Military Historical Society 44, no. 2 (2018): 42. , H.G Hart, “Annual Army List as at December 1857,”  https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/102696001.

[6] Matthew Wright, Two Peoples, One Land: The New Zealand Wars (Reed, 2006), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 113.

[7]James Belich, The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict, This edition 2015 ed. (Auckland University Press, 2015), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 127.

[8] Tim Ryan and W. T. Parham, The Colonial New Zealand Wars, Rev. ed. (Grantham House, 2002), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 159-64.

[9] Adam Davis, “The Imperial Garrison in New Zealand, 1840-1870 with Particular Reference to Auckland” (University of Bedfordshire, 2004), 79.

[10] Julia Millen, Salute to Service: A History of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport and Its Predecessors, 1860-1996 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1997, 1997), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 15-30.

[11] Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992), 44-49.

[12] Fernyhough, A Short History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (First Edition), 15.

[13] McKie, “Ordnance Services in Colonial New Zealand 1840-1871,” 36 – 53.

[14] Chapman’s New Zealand Almanac – New Zealand Official Directory,  (1860).

[15] The Royal Kalendar, and Court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies,  (1860)., The Royal Kalendar, and Court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies,  (1861)., The Royal Kalendar, and Court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies,  (1862).

[16] Colonel H.G Hart, “Hart’s Army Lists – 1839-1915,” National Library of Scotland, https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/100739612.

[17] H.G Hart, “Annual Army List as of December 1868,”  https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/102696001.

[18] Victoria University of Wellington, “Soldiers of Empire,”  http://www.soldiersofempire.nz/database.html.

[19] “Commissions Granted to Officers Serving in the Military Store Department,” London Gazette No 22567, 19 November 1861.

[20] Una Platts, Nineteenth Century New Zealand Artists: A Guide & Handbook (Christchurch, N.Z.: Avon Fine Prints, 1980, 1980), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, Collective biography.

[21] “Projected Departure of Mr Hamley,” Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4007, 25 June 1870.

[22] Davis, “The Imperial Garrison in New Zealand, 1840-1870 with Particular Reference to Auckland.”

[23] McKie, “Ordnance Services in Colonial New Zealand 1840-1871.”

[24] Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Stores  A.R Tribe served in NZ from 1861 to 1866 and, although confirmed as an officer in the Military Store Department in the London Gazette and Harts Army List, is listed in the Soldier of Empire Database as belonging to the Military Train. soldiersofempire.nz “Imperial Soldiers Serving in New Zealand Database: A.R Tribe Record Info,”  http://www.soldiersofempire.nz/database.html.

[25] “Fort Britomart,” New Zealand Spectator and Cook’s Strait Guardian, Volum XIX, Issue 1942, 12 March 1864.