Following the war in South Africa, the British Empire was at the height of its power and prestige. The Royal Navy ruled the oceans, and if British interests were threatened on land, Canada, Australia and New Zealand had proven their commitment to support the empire by contributing men and materiel. As the economic powerhouse of the empire, British India was the most significant jewel in the British Imperial crown. However, British India’s confidence that it had the support of British dominions was put to the test in 1909 when it was discovered that firearms from Australia and New Zealand were being provided to tribes on the North-West Frontier who were actively opposed to the interests of British India. So how did firearms from New Zealand end up in the hands of Pathan Tribesmen on the borders of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan?
As the New Zealand military reorganised and reequipped following the war in South Africa, new uniforms and equipment were introduced, and the .303inch cartridge adopted as the standard calibre for rifles, carbines and machine guns, resulting in the Defence Stores holding over 17,000 Snider, Martin-Henry and Remington Lee rifles, carbines and accoutrements and just under a million rounds of obsolete ammunition. The disposal of this stockpile was the most significant disposal of Arms and Ammunition undertaken by the Defence Stores throughout its existence which had the unintended consequence of arming Pathan tribesmen on the borders of British India.
Snider rifles were introduced into New Zealand service starting from 1868.
Top: Snider Long Rifle, Middle: Snider Medium (Hay) Rifle, Bottom: Snider Short (Sword) Rifle Photo J Osborne New Zealand Arms Register. http://www.armsregister.com/
The Sniders served thru to 1890, when they began to be superseded by Martini-Henry rifles and carbines.
Rifle, Martini-Henry, 1896, Enfield, by Royal Small Arms Factory. Gift of the Police Department, date unknown. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (DM000372)
The introduction of cordite or smokeless powder ushered in the introduction of the .303 Martini-Enfield rifle leading to the progressive withdrawal of the Sniders and Martini-Henrys following the introduction of bolt action Lee Metford and Enfield rifles. With sufficient .303 calibre Martini-Enfield’s and an increasing amount of bolt action, magazine-fed Lee Metford and Enfield rifles available to arm the forces and provide a reserve, the Defence Council authorised a Board of Survey to be formed to investigate the disposal of the obsolete Sniders and Martinis in store.[1] In addition to Sniders and Martinis, there was also a quantity of .340 Remington-Lee rifles. In a bold move to provide New Zealand’s forces with the most modern of rifles, these were imported into New Zealand in 1887. However, due to unsatisfactory ammunition, the Remington-Lees were withdrawn from service in 1888.
Sitting in early 1907 and consisting of three officers, the Board of Survey weighed up the options for the disposal of the stockpile of obsolete weapons. Dumping the entire stock at sea was considered, but an anticipated outcry from the New Zealand press, as this means of disposal, would have been seen as another example of needless government waste, and this option was ruled out. A small but guaranteed financial benefit resulted in sale by tender being decided upon as the most practical means of disposal.[2]
The early 20th Century was a turbulent time in world history. The late 19th-century race by the European powers had left them all fighting colonial bush wars to suppress opposition and maintain control in their various colonial possessions. In Eastern Europe, the Balkans were aflame as the former European vassals of the Ottoman empire fought the Turks and each other as they struggled to gain their independence. Closer to New Zealand, as the emerging American and Japanese empires undertook colonial expansion in the Philippines and Korea, conflict and insurrection followed and were only quelled by the most brutal measures.
In this environment, the New Zealand Government was cognisant that there was a ready market for firearms, however as the Arms Act of New Zealand limited the bulk export of weapons from New Zealand, the conditions of the tender were clear that for any arms not purchased for use in New Zealand, the remainder were not to be exported to any country or place other than Great Britain.
The entire stock of firearms was stored at the Defence Stores at Wellington and packed 50 to 90 weapons per case. The tender terms allowed tenderers to quote for not less than 100 of any weapon. The quantities and types of weapons were,
.577 Snider rifles, short sword bayonets with scabbards – 6867
.577 Snider rifles, long – 978
.577 Snider carbines, artillery; sword bayonets with scabbards – 1957
.577 Snider carbines, cadet – 849
.577 Snider carbines, cavalry – 669
.577/450 Martini-Henry rifles, sword bayonets with scabbards – 4686
.577/450 Martini-Henry carbines – 520
Enfield carbines, Sword bayonets and scabbards – 103
.340 Remington Lee Rifles – 840
Swords, cavalry, with scabbards – 600
The ammunition was all of the black powder types, which, when fired, created a large amount of smoke exposing the rifleman’s position. An interesting ammunition type included in the tender was 106,000 rounds of Gardner-Gatling ammunition. This ammunition had been imported in the late 1880s as part of a demonstration lot, resulting in the purchase of a single Gardner Machine Gun by the New Zealand Government. The ammunition was stored in the magazines at Wellington and Auckland, with the tender terms allowing bids of less than 50,000 rounds of any mixture of ammunition. The ammunition types tendered were.
.577/450 Martini-Henry, ball, rifle, solid case – 189000 rounds
.577/450 Martini-Henry, ball, rifle, rolled case – 170000 rounds
.577/450 Martini-Henry, ball, carbine, rolled case – 120000 rounds
.577/450 Martini-Henry, blank – 240000 rounds
.577 Snider Ball – 150000 rounds
.45 Gardner Gatling, ball – 106,000 rounds
Notice of the tender was published by the Director of Military Stores, Captain James O’Sullivan, in the New Zealand press from 4 June 1907, with 14 June set as the final day for bids.[3]
The Tender Board accepted the highest tender in July 1907 with all the arms purchased by a Manchester firm through their New Zealand agents.
Much of the powder within the ammunition had caked and was unsuitable for use, leading to a significant part of the stocks being broken down into salvageable components in New Zealand. Under the supervision of Captain O’Sullivan, a record of each weapon was taken, recording the brands and serial numbers stamped on each weapon. As the weapons were packed into cases, the contents of each case were also recorded. The entire consignment was loaded onto the S.S. Mamari at Wellington, which sailed directly to London via the New Zealand Shipping Company’s usual route. Included in the mail carried on the same voyage was a notification to the War Office in England providing complete shipment details. Providing these details to the War Office was not obligatory and only made on Captain O’Sullivan initiative. Four months later, the War Office received a reply asking why they had been sent all that information.
Captain O’Sullivan’s attention to detail in dispatching the New Zealand firearms to England proved wise when in May 1909, the Calcutta Englishman, the leading daily newspaper in India, published an article stating that Weapons bearing Australian and New Zealand markings had been smuggled across the Pathan border.[4]
Rifle, Martini-Henry, 1896, Enfield, by Royal Small Arms Factory. Gift of the Police Department, date unknown. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (DM000372)
While the Calcutta Englishman was accurate in its report that weapons bearing Australian and New Zeland Military markings had been found in the hands of Pathan tribesmen. The path the New Zealand weapons had taken to India was not the result of poor accounting by New Zealand’s Defence Stores, but rather the shady dealing of British second-hand arms dealers.
Notes
[1] “Defence Forces of New Zealand: Report by the Council of Defence and Extracts from the Report of the Inspector-General of the NZ Defence Forces, for the Year Ended 28th February 1908,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1909 Session II, H-19 (1909).
[2] “The Smuggled Rifles,” Star (Christchurch), Issue 9546, 19 May 1909.
[3] “Obsolete Arms,” New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6231, 10 June 1907.
[4] “Australasian Arms Smuggled into India,” Evening News (Sydney, NSW ) 12 May 1909.
The core responsibility of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps and its predecessors was the supply and maintenance of arms, ammunition, accoutrements, clothing, and field equipment to New Zealand’s Military Forces. From 1840 the principal posts of the RNZAOC and its predecessors were.
Colony of New South Wales, Colonial Storekeeper for New Zealand
Mr C.H.G Logie 15 Jan 1840 – 1 Oct 1840
Colony of New Zealand, Colonial Storekeeper
Mr H Tucker 1 Oct 1840 – 30 Dec 1843
From 1844 the needs of the Militia were facilitated on an ad-hoc basis by the Colonial Secretary based upon requests from provincial magistrates.
Colonial Secretaries of New Zealand (30 Dec 1843 to 28 May 1858)
Willoughby Shortland 3 May 1841 – 31 Dec 1943
Andrew Sinclair 6 Jan 1844 – 7 May 1856
Henry Sewell 7 May 1856 – 20 May 1856
John Hall 20 May 1856 – 2 Jun 1856
William Richmond 2 Jun 1856 – 4 Nov 1856
Edward Stafford 4 Nov 1856 – 12 Jul 1861
Supporting the Imperial Forces in New Zealand since 1840, the Board of Ordnance had established offices in Auckland during 1842, ensuring the provision of Imperial military units in New Zealand with munitions, uniforms and necessities. The Board of Ordnance was reorganised on 1 February 1857 into a new organisation called the Military Store Department. Headquartered at Fort Britomart in Auckland, the Military Store Department principal role alongside the commissariat was to support the Imperial Garrison; however, it would support colonial forces on a cost-recovery basis when necessary. With the departure of the British Military Storekeeper Joseph Osbertus Hamley in July 1870, the withdrawal of Imperial Forces was completed.
Board of Ordnance, Military Storekeeper
Deputy Ordnance Storekeeper W Plummer 1842 – 1 February 1857
Military Store Department
Deputy Superintendent of Stores W. Plummer 1 February 1857 – 4 March 1879(Deceased in office)
Deputy Superintendent of Stores J.O Hamley 4 March 1858 – 30 July 1870
The passing of the Militia Act of 1858 saw the Militia reorganised, and Volunteer units were authorised to be raised. The Deputy Adjutant General of Militia and Volunteers oversaw the administration, including the supply and distribution of arms, ammunition, accoutrements, clothing, and field equipment to the Militia and Volunteers.
Deputy Adjutant General of Militia and Volunteers
Capt H.C Balneavis 28 May 1858 – 18 Sep 1862
On 18 September 1862, the Colonial Defence Act was passed, establishing the first regular military units in New Zealand. Under the Quartermaster General of the Colonial Defence Force, Captain Robert Collins, the Colonial Store Department under the Colonial Storekeeper, and the Militia Store Department under the Superintended of Militia Stores maintained a separation between the Militia/Volunteers and Regulars absorbing the rudimentary stores’ organisation of the Deputy Adjutant General of Militia and Volunteers. The two departments would be amalgamated into the Colonial Store Department in 1865.
Militia Store Department
Superintendent of Militia Stores, Capt E.D King 18 September 1862 – 30 October 1865
Colonial Store Department
Colonial Storekeeper Capt J Mitchell 18 September 1862- 1 April 1869
The Armed Constabulary Act was passed in 1867, which combined New Zealand’s police and military functions into a regular Armed Constabulary (AC) Force, supported by loyal natives, Militia and Volunteer units. The Inspector of Defence store appointment was created in 1869 to manage all New Zealand’s Defence Stores as the single New Zealand Defence Stores organisation.
Inspector of Defence Stores (Defence Stores)
Lt Col E Gorton 1 Apr 1869 – 9 Jan 1877
Lieutenant Colonel Edward Gorton
Defence Storekeeper (Defence Stores)
Capt S.C Anderson 9 Jan 1877 – 7 Dec 1899 (Deceased in office)
During the 1880s, New Zealand undertook a rearmament and fortification program that was also a technological leap forward in terms of capability. The Defence Stores armourers and Arms Cleaners had maintained the colony’s weapons since 1861. However, the new equipment included machinery that functioned through pneumatics, electricity and steam power, requiring a skilled workforce to repair and maintain, resulting in a division of responsibility between the Defence Stores and Permanent Militia. The Defence Stores would retain its core supply functions with its armourers remaining responsible for repairing Small Arms. With some civilian capacity available, the bulk of the repairs and maintenance of the new equipment would be carried out by uniformed artificers and tradespeople recruited into the Permanent Militia.
From October 1888, the Staff Officer of Artillery and Inspector of Ordnance, Stores and Equipment would be responsible for all Artillery related equipment, with the Defence Storekeeper responsible for all other Stores. However, during the late 1890s, the Defence Storekeeper would assume responsibility for some of the Artillery related stores and equipment of the Permanent Militia.
Inspector of Stores and Equipment
Maj A.P Douglas 24 Aug 1887 – 23 Jan 1891
In 1907 a significant command reorganisation of the Defence Forces defined the responsibilities of the Director of Artillery Services (Ordnance) and Director of Stores.
Director of Artillery Services (Ordnance): Responsible for:
Artillery armament,
Fixed coast defences,
Artillery ammunition, and
Supplies for ordnance.
Director of Stores: Responsible for:
Clothing and personal equipment,
Accoutrements,
Saddlery,
Harness,
Small-Arms,
Machine Guns,
Small-arms and Machine gun ammunition,
Material,
Transport,
Vehicles,
Camp Equipment,
All other stores required for the Defence Forces.
Director of Military Stores (Defence Stores)
Capt J O’Sullivan 1 Jan 1907 – 30 Mar 1911
Director of Ordnance and Artillery
Maj G.N Johnston 28 Feb 1907 – 31 May 1907
Capt G.S Richardson 31 May 1907 – 31 Jul 1908
Director of Artillery
Maj J.E Hume 31Jul 1908 – 31 Mar 1911
In 1911, provisional regulations were promogulated further detailing the division of responsibilities between the Quartermaster Generals Branch (to whom the Defence Stores was subordinate) and the Director of Ordnance and Artillery. Based on these new regulations, the Director of Artillery (Ordnance) assumed overall responsibility for managing Artillery stores and ammunition on 2 August 1911.
Director of Equipment and Stores (Defence Stores)
Maj J O’Sullivan 30 Mar 1911 – 10 Apr 1916
Director of Ordnance and Artillery
Maj G.N Johnston 11 May 1911- 8 Aug 1914
The Royal NZ Artillery established an Ordnance Section in 1915 to maintain and manufacture artillery ammunition. The section immediately transferred to the NZAOC in 1917, with the RNZA maintaining technical control. By 1929, most artificers and tradespeople had been transferred from the RNZA into the NZAOC. The final RNZA store’s function would be transferred to the NZAOC in 1946 when the RNZA Ammunition and Equipment Section based in Army Headquarters handed over responsibility for artillery ammunition, explosives, coast artillery and specialist equipment and stores, including some staffing to the NZAOC.
The Defence Stores would remain as New Zealand’s military storekeepers until 1 February 1917, when the New Zealand Army Ordnance Department (NZAOD) and the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) were established as part of the Permanent Staff of the Defence Forces of New Zealand, assuming the responsibilities Defence Stores.
The NZAOD would be reconstituted into the NZAOC on 27 June 1924.
Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores (Defence Stores & NZAOC)
Maj T McCristell 10 Apr 1916 – 30 Jan 1920
Major Thomas James McCristell, Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, 10 April 1916 – 20 January 1920.
Director of Ordnance Stores (NZAOC)
Lt Col H.E Pilkington 30 Jan 1920 – 1 Oct 1924
Lt Col H.E Pilkington, CBE. Director of Ordnance Services, 30 Jan 1920 – 1 Oct 1924
Lt Col T.J King 1 Oct 1924 – 6 Jan 1940
Brigadier T J King, CBE, RNZAOC Regimental Colonel 1 Jan 1949 – 31 Mar 1961. RNZAOC School
Lt Col W.R Burge 6 Jan 1940 – 22 June 1940
Chief Ordnance Officer (NZAOC)
Maj H.E Erridge 22 Jun 1940 – 3 Aug 1941
Major H.E Erridge
Lt Col E.L.G Bown 5 Aug 1941 – 1 Oct 1947
In the Post-war era, the NZAOC would be granted Royal status on 12 July 1947, becoming the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC). For the next forty-five years, the Director of Ordnance Services (DOS) would be responsible for the personnel, equipment and training of the RNZAOC.
Director of Ordnance Services (RNZAOC)
Lt Col A.H Andrews 1 Oct 1947 – 11 Nov 1949
Lt Col A.H Andrews. OBE, RNZAOC Director of Ordnance Services, 1 Oct 1947 – 11 Nov 1949.
Lt Col F Reid 12 Nov 1949 – 31 Mar 1957
Lt Col F Reid, OBE. Director of Ordnance Services 12 Nov 1949 – 31 Mar 1957
Lt Col H Mck Reid 1 Apr 1958 – 11 Nov 1960
Lt Col H McK Reid, Director of Ordnance Services , 1 Apr 1957 – 11 Nov 1960
Lt Col E Whiteacre 12 Nov 1960 – 24 May 1967
Lt Col E Whiteacre, OBE, 12 Nov 1960 – 23 May 1967
Lt Col J Harvey 24 May 1967 – 28 Aug 1968
Lt COl J Harvey, Director of Ordnance Services, 24 May 1967 – 28 Aug 1968.
Lt Col G.J.H Atkinson 29 Aug 1968 – 20 Oct 1972
Lt Col G.J.H Atkinson, Director of Ordnance Services. 29Aug 1968 – 20 Oct 1972.
Lt Col M.J Ross 21 Oct 1972 – 6 Dec 1976
Lt Col M.J Ross, Director of Ordnance Services, 21 Oct 1972 – 6 Dec 1976.
Lt Col A.J Campbell 7 Dec 1976 – 9 Apr 1979
Lt Col A.J Campbell, Director of Ordnance Services, 7 Dec 1976 – 9 Apr 1979.
Lt Col P.M Reid 10 Apr 1979 – 25 Jul 1983
Lt Col P.M Reid, Director of Ordnance Services, 10 Apr 1979 – 25 Jul 1983.
Lt Col T.D McBeth 26 Jul 1983 – 31 Jan 1986
Lt Col T.D McBeth, Director of Ordnance Services , 26 July 1983 – 31 Jan 1986.
Lt Col G.M Corkin 1 Feb 1986 – 1 Dec 1986
Lt Col G.M Corkin, Director of Ordnance Services, 1 Feb 1986 – 1 Dec 1986.
Lt Col J.F Hyde 2 Dec 1986 – 31 Oct 1987
Lt Col J.F Hyde, Director of Ordnance Services, 2 Dec 1986 – 31 Oct 1987.
Lt Col E.W.G Thomson 31 Oct 1987 – 11 Jan 1990
Lt Col W.B Squires 12 Jan 1990 – 15 Dec 1992
During the early 1990s, the New Zealand Army underwent several “rebalancing” activities, which saw the formation of regional Logistic Battalions and included the demise of the individual Corps Directorates.
Filling the void left by the demise of the Corps Directorates, the post of Regimental Colonel was approved on 12 December 1992. The role of the Regimental Colonel of the RNZAOC was to.
Provide specialist advice when called for
Maintain an overview of Corps personnel matters, and
Provide a link between the Colonel Commandant of the RNZAOC and the Corps and support the Colonel Commandant.
Regimental Colonel (RNZAOC)
Col T.D McBeth 15 Dec 1992 – 19 Sept 1994
Col L Gardiner 19 Sept 1994 – 9 Dec 1996
On 9 December 1996, the RNZAOC was amalgamated into the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR).
New Zealand Ordnance Corps during wartime
During the Frist World War, a New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps was established as a unit of the 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF)
Officer Commanding NZEF NZAOC
Capt W.T Beck, 3 Dec 1914 – 31 Jan 1916
William Thomas Beck Circa 1921
Lt Col A.H Herbert, 1 Feb 1916 – 31 Mar 1918
Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Henry Herbert, NZAOC. aucklandmuseum/Public Domain
Lt Col H.E Pilkington, RNZA 30 Jun 1918- 22 Jan 20
Temp Capt W.H Simmons, 20 Feb 20 – 13 Oct 1920
During the Second World War, all the Ordnance functions of the 2nd NZEF were organised as the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC).
Officer Commanding 2nd NZEF NZOC in the Middle East and Europe
New Zealand’s first experience of Salvage units was during the 1914-18 war. Each British formation (including Dominion forces) was required as part of an army salvage plan to appoint a Salvage Officer for each brigade, and a Division Salvage Company, which in turn was supported a Corps Salvage Company.
Shortly after arriving in France, Lieutenant Colonel Herbert the DADOS of the New Zealand Division was directed to provide one officer, one sergeant and two corporals for the Divisional Salvage Company, with the OC of the Pioneer Battalion providing four Lance Corporals and 24 Other ranks.
Formed on 5 May 1916 the NZ Divisional Salvage Company was under the command of Lieutenant Macrae, NZAOC. The duties of the NZ Divisional Salvage Company were:
“The care and custody of packs of troops engaged in offensive operations; The care of tents and canvas of the Division; The salvage of Government property, and also enemy property, wherever found; The sorting of the stuff salved, and dispatch thereof to base.”
Headquarters New Zealand and Australian Division, “New Zealand Division – Administration – War Diary, 1 May – 26 May 1916,” Archives New Zealand Item No R23487546 (1916)
Although initially reporting to the Corps Salvage Officer, entries in the DADOS war diaries indicate that the Divisional Salvage Company was an integral part of the DADOS responsibilities. During April 1918 the NZ Div Salvage Company recovered the following items.
One Bristol Airplane
One Triumph Norton Motorcycle
Three Douglas Motorcycles
285 Rifles
10 Bayonets and scabbards
25 Steel Helmets
Four Pistol Signal
Three Mountings MG
62 Belts MG
32 Belt boxes MG
95 Gas respirators
“Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (DADOS) – War Diary, 1 April – 30 April 1918.” 1918. Archives New Zealand Item No R23487665.
This talk examines the work of the British salvage system from its small beginnings at the battalion level to the creation of a giant corporation controlled by GHQ. It deals with salvage during hostilities and the colossal often forgotten task of the clean-up afterwards.
Hidden in an alcove under some stairs at New Zealand’s Army’s Trade Training School is a surprising item of memorabilia not generally associated with the Army, a Ships Bell belonging to the M.V Rangitata.
With no labels or tags identifying its origins, its mounting cradle indicates that it was mounted in a social club or smoko room and used to call the room to attention for important announcements.
The journey of this bell and why it now rests at Trentham has long been forgotten. However, it does hold a surprising place in the whakapapa of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistics Regiment.
Established in 1873, the New Zealand Shipping Company (NZSC) helped pioneer the trade of frozen goods from New Zealand to England and became one of New Zealand’s premier shipping companies with domestic and international routes.
In the late 1920s, the NZSC undertook a significant investment in its fleet for the Wellington to London route and had three modern diesel-powered passenger/cargo ships built, the Rangitane, the Rangitiki and the Rangitata.
MV Rangitata
Known as the “Rangi” ships, from 1929, these 16,737-ton diesel-powered vessels dominated the service between England and New Zealand with a four-weekly service, making the voyage via the Panama Canal and Pitcairn Island in 32 days.
All three Rangis served in various war-related roles from 1939.
The Rangitane
whilst transiting from New Zealand to England was sunk three hundred miles east of New Zealand by the German surface raiders Komet and Orion on 27 November 1940.
The Rangitiki
In November 1940, as its sister was facing German raiders in the Pacific, as the largest vessel in the thirty-eight vessel trans-Atlantic convoy HX 84, the Rangitiki encountered the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, and although eight merchant vessels were lost, the Rangitiki completed the voyage. In December 1940, as part of Trans-Atlantic convoy WS 5, the Rangitiki then survived an encounter with the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. In 1945 the Rangitiki returned to the New Zealand -England route as it undertook repatriation voyages returning Servicemen and War brides home from Europe. Following eighty-seven peacetime return voyages between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Rangitiki was retired and broken up as scrap in 1962.
The Rangitata
In 1937 the Rangitata transported troops to England for the coronation of King George VI, and in 1939 was requisitioned for war service. During the war, some of the Rangitata’s eventful voyages included transporting 113 child evacuees from England to New Zealand. Later in the war, it transported United States soldiers from the USA to England. Following the war, the Rangitata was fitted out as a war-bride ship and, in 1947, transported the first post-war draft of immigrants to New Zealand. Returning to peacetime service with its sister ship, the Rangitiki, the Rangitata was also scrapped in 1962.
The wartime voyage of significance to the RNZALR is the Rangitata’s participation in carrying the First Echelon of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2nd NZEF) from Wellington to Egypt in January/February 1940.
Six merchant vessels made up Convoy US.1 sailing from Wellington on 4 January 1940, carrying 345 Officers and 6175 other ranks of the Second Echelon of the 2nd NZEF.
As part of Convoy US.1, the Rangitata transported the following units to Egypt.
Divisional Cavalry: A and B Sqns (369 men)
NZANS Nursing Sisters (3)
Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve ratings.
2 NZEF Overseas Base
13 Light Aid Detachment, New Zealand Ordnance Corps (1 Officer + 12 Other Ranks)
13 Light Aid Detachment, New Zealand Ordnance Corps (1 Officer + 12 Other Ranks)
The following members of the New Zealand Ordnance Corps have been identified as sailing on the Rangitata. As the war progressed, several of these men held significant positions in the NZOC and from November 1942, the New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (NZEME). A small number continued to serve in the post-war NZ Army.
Lieutenant Donald Edward Harper, NZOC, Base Depot
finished the war as Lieutenant Colonel and the 2nd NZ Div Assistant Director of Ordnance Services.
Lieutenant Colonel Donald Harper Bull, George Robert, 1910-1996. Lieutenant Colonel D E Harper – Photograph taken by George Bull. New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch:Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency. Ref: DA-05919-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23233849
2nd Lieutenant John Owen Kelsey, NZOC, 13 LAD
Served as an Ordnance Mechanical Engineer (OME), Senior Ordnance Mechanical Engineer (SOME), Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (ADOS) and acting Chief Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (CRÈME). Completed the war as a Colonel and was awarded an MBE and MID
2nd Lieutenant Robert Hassell England, NZOC, 14 LAD
Promoted to Captain and served as OC 3 NZ Field Workshop and NZ Divisional Ordnance Field Park
Warrant Officer Class One Kevin Graham Keith Cropp, Base Depot
Remained in the RNZAOC post-war and retired as a Major in 1955
Warrant Officer Class One Francis Reid, NZOC, Base Depot
He was commissioned and served throughout the war. Remained in the RNZAOC after the war and as a Lieutenant Colonel, was the Director of Ordnance Services from November 1949 to March 1957.
Warrant Officer Class Two Andrew Gunn, NZOC, 13 LAD
KIA Greece. 18 April 1941
Corporal Randal Martin Holmes, NZOC, 14 LAD
Corporal Robert William Watson, NZOC, Base Depot
Private Rodger Langdon Ashcroft, NZOC, Base Depot
Private John Noel Shadwell Heron, NZOC, Base Depot
Private Mark Edwin Ivey, NZOC, Base Depot
Private Edward McTavish MacPherson, NZOC, Base Depot
Private Lionel Edward Campbell, NZOC, 14 LAD
Private Lionel John McGreevy, NZOC, 14 LAD
Although this list is not exhaustive, the few highlighted names indicate the logistical talent onboard the Rangitata during its voyage as part of Convoy US.1. Officers such as Harper, Kelsey and Reid went on and play a significant role in shaping the future of New Zealand Military Supply and Maintenance Support trades.
Although the journey of the MV Rangitata’s Bell and how it ended up in Trentham may never be known, the hope is that given its relationship to the Logisticians of the First Echelon, in the future, the RNZALR will place and display this bell in a position of significance.
During the Second World War, New Zealand utilised approximately one hundred and thirty British Ordnance QF 3.7-inch Mk 3 Anti-Aircraft guns.[1]
Deployed across New Zealand at fixed and mobile sites with wartime scales of ammunition totalling 428,032 rounds, these guns stood ready during the war years in anticipation of Japanese air raids. New Zealand’s anti-aircraft defences were never tested, and with the immediate threat removed, the guns were placed into storage, and the ammunition was returned to depots for refurbishment. However, due to the considerable amount of ammunition returned to New Zealand’s depots at the war’s end, storage capacity was soon outstripped, necessitating the storage of large quantities under tarpaulins in field conditions.
Valentine Tank at Trentham, stacks of Ammunition can be seen in the background. NZ National Library Ref EP/1955/1794-F
By 1954, 17,000 rounds of 3.7-inch anti-aircraft ammunition had been stored in unsuitable conditions at the Liverpool Range outside Trentham Camp. With sufficient 3.7-inch stocks available to meet training needs in other depots, the Liverpool Range stocks were considered surplus. Although initially intended for inspection and refurbishment at the Kuku Valley Ammunition Repair Depot, inspections revealed that the Liverpool Range stocks had deteriorated to the point where destruction was the only option.
Examination of a deteriorated shell at Trentham, Upper Hutt. National Library of New Zealand Ref: EP/1955/1792-F
A plan was formulated to transport the 17,000 rounds of unstable 3.7-inch ammunition from its storage area at the Liverpool Range across the valley, approximately 1.4 kilometres, to the demolition area at Seddon Range. The explosive content was destroyed there, and recoverable components, such as the brass casings, were collected and sold as scrap.
The Royal New Zealand Engineers constructed a road between the Liverpool and Seddon ranges to create a safe working area around the stacks and provide access to them.
Due to the detonation risk of the ammunition and its storage containers and the likelihood of an explosion, a modified armoured truck and trailer were constructed to facilitate the transportation.
Army vehicles at Trentham, Upper Hutt. Ref: EP/1955/1793-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23078184
Demolitions – 3.7 AA Kuku Valley Trentham – RNZAOC Ammunition Collection
The 3.7-inch round was a 12.7kg single piece of ammunition consisting of a cast steel projectile with a tapered nose filled with Amatol, TNT, or RDX/TNT explosives, mounted in a brass casing. The brass casing contained an explosive primer and a cordite propellant charge that could propel the projectile to a maximum ceiling of 9,000 meters or a horizontal range of 15,000 meters. Each 3.7-inch round was packed in a fibre cylinder, with two rounds packed into a C235 steel case.[2]
Examples of 3.7-inch rounds
C235 Ammunition Tin (2 x 3.7-inch rounds per tin)
Demolitions – 3.7 AA Kuku Valley Trentham 2 – RNZAOC Ammunition Collection
With 17,000 rounds in 8,500 cases, ten cases (twenty rounds) were transported from the Liverpool Range to the demolition area at a time. The cases were then unloaded at the demolition range, and in batches of four, the rounds were detonated.
Demolitions – 3.7 AA Kuku Valley Trentham 3 – RNZAOC Ammunition CollectionDemolitions – 3.7 AA Kuku Valley Trentham 4 – RNZAOC Ammunition Collection
From June 1955, five or six detonations occurred daily, with the frequency and strength of the explosions causing some distress to residents, with the Upper Hutt Council questioning the Army on the reasons for the explosions.[3] Another resident forwarded a strongly worded protest letter to the editor of the Upper Hutt Leader Newspaper.[4]
Letters to the Editor
Dear Sir, The terrific explosions at the Trentham Camp which have wrecked our nerves for some considerable time, are the subject of this letter. Mr Editor. The world is at peace, yet we are at war (by the sound of things) in this beautiful valley in which we live. Every day these loud blasts shake our houses, waken our babies end sleeping little ones also elderly people having an afternoon nap, have a rude awakening, It takes very little imagination to realise the effect this bombing has on the nerves of bed-ridden patients at the Silverstream hospital. I ask you to publish this letter in the hope that the authorities will cease-fire, or at least explain why and how long this blasting is to be endured.
I am etc.,
ATOMIC BOMB
However, the explosive destruction of the old ammunition continued, and the daily explosions became an accepted and routine feature of life in Upper Hutt.[5]
Demolitions – 3.7 AA Kuku Valley Trentham Capt C Sanderson 6 – RNZAOC Ammunition CollectionDemolitions – Checking Continuity – Mr Loveday Kuku Valley Trentham 7 – RNZAOC Ammunition Collection
The demolition of the 17000 rounds of unsafe 3.7inch ammunition was concluded in December 1957. The destruction had proceeded without incident, with the local residents thanked for their considerable forbearance in putting up with the noise of explosions nearly every day.
Demolitions – 3.7 AA brass 1956 – Sgt Bob Handy Kuku Valley Trentham 5. RNZAOC Collection
Notes
[1] Damien Fenton, A False Sense of Security: The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978, Occasional Paper / Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand: No. 1 (Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington, 1998), Bibliographies, Non-fiction.
[2] Great Britain. War Office, Anti-Aircraft Ammunition: User Handbook (War Office, 1949).
[3] “The “Boom” from Trentham Camp,” Upper Hutt Leader, Volume XII, Number 28, , 28 July 1955.
[4] “Letters to the Editor,” Upper Hutt Leader, Volume XII, Number 29, , 4 August 1955.
[5] Howard Weddell, Trentham Camp and Upper Hutt’s Untold Military History (Howard Weddell, 2018), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 187-88.
During World War Two, New Zealand traditionally relied on the United Kingdom for its military equipment. However, the rapid expansion of New Zealand’s military and the looming threat of invasion by Japan necessitated a shift in strategy. New Zealand needed substantial war material, and the United States became a crucial source of support. As the post-war era unfolded, the New Zealand Army underwent reorganisation. It soon became evident that the country’s military warehouses and ammunition depots were overflowing with surplus war material. In a strategic move aimed at bolstering New Zealand’s national security and supporting its allies in their efforts to contain Communism in Southeast Asia, New Zealand decided to transfer a significant number of surplus arms and ammunition held in RNZAOC Depots across the country to the French authorities in Indochina. This transfer was free of charge and represented New Zealand’s commitment to international efforts during the Cold War era.
In the post-World War II era, the NZ Army, shaped by the 2nd NZEF of WW2, comprised an Infantry Division with integrated Artillery, Armoured, and Logistics elements. The strategic thinking of the time envisioned the deployment of an NZ Division to the Middle East alongside British formations. Despite relying on the United States for war material during the previous conflict and having significant stock of American equipment in storage, the NZ Army maintained its armament and equipment aligned with British patterns, including weapons, uniforms, and gear[1]. By 1952, France was facing challenges in retaining control over Indochina. Despite receiving a monthly supply of 7200 tons of material from the United States, it still fell short of meeting its requirements[2]. Recognizing the existence of substantial stockpiles of surplus British and American equipment across Asia and Australasia, the French initiated purchasing missions to acquire this surplus equipment.[3]
In response to French requests, New Zealand announced in September 1952 that it would provide, at no cost, weapons and ammunition of American origin, which differed in calibre from those used by New Zealand forces. This shipment comprised lend-lease weapons urgently supplied to New Zealand in 1942. These arms had been utilized by the Home Guard and some New Zealand units in the Pacific, especially in conjunction with RNZAF units co-located with American Forces. Permission for the transfer had been sought and obtained from the United States. T. C. Webb, the Minister of External Affairs, confirmed that a significant portion of this consignment was delivered to Singapore aboard HMNZS Bellona and subsequently shipped to French Indochina.[4]This initial shipment included:[5]
13,000 Springfield M1903 rifles in .30-inch calibre
700 machine guns in .30-inch calibre
670,000 rounds of small arms ammunition in .30-inch calibre (SAA)
In early 1953, Major General Gentry, the Chief of the NZ General Staff, met with General Henri Navarre, the French Commander-in-Chief, in Saigon to discuss the transfer of surplus military equipment. Following Gentry’s report on this meeting, the New Zealand Government offered surplus equipment to the French authorities. As the situation in Indochina, notably, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, was deteriorating for the French, a French Military mission comprising Lieutenant-Colonel Cathala and Captain Mugg arrived in Auckland on September 10, 1953, for a two-week visit to inspect the equipment and assess its suitability for use in Indochina.[6]
Reinforcements occupying positions in the dugouts during the battle of Dien Bien Phu, March 3 1954
After final inspections, the Main Ordnance Depot in Trentham consolidated the identified equipment and loaded it onto a British vessel at Wellington in early March 1954.[7] The equipment dispatched to Indochina included:[8]
500 Revolvers,
3000 .30inch calibre Springfield M1903 rifles
750 .30inch calibre Machine Guns,
50 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and ammunition,
10000 round of 37m armour-piercing shot,
Wireless Sets
Field Telephones,
Charging Sets
Assorted Uniform Items
670000 rounds of .30inch calibre SAA
Bofors Guns Trentham, 1 March 1954. Evening Post illustrations file and prints. 1950-2000. (PA-Group-00685). [Series]
After the French surrendered at Dien Bien Phu on 7 May 1954, and the final withdrawal of French Forces from Vietnam was completed by April 1956, it is doubtful that the small New Zealand contribution of weapons and equipment provided any significant assistance to the French. Nevertheless, this equipment might have found utility in the newly formed nation of South Vietnam or on other French colonial battlefields.
Despite the modest quantity of material supplied, Mr. Noel Henry, the French Minister to New Zealand, expressed the French Government’s gratitude to New Zealand. He acknowledged that New Zealand had done all it could within its limited means.[9]
Notes
[1] Damien Fenton, A False Sense of Security: The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978, Occasional Paper / Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand: No. 1 (Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington, 1998), Bibliographies, Non-fiction.
[2]N.S. Nash, Logistics in the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975 (Pen & Sword Military, 2020), 63.
[3] Charles R. Shrader, A War of Logistics: Parachutes and Porters in Indochina, 1945-1954, Foreign Military Studies (University Press of Kentucky, 2015), Non-fiction, 134.
[4] “NZ Gives Arms to French,” Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26838, 17 September 1952.
[5]New Zealand Foreign Policy: Statements and Documents 1943-1957, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wellington: Government Printer 1972).
[6] “Arms for Indo China,” Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27192, 9 November 1953.
[7] “Arms Aid for Indo-China,” Press, Volume XC, Issue 27332, 24 April 1954.
[8] Roberto Giorgio Rabel, New Zealand and the Vietnam War: Politics and Diplomacy (Auckland University Press, 2005), Bibliographies, Non-fiction.
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,
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.
Serving the nation for 44 years, Henry Erridge served at Gallipoli before being invalided back to New Zealand. Continuing to serve throughout the interbellum, Erridge assisted in shaping the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps for the Second World War. During the war, Erridge played a significant role in providing New Zealand’s contribution to the collective logistics efforts of the British Commonwealth
Henry Earnest Erridge was born in Dunedin on 18 December 1887 to Henry and Jane Erridge. The fifth of seven children, Henry was educated in Dunedin and received commercial training. A keen military volunteer Erridge had joined the Dunedin Engineer Volunteers as a Cadet in 1904, transferring into the Otago Hussars in 1909, gaining Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Rank. On 6 April 1914, Erridge joined the New Zealand Permanent Staff (NZPS) with the rank of Staff Sergeant Instructor as the Orderly Room and Quartermaster (QM), No 15 Area Group, Oamaru.[1]
On the outbreak of war in August 1915, Erridge was seconded for duty with the NZEF and left New Zealand with the Main Body, Otago Infantry Battalion. As a Signals Sergeant in the Otago’s, Erridge saw service during the Turkish attack on the Suez Canal in February 1915 and later took part in the landings at Gallipoli. Stuck down with enteric fever, Erridge was evacuated from Gallipoli to Alexandria in June and, in August, invalided back to New Zealand for further convalescence.
Returning to duty as a Warrant Officer in the QM Department at Featherston Camp on 10 January 1916, Erridge was appointed Stores Forman responsible for managing the QM Stores accounts for Featherston and its subsidiary camps. Reclassified as Class “A” fit for overseas service on 5 July 1918, it was intended to attach Erridge to a reinforcement draft and returned to the front. Deemed as essential, the Director of Equipment and Ordnance (DEOS) Stores appealed to the Chief of the General Staff, stating that
The accounts of the Camp Quartermaster, Featherston Camp, have not been completed and balanced. The principle causes for this state of affairs are:
(1) The inferior class of clerks posted for Home Service duties. (2) And ever-changing staff, thus throwing the bulk of work on SSM Erridge, who has been employed in the capacity of foreman.
It is essential that SSM Erridge be retained until 1 November at least
Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores to Chief of the General Staff. 14 August 1918
The DEOS appeal was successful, and Erridge was granted authority to delay his placement into a reinforcement draft until November on the proviso that every endeavour was to be made to have all accounts in connection with the QM Branch Featherston and subsidiary camps completed to the satisfaction of the proper authority. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Erridge’s employment was reassessed, and he was provided orders to remain with the QM Department at Featherston. Seconded to the Ordnance Stores in Wellington in June 1919, Erridge was permanently transferred into the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) with Conductor rank on 1 October 1919.
Recommended for the Supplies and Purchasing Officer position with the civil administration in Samoa, Erridge was accepted for service with the Samoan Administration for three years from 24 May 1920. Due to a misunderstanding of the secondment rules, Erridge was discharged from the New Zealand Military. However, this was reviewed, and the discharge was rescinded, allowing Erridge to retain his rank and seniority on his return to New Zealand.
`Administration Headquarters. “Apia”‘. Moore, Robert Percy, 1881-1948 :Panoramic photographs of New Zealand. Ref: Pan-0422-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/32050069
Completing his service in Samoa in August 1923, Erridge returned to New Zealand and, following three months leave, resumed duty with the NZAOC, where he was posted to the Main Ordnance Depot (MOD) and placed in charge of the Stores on 1 December 1923. In an example of his experience and utility, Erridge temporarily relieved Captain F.E Ford, the Ordnance Officer of Featherston Camp, from 4-31 Jan 1924.
During the 1920s, the Quartermaster General (QMG) vested command of the NZAOC to the Director of Ordnance Service (DOS). Assisted by the Chief Ordnance Officer (COO), the Inspecting Ordnance Officer (IOO), and the Ordnance Mechanical Engineer (OME), the DOS was responsible for:[2]
The provision, receipt, storage, distribution, repair, examination, and maintenance of small-arms, machine guns, vehicles, clothing and necessaries, equipment and general stores (including medical and veterinary), and camp and barrack equipment,
The inspection and repair of armament and warlike stores, and the inspection of gun ammunition.
The provision, receipt, storage, and distribution of small arms ammunition.
The receipt, storage, issue, and repair of fixed armament, field armament, and artillery vehicles.
The organisation and control of ordnance workshops
The preparation and periodic revision of Equipment Regulations and barrack and hospital schedules
The organisation, administration, and training of the NZ Army Ordnance Corps Forces
The maintenance of statistics of the Ordnance Department.
The DOS was also the Commanding Officer (CO) of the NZAOC and was responsible for the interior economy, including enlistment, training, pay, promotion, postings transfers, clothing, equipment, and discharges within the unit.
In 1924, the incumbent DOS, Lt Col Pilkington, was appointed QMG in Army Headquarters. Major T.J King, then acting COO, was appointed DOS, with Major William Ivory as the IOO and OME. By 1925, King recognised that he could not provide complete justice to the DOS and COO posts. Still, with no Ordnance Officers immediately available to fill the COO position, he recommended that the QMG give some relief by granting Erridge an officer’s commission. In his recommendation to the QMG, King noted that
Conductor Erridge is a man of wide experience in Ordnance duties and stores works generally and is eminently fitted for appointment as Ordnance Officer with the rank of lieutenant. He is a man of unblemished character, with a very high regard for the interests of the Corps and the services, and in the last few months gained sufficient insight into the duties I propose transferring him to.
Director of Ordnance Stores to Quartermaster General 11 December 1925
The QMG supported King’s recommendation on the proviso that Erridge pass all the required commissioning examinations. After passing the examinations, Erridge was commissioned as a lieutenant in the NZAOC on 23 July 1926.[3] However, the question arose of where to place Erridge on the Army List. Technically, the COO appointment was still vacant, with Erridge, for all intents, acting as King’s assistant and only performing part of the COO duties, with the work of the COO divided between King and Erridge. It was not desired that an Assistant COO be added to the establishment, so it was decided to show Erridge as Ordnance Officer (Provision). After several years as the Ordnance Officer (Provision), Erridge was appointed to the dual roles of Ordnance Officer MOD and Ordnance Officer Central Military District (CMD) on 14 May 1929.[4]
In December 1930, the incumbent Ordnance Officer Southern Military District (SMD)and Camp Commandant of Burnham Camp, Captain A.R.C White, faced compulsory retirement. To allow some continuity while White’s replacement was decided, Erridge was temporarily sent to Burnham. Although initially only a temporary posting, Erridge remained at Burnham until 1934 in the dual roles of Ordnance Officer SMD and Officer in Charge Burnham Camp (Camp Commandant).[5]
By 1935 in his role of DOS, King was looking forward and preparing his organisation for war. In a submission to the General Headquarters, King requested authority to reorganise his staff. Regarding Erridge, King started.
Owing to the large amount of new equipment that is on order and is likely to be ordered soon, it is essential that the staff of the Ordnance Depot, Trentham, be strengthened to the extent that I should again have the assistance of my most experienced Ordnance Officer.
There is a great deal of work of a technical nature in connection with mobilisation, rewriting of Regulations, etc., which I am unable to find time to carry out myself, and which Mr Erridge, by virtue of his long experience and training, is well qualified to undertake. This work is most necessary and should be put in hand as soon as possible; I have no other Officer to whom I could delegate it.
Again, King’s recommendations were accepted, and on 30 June 1934, Erridge relinquished his Burnham appointments and was appointed as the Ordnance Officer (Provision) at the MOD, with promotion to Captain following on 1 December 1934.[6]
When the war was declared in September 1939, the NZAOC underwent a significant transformation as its mobilisation plans were implemented. The DOS, Lieutenant Colonel King, was seconded to the 2nd NZEF as the Deputy Director of Ordnance Services (DDOS). Accompanying King was a small staff drawn from the military and civilian staff of the NZAOC who formed the nucleus of the Ordnance Corps in the 2nd NZEF. Kings’ responsibilities of DOS and COO were handed over to the Ordnance Officer CMD, Lt Col Burge.
On 2 December 1939, Erridge relinquished the appointment of Ordnance Officer (Provision), was granted the Rank of temporary Major and posted to Army HQ with substantive Major confirmed in February 1940.[7] In June 1940, the NZAOC underwent further reorganisation when Lt Col Burge relinquished the appointment of DOS when he was appointed as Deputy QMG in Army HQ with the position of DOS placed into abeyance for the duration of the war. Appointed as Staff Officer Ordnance and CO of the NZAOC, Erridge took over responsibility for the NZAOC.[8]
With the national economy transitioning from peacetime to a war footing, the Government took a series of initiatives to ensure international trade and commerce security. Representing the New Zealand Military, Erridge accompanied the New Zealand Minister of Supply and a small entourage of officials of the New Zealand Munitions and Supply Delegation on a tour of Australia for a series of talks with their Australian counterparts in July/August 1940.[9]
While the mission of the New Zealand Munitions and Supply Delegation to Australia was focused on strengthening cooperation between New Zealand and Australia, the Eastern Group Conference held in Delhi in October 1940 had the broader goal of organising a joint war supply policy for the countries of the “Eastern Group.” The countries represented at the Eastern Group Conference included the United Kingdom, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, East Africa, Palestine, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, and Hong Kong, with the Government of the Netherlands East Indies attending as observers.[10] The New Zealand delegation included.
The Chief of the General Staff, Major-General Sir John Duigan,
Major H. E. Erridge,
Mr F. R. Picot, Director of the Internal Marketing Department,
Mr J. R. Middleton, assistant-Secretary of supply,
Mr B. Taylor, assistant to the chief investigating officer of the Treasury Department.
As a result of the October conference, the Eastern Group Supply Council (EGSC) was established to coordinate and optimise the production and distribution of war materiel in the British colonies and dominions in the Eastern Hemisphere. The New Zealand members of the council who were to be based in New Delhi were.
Mr F.R Picot, Director of Internal Marketing and Food Controller,
Mr W.G.M Colquhoun (Munitions Department).
Mr R.J Inglis (Supply Department).
Mr R.H. Wade (of the Treasury).
A Central Provisions Office (Eastern) was also set up in Delhi, with national offices established in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, East Africa, Southern Rhodesia and the Middle East. The Central Provision Office (Eastern) was a military organisation consisting of about 40 to 50 Army officers from all countries constituting the Eastern Group. Headed by the Controller-General of Army Provisions, who was also the military member of the EGSC and acted as the agent of the Imperial General Staff and various Commanders in Chief. The role of the Central Provision Office (Eastern) was coordinating with the controllers of the national provision offices to obtain military stores to maintain the British and Commonwealth war effort.[11] From March 1941, Two NZAOC Officers, Temporary Major D. L. Lewis and Lieutenant D.I Strickland were attached to the Central Provision Office (Eastern) staff in New Delhi.[12]
Before the Central Provision Office (Eastern) assumed complete provision control, it was necessary for all the controllers of the national provision offices to meet to ensure that uniform procedures were adopted. A coordination conference for the various Provision Group Controllers was held at New Delhi in July 1941, with Erridge attending as New Zealand’s military representative. Based on this conference, on 5 August 1941, the New Zealand War Cabinet approved the establishment of the New Zealand Defence Servicers Provision Officer (DSPO), with Erridge appointed as its Controller with the rank of Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. Relinquishing the appointment of Staff Officer Ordnance and handing over the Commanding Officer NZAOC duties to Major E.L.G Bown, the COO MOD.[13]
By April 1945, the DSPO thought Central Provision Group (Eastern) had shipped for the British Ministry of Supply equipment to the value of £10,000,000 (2021 NZD $8,988,577,362.41) with additional equipment to the value of £8,520,761 (2021 NZD $765,895,194.35) that was surplus to the requirements of NZ Forces overseas transferred to the War office.[14] During a visit to New Zealand in January 1946, Major-General R.P Pakenham-Walsh, CB, MC., a member of the Eastern Group Supply Council and the Central Provision Office(Eastern), stated that “Stores from New Zealand which had been made available to the Eastern Group Supply Council had been of great importance in the prosecution of the war” adding that “the Dominion’s contribution had compared more than favourably with that of various larger countries.”[15] Following the surrender of Germany in April and Japan’s defeat in August 1945, the Eastern Group Supply Council and Central Provision Office, although serving their purpose well, had become irrelevant and were dissolved on 31 March 1946.[16] However, it took two years for the DSPO to transition to a peacetime footing. Seconded to the War Asset Realisation Board (WARB) on 1 May 1947, Erridge started to wind down the work of the DSPO while also coordinating the disposal of equipment through the WARB. On 17 December 1948, Erridge handed over the remaining stocks to the WARB and closed the DSPO.
At 62 years of age and following 45 years of volunteer, Territorial and Regular service, Erridge retired from the New Zealand Army and was placed onto the Retired List with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on 29 May 1949.[17] Never marrying, Erridge spent his retirement in his hometown of Dunedin. On 30 March 1962, a resident of the Dunedin’s Ross Home, Erridge, passed away at 74. Following his wishes, he was cremated, and his ashes scattered.
Throughout his service, Erridge was awarded the following decorations
OBE (1946)
NZ Long Service and Efficient Service (1925)
1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
War Medal 1939-45
NZ War Medal, 193-45
Notes
[1] Archives New Zealand, “Henry Earnest Erridge- Ww1 8/1004, NZAOC 888, Ww2 800245, 30293,” Personal File, Record no R24097640 (1904-1948): 2708.
[2] “Regulations for the Military Forces of the Dominion of New Zealand,” New Zealand Gazette, May 19, 1927.
[3] “Appointments, Promotions, Resignations and Transfers of Officers of the NZ Military Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 61, 19 July 1926.
[4] “Appointments, Promotions, Resignations and Transfer of Officers of the New Zealand Military Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 48, 27 June 1929.
[5] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers of the NZ Forces “, New Zealand Gazette No 16, 5 March 1931.
[6] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers of the NZ Forces “, New Zealand Gazette No 55, 19 July 1934.;”Appointment, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers from the NZ Forces,” New Zealand Gazette No 87, 29 November 1935.
[7] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers of the NZ Forces “, New Zealand Gazette No 1, 11 Jan 1940.;”Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers of the NZ Forces “, New Zealand Gazette No 75 (1940).
[8] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Retirements of Officers of the NZ Forces “, New Zealand Gazette No 70 (1940).
[9] “Unity in War Effort,” Evening Star, Issue 23622, 8 July 1940.
[10] East Africa consisting of the territories of (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Northern and Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland; Bertram Stevens, “The Eastern Group Supply Council,” The Australian Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1941).
[11] “Eastern Group Supply Council,” Otago Daily Times, Issue 24640, 23 June 1941.
[12] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Retirements of Officers of the New Zealand Military Forces.,” New Zealand Gazette, No 30, 9 April 1941.
[13] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Retirements of Officers of the New Zealand Military Forces.,” New Zealand Gazette, No 74, 11 September 1941.
[14] “War Supplies,” Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 126, 30 May 1945.
[15] “Production Problems,” Evening Star, Issue 25690, 14 January 1946.
[16] “Supplies – the Eastern Group Supply Council,” Northern Advocate, 1 April 1946, 1 April 1946.
[17] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, and Resignations, of Officers of the New Zealand Army “, New Zealand Gazette No 37, 16 June 1949.
Today Tikao Bay is a calm, peaceful little bay with a laid-back holiday vibe hidden away in Akaroa Harbour with few clues remaining of its military use and the tragic drowning of two Ordnance soldiers.
During World War Two, with the threat of invasion by Japan just over the horizon, the isolated Akaroa Harbour was fortified to deny its use by the enemy. However, by the time the battery of 6-inch guns, Naval Armament Depot and controlled minefield was completed in 1943, the threat had diminished, with the defences becoming an expensive white elephant. In early 1944 The controlled minefield was fired, and all the navy stores at the Tikao Bay Naval Armament Depot were transferred to other installations and facilities offered to the army.[1]
Akaroa Harbour Defences. Peter Cooke Defending New Zealand 2000
The extensive facilities at Tikao Bay, including a mine magazine, examination room, primer magazine wharf and accommodation buildings, were taken over by the Southern District’s Ordnance Depot at Burnham Camp in 1944 as a satellite storage depot for Gun and Artillery Equipment.[2] With an initial establishment of seven men in 1944, this had been reduced by 1955 to two soldiers responsible for the storage and maintenance of the equipment held at Tikao Bay.
Former Defence buildings Tikao Bay. Suff.co.nz/Ewen Sargent
Staff Sergeant Frederick Hastings Kirk aged 52, was married with three children and had been the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of the Tikao Bay depot since 1950. Staff Sergeant Kirk had joined the Ordnance Depot at Burnham in 1939 as a civilian before enlisting into the 2nd NZEF early in 1940. As a Temporary Warrant Officer Class Two in 23 Battalion, Kirk was taken prisoner at Crete in 1941 and remained a Prisoner of War for four and a half years. On his return to New Zealand, he joined the temporary staff and was posted to the Ordnance Depot at Burnham. In 1948 he became a member of the Regular Force and transferred to Tikao Bay in 1950.
Private Donald George Dixon was aged 28 and was married with three children. Private Dixon initially served with the ammunition inspection branch after his 1953 enlistment and was transferred to the Tikao Bay Depot in October 1953.
On Tuesday, 10 March 1955, on completion of their daily duties, Kirk and Dixon left the depot at about 7 pm to check a set net approximately 200 yards (183 Meters) from the Tikao bay jetty. Having not returned by 11 pm, the police were notified, and Constable Egan of Akaroa and Mr G Brasell undertook an initial search. At 3 am Wednesday, Egan and Brasell located the missing men’s upturned dingy at the high-water mark near the set net, which was still in position. Reinforced with a party from Burnham Camp, local residents, and the police, the search for the missing men continued for the rest of the week.[3]
Private Dixon’s body was located and recovered from the harbour on Saturday morning.[4] The search for Staff Sergeants Kirks’ body continued with his body found on 18 March.[5] It was assumed that a southerly wind had risen after the two men left the depot, causing the dingy to capsize with the coroner’s report ruling the deaths as asphyxia by drowning due to misadventure.
Tikao Bay remained as an Army installation and training area into the early 1970s; however, its role as a storage depot ceased in the 1960s as the army progressively disposed of the remaining artillery equipment held there.[6]
Notes
[1] Sydney D. New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs War History Branch Waters, The Royal New Zealand Navy (Wellington, N.Z.: War History Branch, Dept of Internal Affairs, 1956), 229-36.
[2] “Establishments – Ordnance Corps “, Archives New Zealand No R22441743 (1937 – 1946).
Worn by some New Zealand Army units since the mid-1960s, it was not until 1973 that the wearing of stable belts (commonly referred to as Corps or Regimental Belts in the New Zealand Army) was authorised across the New Zealand Army. In adopting a stable belt, a few units adopted belts of a unique design; however, most New Zealand corps, regiments, and infantry battalions choose designs based on the regimental colours of a parent or allied units of the British Army. The three Logistics Corps of the NZ Army adopted stable belts of a British design, and it was not until 1996 and the formation of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR) that a unique New Zealand Logistic stable belt was be adopted.
Stable belts have their origins in the British Army. Cavalrymen (and ASC and AOC personnel from trades associated with horses) found that by modifying a Cavalry “Surcingle,” they had a belt that was particularly useful in providing lower back support when cleaning stables and tending horses. As British military uniforms became more utilitarian, lacking the colour and flair of earlier patterns, the wearing of coloured “stable belts” in regimental colours evolved, adding a splash of colour and individuality to the drab khaki working uniforms of the period.
The use of coloured stable belts in regimental colours spread to all branches of the British Army, becoming established as a uniform item following World War Two. Most commonwealth countries followed the example of the British Army and adopted the coloured stable belt of the Corps or Regiments to which they had links or alliances. The adoption of stable belts by the NZ Army was far from enthusiastic, and it was not until the mid-1960s that stable belts started to appear. It was not until 1973 that the Army Dress Committee officially approved the universal wearing of stable belts for all Regiments and Corps of the NZ Army.
Stable Belts are generally manufactured from a 21/2- to a 3-inch-wide belt of a heavily woven material with horizontal stripes in two or more colours. Buckle types vary with six main types used.
Single tongue leather buckle. In NZ only used by the 4th Otago and Southland Battalion
Multi tongue leather buckle. Consisting of two leather buckles
Single Locket
Triple Locket. In NZ only used on the 5th Wellington West Coast Battalion Other Ranks Stable belt.
Rectangular plate (Matt colour or chromed) and Cap Badge design.
Web Belt clasp. Used on Interim RNZALR Stable belt.
RNZASC stable belt
Photographic evidence suggests that the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps (RNZASC) adopted the British Army Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) stable belt sometime around 1970. However, the exact year is unknown. Until its disestablishment in1965, the RASC had worn a stable belt with a blue base with two central white stripes and two yellow stripes on the borders. A stable belt with a multi-tongue leather buckle, the RASC stable belt was worn with two leather buckles worn on the right hip. The Canadian ASC wore the same pattern stable belt up to 1968 and continues to be worn by the Malaysian Kor Perkhidmatan Diraja (Royal Logistics Corps).
RASC/RNZASC stable belt. Robert McKie Collection
In June 1973 the New Zealand Director of Supply and Transport requested from the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) permission for the RNZASC to adopt the RCT stable belt. Adopted by the RCT in 1965, permission for the RNZASC to adopt the RCT pattern belt was granted by the Colonel Commandant of the RCT in September 1973. Concurrent with the adoption of the RCT stable belt by the RNZASC, was the adoption of the same belt by the Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) in 1973.
RCT/RNZCT stable. Robert
RNZCT stable belt
On 12 May 1979, the RNZASC ceased to exist, as its Supply functions were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC), while the Transport, Movements and Catering functions were reformed into the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT). The RCT pattern stable belt continued to serve as the stable belt of the RNZCT throughout the RNZCTs existence within the NZ Army. The only change to the belt throughout its life was some subtle changes to the design of the buckle.
Early Pattern RCT/RNZASC/RNZCT stable belt. Robert McKie collection
Late Pattern RCT/RNZCT stable belt. Robert McKie collection
RNZAOC stable belt
There is much photographic evidence of RNZAOC officers and soldiers in Singapore unofficially wearing British (Single locket) and Malaysian (multi tongue leather buckle) Ordnance Corps stable belts during the 1970-72 period. The RNZAOC initially discussed introducing stable belts in 1969. However, at the time, the available orders of dress did not provide much opportunity to wear a Stable belt, and the preference of the RNZAOC was to adopt a coloured Lanyard. Approval for a Lanyard was not granted, so the Director of Ordnance Services submitted to the Amry Dress Committee on 4 April 1972 requesting authority for the RNZAOC to adopt a stable belt. Permission was granted due to the Army Dress Committee’s 4 April 1972 meeting. The RNZAOC Belt was to b the same pattern as the RAOC belt but had a rectangular chrome plate mounted with RNZAOC Badge.
RNZAOC stable belt. Robert McKie collection
RNZEME stable belt
With its distinctive dark blue background with red and yellow stripes, the stable belt of the Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RNZEME)was introduced in 1967 and was based on the Royal and Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME) stable belt. The upper portion of the right-hand buckle carried the Corps motto (Arte et Marte). The right-hand piece had the RNZEME badge.
RNZEME stable belt. Robert.McKie Collection
RLC stable belt
In 1993, in the most significant reorganisation of its Logistic Support since 1965, the British Army formed the Royal Logistic Regiment (RLC) by combining the RCT, RAOC, Catering and Pioneer Corps into the new Regiment. Eager to retain the values and traditions of its foundation Corps and Regiments, the RLC retained many elements of its founding corps Regimental colours and the history they represented in the design of the RLC stable belt. The REME remained a separate Corps outside of the RLC.
RLC stable belt
RNZALR stable belt
In a similar initiative to the British Army’s formation of the RLC, the NZ Army also combined its logistic functions into a single Logistic Regiment. The significant difference between the British and New Zealand logistical changes was that the RNZEME was also disestablished and included in the NZ Logistic Regiment.
On 9 December 1996, the Officers and Soldiers of the RNZCT, RNZAOC and RNZEME marched onto parade grounds on each camp and base. Corps flags were lowered, headwear and stable belts exchanged, and the Officers and Soldiers marched off as members of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (RNZALR).
With the colourful stable belts of three RNZALR foundation corps and the collective history of service to New Zealand since 1840 that they represented retired, the RNZALR took a different approach to the RLC in selecting a new stable belt. While the RLC had embraced its foundation Corps’ values and traditions, the RNZALR divorced itself from the past and adopted a plain navy-blue stable belt.
As stock of the new RNZALR stable belt was not available on the formation of the New Regiment, a temporary belt was issued.
Consisting of a navy-blue belt with Web Belt clasps, the interim belt was retired within a year as new RNZALR Stable belts became available.
The only distinctive feature of the RNZALRs stable belt is locket style Chrome buckle, which includes the following features
The RNZALR Corps badge on the male side of the buckle
The RNZALR motto, “Ma Nga Hua Tu Tangata”, on the female side of the buckle.
