5 Advanced Ordnance Depot (5 AOD) was a short-lived  Australian and New Zealand Ordnance Depot located in Singapore from 9 March 1970 to August 1971.

Created as a direct result of Australia’s and New Zealand’s commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements between Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, 5 AOD was established to support the Australian and New Zealand Forces remaining in Singapore after the planned British withdrawal.

5 AOD was officially raised on 9 March 1970 with an advance party made up of:

• Major N.W  Spenser  RAAOC    OC
• Capt J.H Short RAAOC   OC BKS SVCS
• Capt D.J Spreadbury RAAOC ATO
• Capt L.G Gittins RAAOC LPO
• WO2 A.J Morton RAAOC Chief Clerk
• WO2 A.C Phillips RAAOC Control Office
• WO2 W.s Eaglesham RAAOC Traffic
• WO2 R.R Robertson RAAOC AT
• WO2 J Twiss RNZAOC Control Office
• SSgt J.A Green RAAOC LP
• Sgt K.L Dodds RAAOC Documentation
• LCpl S Shepherd RNZAOC Machine Operator

Set up from scratch in March 1970, initially, finding working accommodation was a priority and problematic. The Singapore authorities were unwilling to provide suitable accommodation in any of the recently vacated British facilities, so as a temporary measure 5 AOD was housed with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 3 Base Ordnance Depot (3 BOD) at Alexandria and Keat Hong.  A lack of accommodation plus political wranglings forced a change of location to the H.M Naval Base at Sembawang, where the unit occupied Transit Shed No 4 on 15 July 1970.

Transit shed 4 was an iron framed Building with corrugated iron walls with a concrete floor. The total area of the building was 112500SqFtt, of which 70500 sq ft was initially available to 5AOD.

The building was located on the dockside in very close proximity to the water, with a circuit for vehicles around the building with access to the east and west sides, Sliding walls made up the West side with one door available on the east side.

The ceiling clearance was 25ft, and the building was served with natural lighting from skylights; electrical lighting was available but not suitable for detailed tasks.

on the establishment off 5 AOD the temporary Control, Stores and traffic Office and Orderly Room was a curtained area in the main warehouse set up for the clerical and administrative functions.

In-scaling of stores was achieved by assuming the responsibilities of the Australian Cell of 3 BOD and their existing stocks. Additional stocks were delivered directly from Australia by HMAS Jeparit. By October 1970, 5 AOD was functioning as a unit.

The Strength of 5 AOD in September 1970 was:

• 10 Officers
• 38 Other Ranks
• 58 Locally Employed Civilians (LECs)

Although 5 AOD was established in March 1970, the New Zealand contribution did not start to be in place until June/July/August 1970 with the arrival of the advance party, including;

• Captain Ian Ross
• WO2 Jim Twiss
• Sgt B Kukutai
• Cpl Neilson
• Cpl TT Smith
• LCpl PP Reti
• LCpl Shepard

During its short existence, New Zealand strength within 5 AOD averaged two Officers and 18 Other Ranks, including members of the advance party, soldiers such as:

• Peter Cox
• Ray Bennseman
• Max Mclean
• Terrance Sharpe

Due to elections in the United Kingdom in 1971, the UK decided to not wholly withdraw as initially planned but to retain reduced forces in Singapore as part of the newly constituted ANZUK Force.  Succeeding the Far East Strategic Reserve, which had been in place since the 1950s, ANZUK Force was a tripartite force based in Singapore and was formed by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to provide military support in the Asian Pacific region while the nations of Malaysia and Singapore grew their Armed Forces.

As a valid economic measure, a combined Australian, New Zealand and UK Ordnance Depot, later known as the ANZUK Ordnance Depot, was organised to take over the responsibility of  UK 3BOD and 5 AOD.

Ceasing to exist in Aug 1971, 5AOD responsibility, personnel and stock were absorbed by the new ANZUK Ordnance Depot.

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017

These are a series of photos from an album I was surprised to discover in a Wellington second-hand shop. The collection spans from 1971 to 1979 and provides a photographic history of the ANZUK Supply Depot (1971-74) and the New Zealand Supply Platoon (1974-89).

RFA Tideflow. Robert McKie collection

ANZUK Supply Platoon

The ANZUK Supply Platoon was the ANZUK unit responsible for providing foodstuffs and POL (petrol oil lubricants) to the ANZUK Force (1971-1974). Under the command of the Commander Royal Australian Army Service Corp (CRAASC), it was a tri-nation unit, with members drawn from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

It was formed at a time when the three different armies were rationalising their Supply functions from an Army Service Corp (ASC) Responsibility to an Ordnance Corp responsibility, and as a result, the unit was a mix of Royal Army Ordnance Corp and Australian and New Zealand Army Service Corp personnel. The United Kingdom changed in 1965, creating the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT), with the ASC Supply responsibilities taken over by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Australia followed suit in 1973 and New Zealand in 1979.

With the withdrawal of the British and Australians from Singapore, the ANZUK Supply Depot changed ownership and became the NZ Supply depot in 1974, continuing under RNZASC control until 1979 and then RNZAOC control until 1989, when New Zealand withdrew its forces from Singapore.

Located in the north-eastern section of the former HM Naval Dockyard, Sembawang, Singapore, the ANZUK Supply Depot occupied the cluster of buildings that were the former Royal Navy Victualling and Storing Office and Victualling Depot (SVSO and Vict Depot).

Originally announced in 1923, construction of the Naval Dockyard was completed in 1939, at a staggering cost of £60 million – equivalent to £2½ billion in 2006, paid for by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The base covered 21 square miles (54 km²) and had the most significant dry dock in the world, the third-largest floating dock, fuel tanks to support the entire British Navy for six months and a host of workshops, warehouses and accommodation. With the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore starting in 1968, most of the Naval Base was handed over to the Singapore government, with the area adjacent to the Stores basin retained for use by the residual Commonwealth, then New Zealand Forces.

 DRY STORE

Cold Store

POL Store

ANZUK Supply Depot 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

Checking ‘Live’ consignment of produce to issue to Gurkha Regt at Nee Soon,